“LOVE NEVER FAILS. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” (1 Corin. 13:8)
[Love is a PERMANENT and PERPETUAL GRACE, lasting throughout all eternity!]
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE.” (1 Corin. 13:13)
[When the time comes that faith and hope are no longer needed, true love will burn on continually with the most dynamic flame.]
“Many waters CANNOT QUENCH [extinguish] LOVE; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned.” (Song of Sol. 8:7)
[No amount of opposition could quench Christ’s love for us, no flood could ever drown it; Jesus waded through the greatest difficulties to prove His love, even seas of his own blood.]
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and TO MUTUAL AFFECTION, LOVE.” (2 Pet. 1:5-7)
[This LOVE is Agape love, a love that is independent of the one’s being loved, or their response to that love, it is a love of devotion, a love that our Abba Father graces us with and He commands us to love one another with this kind of love!]
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment…Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ All the Law and the Prophets 1HANG on these two commandments.” (Matt. 22:36-40) [1kremannumi; to be suspended, or held up or supported.]
[All the other commandments of God are ‘HELD UP’ by this LOVE OF GOD! It is this godly love that motivated Jesus to give up his life for us!]
“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the CONTINUING DEBT TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law…Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore, love is the FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW.” (Rom. 13:8, 10)
[We must do what is most important in pleasing our Abba Father!]
“There is no fear in love. But PERFECT LOVE DRIVES OUT FEAR, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. WE LOVE BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister IS A LIAR. For WHOEVER DOES NOT LOVE THEIR BROTHER AND SISTER, whom they have seen, CANNOT LOVE GOD, whom they have not seen.” (1 John 4:18-20)
THERE IS NO FEAR IN LOVE. BUT PERFECT LOVE DRIVES OUT FEAR!
-Bill Stockham