Focus on His Love Now and Always -
Michael Edwards
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Cor 13:13 ESV
Love is the greatest and when all else disappears, when the perfect has come and we can see fully, faith and hope will no longer be needed, but the greatest of all, love, will remain.
1 Corinthians 13 lists several gifts of the Spirit that God gives out to believers. But it emphasizes that all the knowledge we possess now, all the wisdom, all the faith and hope will no longer be needed when we see the full truth with our own eyes. Love is the only thing that will remain.
Love is what Jesus showed us in living color. He lived a life of love and in doing so fulfilled the spirit of all of God’s laws. The spirit of the law is why the letter was written and it is the only thing that truly fulfills the author’s purpose. The spirit of all of God’s laws is love.
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Rom 13:8-10 ESV
Focus on His love for us, make it personal like the Apostle John did. Five times John called himself the disciple whom Jesus loved. John was keenly aware of how much he was loved by God. Not because of what he did, but because of who God is. The same is true for us.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4: 18-19 ESV
The more we focus on His steadfast love for us this Christmas season and always, the more easily we can love others as He loves us.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15:12 ESV