“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV
Reflection: why is faith and hope an essential part of love?
One of the most famous Beatles songs called “All you need is love”, which was released in 1967, became a representation of the cultural movements at that time. It became a call for anti-war, anti-materialism, ant-establishment, etc. That basically through love you can do all things, as in “love conquers all”, similar to what Paul wrote “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:7 ESV. And while the message of “all you need is love” hit a nerve at that time, and still does, if taken out of context it can lead down some very dark roads. We remember from that time period that this also became a call for the abolishment of family values, the sanctity of marriage through movements such as “free love”. No responsibilities, just live as you please, giving fully into the flesh. But, since God is love,
Isn’t God all we need?
The answer to that is obviously yes, when put this in the right context, the right order. Just because “God is love” is true, “Love is God” is not true when we first define what love is. That is putting God into our definition, our image; not the other way around. This idea of anything we define as love, God must approve of since He is love, is clearly not biblical. Paul ends the love chapter with a strange, seemingly unconnected verse, saying “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV. There are many great sermons and writings on this verse, but also many that are very misleading. Again here, we could quickly conclude that love trumps all since “the greatest of these is love”. Some think that as long as the word “love” is in the picture, it has to be right. But again, that is false doctrine without the right context.
When we look at this chapter in whole, we understand what will disappear, and what will remain. What is eternal. Paul writes “So now faith, hope, and love abide”, 1 Corinthians 13:13a ESV. Abide, meaning they will “remain” when all else is gone. They are not transient, but permanent. Which is pretty interesting to think about, and critical to build our lives on. Bible commentator MacLaren made the point that, if you suddenly today had to leave everything behind, including family, job, knowledge, skills, material possessions, money, etc, what remains?
What have we put our faith and hope in? What do we then really love?
Faith and Hope are essential elements of Love, completely missed by worldly definition of love which tends to be very self centered. Faith and Hope is outside of self. We must build our lives on a foundation that is unmovable, that will never change, on the Lord Jesus Christ alone. He is the only one to have faith in, to hope in, to love and will abide for eternity. “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. John 15:10 ESV