At least three things are seen active in those who have received the gospel message in reality. In Col. 1:3-6, these three things are seen together in the Colossian believers. A faithful messenger of Christ had carried the gospel message to them and they had received it and it brought forth fruit. The fruit of the gospel was that they had faith in the right Person; love to the right people; and a hope in the right place.

Faith - They had faith in the right Person. It was "faith in Christ Jesus." It was not a little faith in Christ and a little bit of faith in themselves. Christ alone was the object of their faith. Neither was it the strength of their faith, nor the amount of their faith, nor the kind of their faith. It was faith in the right Object—Christ Jesus. Though their faith may have been weak—like the touching of the hem of His garment, it was a confidence—not in self, but in Christ. Then when the believer touches Him, God gives us His blessing according to His own estimate of the value of the Person and the sacrifice of Him whom we have trusted. God knows the value of the Person and work of Christ and blesses accordingly. How precious are the results of the faith which simply lays hold upon Him.

Love - They had love to all the saints—not merely to a few with whom they may see eye to eye. The divine nature in the child of God reaches out to what is divine in every other child of God. The same Christ who is precious to me is precious to the other. This love, however, cannot in any way overlook in the saint what is contrary to the mind and character of God. It would not be true love to do so. Love could have no fellowship with the works of darkness. It will weep, pray and seek to restore one overtaken in a fault. Here, true love and mere human sentiment are distinguished. Love must be "love in the truth" and "for the truth's sake." We are never told, as one brother said, "to lay down the truth for the brethren, but our lives" (1 John 3:16). God's holy truth must be given first place and then love will fall into its proper place of displaying the faith that makes one a Christian.

Hope - There is the sure and certain prospect laid up for the believer in heaven. In contrast to promises to Israel, the Christian is blessed with heavenly blessings, partakers of the heavenly calling, "waiting for God's Son from heaven." This hope will practically affect us. "He that hath this hope in Him purifieth Himself, even as He is pure" (1 John 3:3).

Thus you find Faith, Love and Hope linked together in several passages of Scripture as three manifestations of the believer effectually receiving the Gospel.

My friend, is your faith in Christ? Is your love to all the saints? Is your hope the return of Christ to rapture you to Himself and your heavenly inheritance?