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Love Never Ends

Love Never Ends

Words of Faith 7-24-17

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2017

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

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1 Corinthians 13

     [8] Love never fails.

     [9]   But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. [9] For we know in part and we prophesy in part, [10] but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. [11] When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. [12] Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

   [13] And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

 

   Love never fails. Strangely, the object of love is always outside of itself yet the goal of love is always complete in itself. It does not have to control, change or achieve. It is selfless. This love also never ends. Paul gives us a glimpse of the eternal here. All the things that the Corinthians were worried over were temporal things. Prophecy-- utterances from God to His people-- these will one day cease. One day we will stand in silence before the throne. We will stand in awe before His majesty and nothing will need to be said.

       The speaking of tongues both known and unknown will one day be stilled. There will be no more need for such communication or interpretation. Any knowledge that we have attained or accumulated will pass away in the face of the creator who made it all and thought it all.

     All that we know and prophesy is only in part. No one has complete knowledge or complete prophetic revelation. When perfection comes in the return of Jesus and we become part of His eternal Kingdom, the imperfect will surely disappear. All the things we have argued over will be solved. All the doctrine and dogma that we have debated will be clear. There will be no more questions and no need for answers when we are in the presence of the Almighty.

       Most of what we concern ourselves with in this earthly life is childish. We talk like children even in our most eloquent theological moments. We reason like children in our most brilliant theological writings. We reason like children but one day we will be grown and we will put childish things behind us.

       All of our religion is but a poor reflection as in a mirror. One day we shall see face to face the presence of the Lord and His glory. The truth we have now is true but it is only in part. Complete truth will come later in His wondrous presence. Then we shall know fully even as now we are fully known by God. We think that our experience of God is awesome and amazing now, but that which is to come will make this pale by comparison.

       Only three things remain in the presence of Almighty God. Our prophecy will cease and our tongues will be stilled and our knowledge will pass away.   Faith, hope and love will remain. In the presence of God, absolute faith-- an abiding trust and security-- will envelope us. In the presence of God, complete hope-- an abiding peace and optimism about God's future-- will surround us. And love-- the overwhelming experience of His complete and unselfish goodwill toward us-- will remain. This is the greatest. Nothing will surpass this.

 

       O God, teach me this love. Reveal to me this love. Fill me with this love that my life might overflow to others. In Jesus' Name.