What the Bible Has to Say About Love
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. 1 Cor 13:13 (KJV)
Flag of the Areopagus of Eastern Continental Greece (1821-1825), with symbols of faith, charity (love), and hope (First Epistle to the Corinthians, chapter 13). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Perhaps what surprised me most about 1 Corinthians 13 is the last sentence which says: “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” 1 Cor 13:13 (KJV) The word charity means love. But how is love greater than faith when the Bible tells us “without faith it is impossible to please” God (Hebrews 11:6)?
How is love greater than hope when “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1)? I asked myself these questions and the Holy Spirit responded quickly that love is a prerequisite for faith and hope. Without the love of God, as shed abroad in our hearts by Christ Jesus (Romans 5:5), there can be no faith.
Without the love of God, the heart is hopeless. 1 Corinthians 13: 8 says: And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. So charity (love) is even greater than faith which is “the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) It is also written, that without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)
So if love is greater than faith, and without faith we cannot please God, then we can also understand that without love it is impossible to please God. Since God is love, we can then know that without God it is impossible to please God. Without Christ, there is no access to the Father. It is written:
1 John 4:20
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?1 John 4:8
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Real love exists within the context of wisdom. Contrary to popular belief, love is not foolish. Fools do not really fall in love. The Bible says that the fool says in his heart “there is no God.” (Psalm 14:1). Since God is love, those who don’t know Him have no experience of love, nor can they know what love is. Love is also not immature and it is not irresponsible. The word of God says: “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” 1 Cor 13:10-11 (KJV)
Romance, wanton sexual indulgences, the desire to indulge the senses at the cost of another’s spiritual and physical health is both childish and wicked. It is like a child playing with matches and later carries a lifetime of regret and fear of fire. The Bible tells us plainly “Flee fornication,” which is sexual immorality. (1 Corinthians 6:18) Furthermore, Proverbs 6:27 asks: “Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?”
Passion rooted in sexual pleasure is not love. It is fire. Embrace it, and your clothes will (metaphorically speaking) catch fire, and your mind, life, finances, body (can anybody say STDs?), will be adversely affected. There are many things that we should pray for everyday. The ability to love should be first on your list.
So the next time you are tempted to be swept away by passion, think twice. What you indulge in today, could eventually cost you your life. The next time you’re tempted to be angry and say “I can’t stand so and so”: Think twice and remember how God is love. Be thankful for the love that God has shown you and learn to be gracious, merciful and loving to others whether or not they deserve it. What are some ways that you have been challenged to love, today?
More on What the Bible Has to Say About Love in the next installment.
Until next time, “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might!”
Your friend in Christ,
Verneda
Twitter handle: @vlights
© 2012 Verneda Lights. All Rights Reserved.
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