Faith, hope and love are at the heart of the Christian life

"Therefore since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.  And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us" - Romans 5:1-5

We now have peace with God, which may differ from peaceful feelings such as calmness and tranquility.  Peace with God means that we have been reconciled with him.  There is no more hostility between us, no sin blocking our relationship with him.  Peace with God is possible only because Jesus paid the price for our sins through his death on the cross.

It helps to keep in mind the two-sided reality of the Christian life.  On the one hand, we are complete in Christ (our acceptance with him is secure).  On the other hand, we are growing in Christ  (we are becoming more and more like him).  At one and the same time we have status of kings and the duties of slaves.  We feel both the presence of Christ and the pressure of sin.  We enjoy the peace that comes from  being made right with God, but we still face daily problems that often help us grow.  If we remember these two sides of the Christian life, we will not grow discouraged as we face temptations and problems.  Instead, we will learn to depend on the power available to us from Christ, who lives in us by the Holy Spirit.

Faith, hope and love are at the heart of the Christian life.  Our relationship with God begins with faith, which helps us realize we are delivered from our past by Christ's death.  Hope grows as we learn all that God has in mind for us; it gives us the promise of the future.  And God's love fills our lives and gives us the ability to reach out to others.

SOURCE: The holy bible and Life application study bible