Why is "love" considered the greatest in 1 Corinthians 13:13? The Setting of 1 Corinthians 13:13 “Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13) Faith, Hope, and Love—Why This Trio? • Faith looks upward—trusting God’s character and promises. • Hope looks forward—anticipating the fulfillment of those promises. • Love looks outward (and upward)—acting for the good of God and neighbor right now. Love Outlasts Faith and Hope • When Jesus returns, faith will turn to sight (2 Corinthians 5:7; Revelation 22:4). • Hope will be fully realized (Romans 8:24-25). • Love, however, carries on eternally. Heaven’s atmosphere is saturated with love—no more need for faith or hope because everything is seen and fulfilled, but love keeps flowing forever. Love Reflects the Very Nature of God • “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) • Faith and hope describe our response to God; love expresses who God is. • As we love, we display His image more clearly than through any other virtue. Love Fulfills the Law and the Prophets • Jesus summed up all commands in two statements: “Love the Lord your God” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-40) • Romans 13:10: “Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” • Because love encapsulates every moral requirement, it ranks above the supports that guide us toward it. Love Powers Faith and Hope • Galatians 5:6: “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” • Colossians 1:4-5 links “faith in Christ Jesus” and “love that you have for all the saints” with the “hope reserved for you in heaven.” Love fuels the engine—faith and hope move at love’s prompting. Love Builds Up the Body of Christ • 1 Corinthians 8:1: “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” • Spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12) are temporary tools; love is the eternal infrastructure. • Without love, even the most spectacular ministry is “a resounding gong” (1 Corinthians 13:1). Practical Ways to Walk in the Greatest Virtue • Start every day recalling God’s love displayed at the cross (Romans 5:8). • Let love guide speech—gentleness, truth, encouragement (Ephesians 4:15, 29). • Serve someone unnoticed; love delights in hidden faithfulness (Matthew 6:3-4). • Forgive quickly, as Christ forgave you (Colossians 3:13-14). • Ask the Spirit to overflow His fruit—“the fruit of the Spirit is love…” (Galatians 5:22). Summary Love is greatest because it never ends, mirrors God’s own heart, fulfills every command, energizes faith and hope, and knits Christ’s body together. Embracing love is embracing the very life of God, now and forever. |
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