Since God is Love...

"And now abides faith, hope, love; these three; but the greatest of these is love."                   -1 Corinthians 13: 13

A question gnawed at my mind as I considered the sentence above. Why would love be more important than faith and hope?

The world is filled with unfair circumstances. Life seems to always be getting messed up. You'd think maybe hope would be most needed. And what about faith? Isn't that the key to pleasing God? Wouldn't faith be most important, because faith pleases God? Didn't He create us for His glory? (Hebrews 11:6)

But, no... the verse clearly said, "...the greatest of these is love."

It is amazing how when you go to the bible with a need for one thing, if you truly are searching, God will show you something better than what you were looking for. I had been searching for hope. I was getting to a place where I wondered if there was any. As I searched for verses on hope, I realized that God is the God of hope, He gives it due to the resurrection. But then I came across this verse.



"God, why is love more important than faith and hope?" I wasn't expecting an answer right away, but there it came, clear as day. 1 John 4:8 flashed through my mind:

"...God is love."

Wait a second. It doesn't say, "God loves everyone," although that is true, and there are verses that say that. But it clearly says God is Love.

Without love, there would be no Person to put our faith in, and no Reason to hope. Jesus coming to earth do die in our place, to shed His blood for the remission of sin, is the result of LOVE! 

Nowhere does it say, "God is faith" or "God is hope." It also doesn't say, "God is justice." ...Hmmm... interesting.

Since God is love, then several things are true:

1. Love produces in us faith, hope, justice, grace, righteousness, and all other aspects of God's character that He wishes us to live out. Since He is love, then love is believing, just, gracious, righteous, humble, hopeful, etc. (Just take a look at 1 Cor. 13!)

2. Love is the whole reason Christ died on the cross! It is because God loves us that we have hope of eternal life with no fear! (1 John 4:18)

3. That explains, then, why God created man (love seeks objects to give to), why He says that His greatest command to man is that we love God, and then to love each other.

4. Love is an expression of God's character, and by it, we show the world who God is! (1 John 4:12)

...Then where should our focus be, dear Christian? 

I've been in many churches throughout the past few years of ministry in several different parts of the world. Some of them preach only godly lifestyle. The focus there becomes, how "right" can I live? It becomes outward-action focused more than heart change. In doing so, they make God appear to be a harsh perfectionist who has no patience for backsliders or the unrighteous. But that is not God at all! Godly lifestyle without godly, unconditional love is worthless in God's sight! (1 Cor. 13)

I've also been to the churches that are so caught up in the need to "love" each other, that they compromise very important truths in God's word. They compromise the justice, the righteousness, the holiness of God. They are so afraid of offending others by godliness that they choose not to have standards of living at all, and in doing so, they make God appear to be a "softy" with no backbone. In so doing, they are not showing God's love, but a man made love that makes them look good.

Perhaps I should ask, do you really know God? The balance is found in Him! 

...God, who is love, practices justice, kindness and holiness. He freely gives hope and faith. In His love, He rebukes and chastens. In His love, He draws all men to Himself. In His love, He hates sin with a passion and wishes we stay away from it, because it keeps us from Him. In His love, He wants us to look different than the world, yet somehow, He wants us to live in it, showing His unconditional love to all, with no favorites. It is that kind of life that makes a difference!

"And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face Him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world." -1 John 4:17

God's greatest goal for your life, dear Christian, is that you live like Jesus here in this world! How it is done is by living in God, who perfects our love, and uses it to show the world who His Son is!

If you read through the gospels, you will find a Savior who is gentle, but honest, compassionate, yet bold enough to rebuke those who needed it, a Friend of sinners, but holy in His lifestyle. We are to be like Him!

Let us seek to know our God, who is love.