=THE GREATEST ONE IS LOVE!=
1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV)
-And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is
love.-
This week we have been hanging around this verse, daring to use it as a
guide to check that we are spending our lives on that which is essential to
God, not just important to us.
We have looked at two of the three – faith and hope – so let's now consider
the third one, which Paul underlines as the greatest of the three: this is
of course, love. Agape is the original Greek word used here for love and it
means the "God kind of love". We need to understand that the love that is
spoken of in this passage is exactly that, "the God kind of love" and not
the limited fickle stuff the world commonly uses. Lets rewind a bit in 1
Corinthians 13 to remind ourselves what "God kind of love" looks and feels
like.
1 Corinthians 13:5-7
-Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is
not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices
with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always
perseveres.-
The love we see defined here is so different to the love that is often
offered and marketed so freely in this world we live. The love we have
experienced in this world often does not protect, hope, or care for the
other persons needs, but rather it takes, demands and is all about
self-satisfaction and self-preservation. It is only when God's Agape love
touches our hearts that we are changed forever and it is when we live to
release this "God kind of love" that other people's worlds are impacted.
God's love, unleashed, can change the world! Let His Agape love both touch
you and flow from you again today.
_Love defines us_
A hard truth is that we can be so busy doing seemingly good things, but if
faith, hope, and especially love, is not the motivation what we do does not
mean that much to God. Truth to tell, He counts deeds done without love to
be equivalent to nothing. It is that which we do that flows from love for
God and love for people that abides (remains) and actually defines us.
1 Corinthians 13:2-3
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all
knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains,
_but have not love, I am nothing_. And though I bestow all my goods to feed
the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it
profits me nothing.
Let's consider essential what God does.
Have a great day, love God, and love people.
Andy
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