Hopeand Happiness. The three elements of hope include having goals (seeking out where you want to go), feeling empowered to shape your daily life, and identifying multiple avenues toward making Kelahiran Tuhan Yesus kembali dirayakan bersama oleh umat Gereja Indonesian Congregation Camberwell ICC di St. john Anglican Church, Camberwell. Serupa seperti tahun sebelumnya, ICC mengundang masyarakat luas dari berbagai latar belakang dan keyakinan, bukan hanya masyarakat Indonesia yang beragama yang diangkat di tahun 2014 ini adalah Hope, Faith and Love. Ketua Panitia Natal ICC Yolanda Ohello mengatakan tema tersebut ditemukannya dalam Alkitab 1 Petrus 1. “I think it’s very beautiful,” tersebut pun diwujudkan dalam berbagai bentuk penampilan dari jemaat ICC; dimulai dari tarian cantik oleh anak-anak sekolah minggu yang berpakaian seperti malaikat, sampai koor yang menyanyikan lagu-lagu khas dua anak ini berharap acara natal ICC dapat membawa kebaikan kepada semua orang yang telah terlibat dan telah cuma mau semua orang yang datang dan terlibat hari ini, baik jemaat, pelayan, hamba-hambanya; come out from here filled with hope and faith and love. Jadi dalam kehidupan sehari-hari mereka dapat dipenuhi pengharapan, iman dan dekorasi nan indah dan berwarna-warni tidak luput menghiasi seisi ruang ibadah sehingga suasana Natal pun menjadi lebih terasa. Rupanya persiapan yang dilakukan oleh seksi acara dan dekorasi, Ganda Marpaung, berlangsung kurang dari satu bulan. “Untuk acara sebenarnya ide-idenya sudah lama. Tapi saya mulai bekerja sekitar tiga minggu terakhir,” Ganda yang sudah tidak asing lagi berkiprah di berbagai acara promosi Indonesia semacam Festival Indonesia dan Pako Festa, pelayanan untuk gereja memberikan kepuasan batin tersendiri. Lagipula, pemilik Nauli Dancer ini mengaku, dirinya senang mengajar tari-tarian pada kotbahnya, Pendeta Kuncoro Rusman berharap para umat dapat menyebarkan arti Natal yang sebenarnya, yaitu kelahiran Yesus Kristus yang penuh kasih dan harapan. Hal ini dijelaskan beliau sebab banyak orang, terutama yang tumbuh di lingkungan yang tidak mengenal Tuhan, menganggap Natal sebagai hari libur maupun dekorasi berupa pohon natal, lampu yang berkelap-kelip dan Santa Klaus tersebut juga dihadiri oleh Konsul Muda Protokol dan Kekonsuleran Oldrin Lawalata yang membawa pesan dari Konsul Jendral Dewi Wahab. Di kesempatan tersebut beliau mengungkapkan rasa terimakasih KJRI kepada gereja yang telah bersama-sama menyatukan dan melayani masyarakat Indonesia yang ada di Melbourne. Tentunya beliau juga tidak lupa untuk mengucapkan selamat hari Natal dan tahun baru kepada semua orang yang Kalonta selaku Ketua Majelis ICC mengapresiasi semua komunitas yang telah hadir.  Dirinya pun berharap agar keceriaan Natal dapat membawa perdamaian dan pengharapan lengkap perayaan tanpa hidangan makan malam dan santapan penutup yang lezat. Para pengunjung pun dapat saling mengucapkan selamat Natal dan berkumpul bersama dalam kegembiraan.* GALERI FOTO * gaby foto ga/rr/tjintjinÂ

katanyamastiin gue. semua hal itu lo yang mastiin. hidup lo sekarang juga :D. Posted by naomi at 1:13 AM 0 HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!! "Yesterday is memory. Today is a gift. Tommorow is a Hope. Let’s begin New Year 2012 with faith, love, peace and new hope. GBU" (ngutip kata-kata orang) Posted by naomi at 6:36 PM 0

As virtues, faith, hope, and love have long been celebrated. Some Christian denominations consider these to be three theological virtues — each representing values that define humankind's relationship with God himself. Faith, hope, and love are discussed individually at several points in the Scriptures. In the New Testament book of 1 Corinthians, the apostle Paul mentions the three virtues together and then goes on to identify love as the most important of the three And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 1313, NKJV This key verse is part of a longer discourse sent by Paul to the Corinthians. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians aimed to instruct and correct young believers in Corinth who were struggling with matters of disunity, immorality, and immaturity. Since this verse extols the supremacy of love over all other virtues, it is very often selected, along with other passages from the surrounding verses, to be included in modern Christian wedding services. Here is the context of 1 Corinthians 1313 within the surrounding verses Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 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. