Love Never Fails

October 25, 2020 Background Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:27 – 14:1 Lesson Passage: 1 Corinthians 13:1 –13 It is not what a person possesses that matters as much as what possesses that person. That sums up the topic of our lesson. This topic is from verse 8 of the Lesson Passage: Love never fails. In this passage of scripture, Christlike character is exalted above spiritual gifts and ministry. Who you are is more important than what you have or what you do. Put another way, who a person is, is more important than the fact they are anointed and the service they render to others while under that anointing. Character counts. After discussing the vanity of having spiritual gifts that are not accompanied by love, and the behavior of believers governed by love, Paul concludes that love is eternal. On the surface that appears to be a giant leap to a conclusion. How did Paul reach such a conclusion? Let’s consider what Paul wrote to accompany his conclusion. After Jesus returns and Christians are glorified, there will no longer be a need for the spiritual gifts that are so needed today in the church—and in the world! Yes, those wonderful, and necessary, gifts of today will no longer be needed when all things are made perfect. The spiritual gifts are the manifestations of the Holy Spirit within the body of Christ. The gifts are the spiritual tools needed to empower Christians to be bold and effective witnesses for Christ. Jesus admonished his followers before his ascension to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit arrives to empower them with the gifts before they go and declare the gospel to the world. It is clear that spiritual gifts are indispensable for reaching lost humanity with the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. However, Paul warned the church that having spiritual gifts and employing them in ministry is rendered ineffective in the absence of a Christlike character that is the product of love. Even when change comes about because of the gift, it is not to the credit of the individual who used the gift. There is no reward for their labor when it is not a labor of love. Paul concludes that having the spiritual gifts without love reduces the person to: sounding brass or a clanging symbol, nothing, or results in no profit. A character of love exhibits longsuffering, patience, kindness, humility, gentleness, and restraint. Prophecy, revelation, and teaching impart knowledge for our spiritual awareness and growth. However, when all truth is revealed, there will no longer be a need for them because we will then know everything completely. Those gifts will then be shown to be temporary because they will cease. The crescendo of Paul’s argument is “Love never fails.” That is amazing when one considers: never is a very long time! There will never be a time when love will no longer be needed. Love is an essential and enduring facet of the Christian character. Love is greatly needed in this imperfect world and yet it will be just as needed in the perfect world to come. When all ese has failed or is no longer needed, there are three abiding graces given by God: faith, hope, and love. Faith and hope are necessary as we await the fulfillment of all things. Faith trusts God’s promises and hope looks for the manifestation of them. But when everything expected has arrived, why hope for what is readily seen? Faith and hope will hold out until all comes to pass as God has promised. After this, only love will remain. Love is the greatest of the abiding graces of God. Robert C. Hudson September 26, 2020