Faith and Love Spring from Hope

"...we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people—the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven..."
Col. 1:4 - 5

Faith and Love spring from Hope.  Or in KJV (with Greek) "heard of your faith .... and love...on account of the hope laid up in heaven."

Note: Faith (Eph2:8) and Love(1 Jn. 4:19) are gifts from God; but we are commanded:

• to believe—"have faith"  Mark 5:36
• and to love—"love one another" 1 Jn 4:7 - 8

But our faith is weak so we must look to Christ and cry out, "I believe, help Thou my unbelief."  (Mk 9:24)  So we see here in Col. 1:5 that the source of our faith and love is heaven.  It also gives the source of faith and love's continued growth—hope.  Hope that is stored in heaven.  "Where your treasures are, there your heart will be also."  Hope that you are constantly looking to:  Col 3:1-2— Set your hearts AND your minds on things above.

Therefore to increase our faith and our love we must think on heaven for it is truly noble, right, pure, and lovely.  This is our inheritance (Col. 1:12); it is our goal and our prize and our reward.  This is what we eagerly strain forward to attain.  Such active engagement of the mind in the thoughts and visualization of heaven will surely increase our faith in Him who called us and our love for Him and for His people.