Daily Devotional

-September 5, 2021-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

-The Greatest Virtue Is Love-

“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians chapter 13 is often called “The Love Chapter.” The Apostle Paul begins by describing the importance of love, then detailing how love works in our lives, and how everything else lasts at best only in this life. Love is eternal. Love is by far the greatest attribute, the greatest of the fruit of the Spirit, the greatest virtue.

There are three different Greek words for love in the NT: Eros, meaning physical love between a husband and wife; Phileo, meaning the love between friends; and Agape, meaning God’s love. It is the latter that is in view in our text today. It is a giving, self-sacrificing, and eternal love. It is the love that comes from God and is not based on human merit and requires no reciprocity.

In John 3:16, Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” In Romans 5:8, Paul said, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” And John tells us in 1 John 3:16, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”

In each of these verses God’s love is expressed in actions, not just words or emotions, though they are involved also. 1 John 3:18 says, “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” Because we are God’s children and are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we can show the love of Christ to others.

The reason why love is greater than either faith or hope is that only love will last for eternity. When we get to heaven, we will see the Lord and be with Him and one another forever. There will no longer be a need for faith to believe and hope to look forward to. But even in our world today, love is still superior to any other virtue or quality. It is involved in our relationship with God and with other people, both saved and unsaved.

Paul shows us what God’s love is, what it looks like, and how wonderful it is. He describes what love is and what it is not in verses 4-8a. Love suffers long (or is patient); love rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things; love never fails. Love does not envy, parade itself, is not puffed up; love does not behave rudely, seek its own, is not provoked; and love thinks no evil, and does not rejoice in iniquity.

God’s love supersedes all other loves. It is deep, immeasurable, and beyond our understanding. Paul tried to measure it human dimensions but could not. He wrote in Ephesians 3:17-19, “That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

There was never a greater expression of love than at the cross of Calvary. Jesus loved the whole world and laid down His life to save us. He made the most tremendous sacrifice to save His lost and sinful people. May the Lord help us to love others as He loved and loves us. Truly we can say with Paul, “…but the greatest of these is love.”’

Have a blessed day showing Christ’s love wherever we go, to whomever we meet, in sincerity and truth. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean