"The Greatest of These"

The Greatest of These


“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” — 1 Corinthians 13:13
Faith, hope, and love are three of the strongest foundations of the Christian life. We live by faith, we hold on to hope, and we are called to walk in love. Yet when Paul places these three together, he makes a powerful statement: the greatest of these is love.
Why love?
Jesus was once approached and asked to identify the greatest of all God’s commandments. In His answer, Jesus took the entire Law—all the commandments God had given His people—and brought them down to two:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. Then He added, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus concluded by saying, “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37–40)
Everything hangs on love.
The first commandment deals with our vertical relationship—our relationship with God. We are to love Him completely, not simply with our words, but with our heart, soul, and mind. God isn't meant to occupy one small part of our lives. He is to be at the center of everything.
The second deals with our horizontal relationships—how we treat the people around us. Our love for God should eventually become visible in the way we love people. It should affect our patience, forgiveness, generosity, compassion, words, attitudes, and actions.
We cannot separate the two. The more we understand how deeply God loves us, the more His love should begin flowing through us toward others.
This helps us understand why Paul says love is the greatest.
Faith is essential because we trust God for what we cannot yet see. Hope is essential because we confidently look forward to what God has promised. But both faith and hope point toward something still ahead.
One day, faith will become sight.
One day, hope will become reality.
We will see Jesus face-to-face. Everything we have believed and hoped for will finally be before us. But love will remain.
Love does not expire in eternity because love is part of the very character of God. Scripture tells us plainly, “God is love.” (1 John 4:8)
That means Christian love is more than simply being nice or having warm feelings toward someone. Biblical love is a choice to reflect the character of Christ. Sometimes love looks like compassion. Sometimes it looks like forgiveness. Sometimes it means serving when it is inconvenient. Sometimes it means being patient with someone who frustrates us. Sometimes it means speaking truth with grace.
And sometimes loving people is difficult.
That is why we cannot depend entirely upon our own strength to obey Jesus' command. We need His presence working within us. When Christ is first in our lives, His Spirit changes the way we see and respond to people.
Before reacting, we can ask, “What would love do here?”
Before speaking, “Do these words sound like Jesus?”
Before holding onto an offense, “How much grace has God shown me?”
Before walking past someone in need, “Is God giving me an opportunity to demonstrate His love?”
Putting Christ first helps us remember His faithfulness, His grace, and His patience toward us. When we remain close to Him, He gives us the strength to extend those same things to others.
Love really is the hinge upon which the door of God's commandments hangs. Without love, our faith can become nothing more than religion. Our service can become obligation. Our knowledge can become pride. Even good things lose their purpose when love is removed from them.
So as you walk through the doors God opens today, remember what matters most.
Love God completely.
Love people intentionally.
Let the love you have received from Christ become the love you give away.
Faith trusts Him.
Hope looks toward Him.
Love reflects Him.
And of these three, the greatest is love.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for loving me with a love that never fails. By Your presence within me today, help me put You first and love You with all my heart, soul, and mind. Teach me to see people the way You see them. Give me patience when loving is difficult, grace when I am frustrated, compassion when someone is hurting, and humility to serve when You give me the opportunity. Let the way I speak, respond, forgive, and serve reflect Your love. May people experience something of Your heart because of the way I love them today. In Jesus' name, Amen.