“Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8).
THE GREATEST
The Christian has some marvellous virtues in Christ—the first fruit of the Spirit to be mentioned in Galatians 5:22 is “love”.
Love is mighty, love is strong, love never fails: “Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away” (SoS 8:7).
What a privilege it is to be loved by God, hallelujah! We are loved. None of us should say that we are loved by no one, for there is a God in heaven who loves us with an intensity that we find hard to comprehend, yet we know it’s true. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Such is the love of God for us: “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Rom 8:32).
We rest and trust in the love of God, and we also share in the love, we no longer hate, but love. For God’s love moves us, “For Christ’s love compels us” (2 Cor 5:14).
Maybe some people are content to hold on to grudges and unforgiveness, but those who love God cannot hold onto such bitterness against other people, for we are compelled by God’s great love to reach out to people.
“Love does not dishonour others… it keeps no record of wrongs”. When we were children we would sometimes fall out with a playmate, and maybe not play with them for a day or so, but then one of children involved would shyly make his way over to the other and say, “Do you want to play?” And the other would be eager to accept the offer, that’s how children are. And then all squabbling over the previous falling out evaporates like steam in the air.
However, when we become adults, we take slights and hurtful comments much more seriously. Some people can hold onto a grudge for years, maybe even a lifetime. Even some people who are Christians struggle with resentment and grievances—in church one day singing God’s praise and bad-mouthing someone the next day: “Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be” (Jam 3:10).
Paul in Ephesians likens us to children, for that’s what Jesus said we should be like. “As beloved children” Paul says, “walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph 5:2).
Yes, all Christians have felt God’s love, but do we walk in it? May the Lord help us to do so, for love never fails. We can be sure to be on the winning side when we walk in love.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’… ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these” (Mark 12:30–31).