Love is the key! - Pt. 3
Notes
Transcript
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Resilience is the capacity to quickly recover from difficulties. Capacity is the maximum amount that something can contain or produce. Permanence is the quality of lasting or remaining unchanged indefinitely.
My intent this morning is to complete the sketch of Love Paul explains, so we can see the full picture. Often the reason we lack obedience is because we lack full understanding of a thing.
Boundless Love
Paul is completing the picture by showing the boundless nature of Love produced by the Holy Spirit. He ties to the phrase “all things” or “all” to amplify each feature.
Support
The first feature of this boundless love is support. The meaning and uses of the word denote a covering, or keeping something held up and sealed in. Like a roof on a house, or a safe box for private belongings. Thus the love from the Holy Spirit is on protect mode.
Application: The reason we have roofs on our houses is to cover us from exposure to elements. Our windows have seals and locks and blinds to cover us from animals, weather, etc. Any cracks can become bigger and leaks can become floods. When I love you, nobody can break the seal of my covering over you. The worst of your sins, I will absolutely correct, yet will cover you to avoid exposure to harm.
Belief
The second feature is belief. Paul is not suggesting belief in any and everything as true without discernment. The idea is that “all things” that should be believed, love believes. 1 T 5:21 says prove all things, hold fast to what’s good. The word of GOD, GOD himself, and Christ defines what’s good. Jesus said in L 18:19 that no one is good if not GOD alone. Contextually then, the height of love is that it believes all that accords to GOD and his word.
Application: Faith is tied to your love. In fact, Paul says your faith works through your love. Love in my heart does not produce a doubtful approach to life. When folk act up, it doesn’t cause my faith to wane. Likewise, I don’t approach every behavior with doubt that they had good intentions.
Hope
The third is hope. The idea here is that love produces a confident expectation of the future.
Application: I know things don’t look good with us, but because I love you, and I trust in the power of GOD, I look forward to better. If that never happens on your behalf, it won’t be said that I lost hope for our relationship. This expectation can be seen with GOD and how he treated Israel!!
Endurance
The fourth is endurance. Again, the all things is within the scope of God’s will. Endure means to remain and not flee in the face of trouble. It emphasizes a duration!!
Application: When you love somebody, it should be a signal that I ain’t going nowhere!! The recipient might leave, but the love of GOD in me says I’m still right here!!
Permanent Love
Then Paul gives the final feature of the Love produced by the Holy Spirit, and that’s that it never fails. This literally means that it will never cease to exist. He contrasts it with other gifts that will one day fade away. Then says in v 13 that presently, faith, hope, and love remain. The idea is that love is eternal. Even of the three that remain right now, love is the one that will transfer to heaven. There will be a reward for our faith. Peter says in 1 P 1:9 that salvation is the end goal of faith. Paul says in R 8:24 that no one hopes for what he sees. But love will never fail to exist, on earth or in heaven.
Application: Therefore, love should be our utmost aim while we’re here because it is a reflection of the attitude that exists in and from heaven!!