Faith is the past, Hope is the future, and Love is the present.

Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen because they are understood through what has been made. So, people are without excuse. [NET]

Hebrews 11:3 By faith, we understand that the worlds were set in order at God’s command so that the visible has its origin in the invisible. [NET]

God’s Pattern 

To understand faith, hope, and love, we need only look at the laws of creation. The patterns the Lord used when he brought forth the material creation. The word says that the visible had its origin in the invisible. In other words, the pattern of the invisible was reproduced in the visible realm. That pattern in the spirit is duplicated in the physical. 

Paul said, “his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen because they are understood through what has been made.” Even we as human beings are patterned after the image of God. His attributes were used to create us so that we may also function as Him in this physical world. 

Even Jesus came to show us how to function in the Kingdom of God by God’s pattern. To function as God functions. So, he came as the Son of Man and functioned as man was created to function. He did what he saw His father doing in the physical realm as his father did in the spiritual realm. 

The visible always has its origins in the invisible

The spiritual always births the physical, mirroring the spiritual. This is why I love physics. The more I see how the physical realm functions, the more I understand how the spiritual realm works. 

So, let’s take the way light works in the physical realm. Physics says the speed of light is the fastest anything travels in the universe. But really, it is the speed of photons. Photons are containers that carry light. These packets of light travel as fast as possible in the physical realm. 

But speed influences something else in the physical realm. That something is time. As an object’s speed increases, the passage of time that the object experiences slows down. In fact, as an object’s speed gets closer to the velocity of light, the rate of time passage gets slower and slower. Until the object reaches the speed of light. When the speed of light is reached, time stops. There is no past and no future. There is only now. Just like in the spiritual realm, there is only now. As God told Moses, “I AM.” (Which is another whole discussion.)

So, back to the photons that carry light at the speed of light. To the photon, there is no time passage. Even though the photon may have come from a distant star millions of light years away. To the photon, it arrived here instantly. There is no time; it is just now. It is always now to the photon.

Photons and Words

So, what in the spiritual realm does the photon mirror? Words. Words carry power. Words carry spirit. Words carry light. We see this relationship over and over in the scriptures. When the word goes forth in the spiritual realm, it is done. The word, like the photon, only knows now. 

Faith 

Spoken words are the words that go forth. Faith-filled words are the words that go forth and accomplish. When they are spoken, the thing they are sent to do is done. You may not see the effects right away, but it is done. Jesus cursed the fig tree, which was dried up at the root, but the effect was not seen until the next day. But it was done as soon as he spoke. 

This is how faith works in your life. Once you believe and speak your faith’s words, it is done. Like the photon, faith knows no time; as soon as faith is spoken, it is done. Now, faith is in the past. It may not look like it is done to you because you are in time, but faith has had its effect. 

Hope

So, what do you do as time passes until you see what faith has done? You hope. Hope is the absolute expectancy that what you have said will come to pass. In fact, what you hope for is already there. You are just traveling along in time until you get there. Hope is your destination, and your hope will be there when you get there. Because it is already there waiting for you. Because faith has already put it there.

Hope is your picture. Hope is your vision. You see where you are going. You see what you will receive. You keep this picture before you. You see it, take hold of it, and say it. Hope keeps you focused on what faith has done.  Hope is your future. Hope keeps you focused on what is already done by faith.

Love

But what is the function of hope’s focus? It is to focus the force of love. Why love? Because there is no fear in love. Love creates. Fear destroys. When you are walking in love by the Spirit of God, you are continuing in the hope you have. If the lord has promised you something, you spoke out in faith. Then you have hope. Love works towards the vision. Love is now. Love is the present. Love is moving. Love is works by faith. Love is the fruit of the Spirit against which no law or weapon can overcome it.

Faith is the Past. It is done.

Hope is the future. It is the vision of faith.

Love is now. It is the walk of faith.