“Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 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 the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a 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.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:8-13)
In Chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians, Paul gave evidence of the Corinthians’ lack of love in the utilization of spiritual gifts. Then Paul goes on in Chapter 13 to define real love and the necessity of it to be evident while utilizing all spiritual gifts. Love is more important than ALL the gifts exercised in the church body. Great faith, acts of dedication or sacrifice, and miracle-working power produce very little without love. And although all believers have different spiritual gifts, love is available and must be the undercurrent to all of them!
And Paul defines REAL love in Verses 4-7. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” We would all do well to refresh our reflection on this definition. How to love and treat your spouse? It’s right there, defined! How to counsel your teens on praying for, and searching for, a future mate? It’s right there! How to handle a snarly neighbor … how to react to others in the workplace … how to love … it’s right there. Paul makes a bold statement: Love.Never.Fails. Period.
God’s kind of love is directed outward toward others, not inward toward ourselves. It is utterly unselfish. This kind of love goes against our natural inclinations. And because of that, I will make a bold, and perhaps controversial, statement: I personally don’t think it is humanly possible to always practice this type of love here on earth. Oh, perhaps we’ll be successful for a moment; maybe even for a whole day. But, it would be humanly impossible to always get that type of love perfect all the time. EXCEPT, we aren’t finished yet!
Paul tells us that all the spiritual gifts will disappear; all that is, except for one: LOVE. Paul reminds us in Verse 12, “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; THEN WE SHALL SEE FACE TO FACE.” A new eyesight is coming! Our vision will be made clear! In eternity, the spiritual gifts will not be necessary. Only LOVE will remain, and it will be this perfect kind of love. In eternity, when perfection comes, the imperfect will disappear. Our earthly life is filled with “seeing a poor reflection as in a mirror.” Here’s the thing: on earth, everything we see, do, react to and carry out is done with a tinge of selfishness to it. We are looking in the mirror and thinking about self — how does this affect ME; this person doesn’t treat ME very well, how could I possibly love them like God instructs; I will love them better when they love ME better; that person hurt ME therefore I can’t possibly love them; that person looks differently than ME, acts differently than ME, speaks differently; that person has SIN in their life, how could I possibly love them?!
When we accept Christ as Lord of our lives, “the old is gone and the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17) the Holy Spirit — our helper and advantage — enters in and brings each of us spiritual gifts. And those gifts are for our lives on earth in order to build up, serve and strengthen fellow Christians, and to love others in Jesus’s name. But in eternity, we will be made perfect and complete and will be in the very presence of God. We will no longer need the spiritual gifts, so they will come to an end. In eternity, when we will be complete, we will see God face-to-face. And we will have NEW vision. So, although the spiritual gifts end, love will remain. The complete, whole, perfect kind of love. And we will see all of that with new eyes!
My husband and I were discussing age this morning (our middle daughter turned 38 today) and we both made the comment that we are not just getting older, we are getting closer to Heaven! I’ll confess that I’m not sad about that. In fact, many days I long for it! But we’re still living in the in-between; so I ask God daily to help me live THIS day well … to love and serve others well in His name, for His Glory! Nope, I won’t always get it right while here on earth. But a NEW life is coming, and one day I will see and experience God and everything perfectly. I will also SEE things perfectly! And as Bill McKenzie* told us one time, in Heaven we’ll all have flat foreheads because we’ll be saying “THAT’S why that happened!” as we smack ourselves on the forehead!
Lord, we are grateful for this day and all that it holds. Thank You for all the lives that You will cross my path with today; help me to see and love them as You would. Holy Spirit, bring a new understanding to my open heart. I know that I don’t always get this right, Father; forgive the times when I don’t love as You instruct. There are many days, Lord, that I long to be with You in eternity; but until then, help me to love like You do. Give me eyes to see others as You see them. Break my heart for the things that break yours. And lead me in Your ways everlasting. I pray in Jesus’s name. Amen.
Why do you think the gifts will cease in Heaven, but love never will?
What makes agape love counterintuitive for unregenerate humans, and comprehendible and doable for those “in Christ”?