Expiring.....

Expiring......

And now there remain: faith [abiding trust in God and His promises], hope [confident expectation of eternal salvation], love [unselfish love for others growing out of God’s love for me], these three [the choicest graces]; but the greatest of these is love.
1 CORINTHIANS 13:13 AMP

Looking at the three virtues mentioned in today's extract, you wonder why love is seen as the greatest. A quick review of what these three are may help to resolve that wonder. First is faith. It is defined as an abiding trust in God and his promises. In fact, the Bible says that 'without faith, it is impossible to please God'. It means faith is an essential part of my daily life and is the channel through which I can access all of God's precious promises.

Next is hope, which is defined as confident expectation of eternal salvation. It means that there is an end in view, already determined by God, and hope is the fuel that drives me on, even when things don't make sense. It means that it will not just end in uncertainty, but in definite eternal realities at the end of this earthly phase. So, as I live, I know that one day, there will be a transition, and everything I have been told b God will become realities.

And then there is love, defined as unselfish love for others growing out of God's love for me. You really cannot define love without using the word love again. One quick connection between all three: they all have a part to play in both the present and the future. They keep you grounded down here, as you look forward to all God has in store up there. But there is a remarkable distinction: faith and hope will expire at some point. When I get to heaven, and all my expectations are matched and surpassed, is that not the end of faith and hope? Would heaven not be the crowning glory of all the pains, trials and tribulations I had to endure down here?

Or could it just be that God is love and love is of God? Love never ends. It is God's love that saves man, and keeps him on God's path till the end, and it is also the sole ingredient that heaven is based on. Down here, God's love helps me connect with others; up there, God's love becomes even more real and personal, and I get to see the physical manifestation and personification of that love. That's why love is the greatest. Do I know this love? Have I met this love? His time of favour is here