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 134-13, NIV Faith Is a Prerequisite As believers in Jesus Christ, it is essential for Christians to understand the meaning of this verse. There's no doubt that each of these virtues — faith, hope, and love — has great value. In fact, the Bible tells us in Hebrews 116 that, "...without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God, must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." NKJV The value of faith cannot be disputed. Without it, there would be no Christianity. Without faith, we couldn't come to Christ or walk in obedience to him. Faith is what motivates us to move forward even when the odds are against us. And faith is closely related to hope. The Value of Hope Hope keeps us moving forward. No individual can imagine life without hope. Hope fuels us to face impossible challenges. Hope is the expectation that we will obtain what we desire. Hope is a special gift given by God through his grace to combat the day-to-day monotony and the most difficult circumstances. Hope is there for the single mom who doesn't know how she is going to feed her children and keep a roof over their heads. She might give up, if not for the hope that a breakthrough is right around the corner. Hope is the invisible hand that holds up the head of a desperate prisoner of war so that he can see the light of day. Hope hangs on to the promise of a Savior who is coming to set him free. Hope encourages us to keep running the race until we reach the finish line. The Greatness of These Is Love The Bible states that love is greater than both faith and hope. We couldn't live our lives without faith or hope without faith, we cannot know the God of love; without hope, we would not endure in our faith until we meet him face to face. But in spite of the importance of faith and hope, love is even more crucial. Why is love the greatest? Because without love, the Bible teaches there can be no redemption. In Scripture we learn that God is love 1 John 48 and that he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us — a supreme act of sacrificial love. Love is what motivated God the Father to send His only Son to die for us. Thus, love is the virtue upon which all Christian faith and hope now stand. For the believer, love is the foundation for every good thing in our lives. Without love, nothing else matters.
2 komunikasi clear with respect but also punya hati yg submit sm suami sbg otoritas. 3. pray about it. These 3 piece practical wisdom seems 'easy' and 'simple' tapi praktekinnya gak gampang. Kerendahan hati sangat diperlukan, gak berpikir
When we come face to face with Christ in heaven, there will still be much that has to happen. We will still need to have faith in the outworking of a new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness will dwell. We will still need to hope in the glorious finale when everything is restored, in Christ, to how it originally was, all of creation and every living creature united in perfection, to the glory of God the Father. Although perfection exists in heaven, there is unfinished business to be completed in the cosmos. Heaven is not about OUR hopes, for we are focused on God, concentrating on him and how he will eventually achieve his cosmic righteousness in his creation, through Christ. Our praise and service will still be employed by him, for his glory. We know not what work we will be assigned in heaven towards that end, or for how long. After all, God has a track-record of not being hasty with anything he does. Since when has God been in a rush to do anything? Just this morning I alighted on this old hymn, and as I sang the verses in solitary confinement in my home, for I would not inflict my piano-playing-cum-singing on innocent hearers the combination of faith, hope and love was eloquently expressed by Christopher Wordsworth 1807-85 to the tune Charity by John Stainer, 1840-1901. Bear with me as I recite all six verses, for I see in them the distinct division between our hopes and faith here on earth, and the ultimate supremacy of love in heaven once all is all in God Gracious Spirit, Holy Ghost – taught by Thee, we covet most of Thy gifts at Pentecost, holy, heavenly love. Faith that mountains could remove, tongues of earth or heaven above, knowledge, all things, empty prove without heavenly love. Though I as a martyr bleed, give my goods the poor to feed, all is vain if love I need; therefore, give me love. Love is kind and suffers long, love is meek and thinks no wrong, love than death itself more strong; therefore, give us love. Prophecy will fade away, melting in the light of day, love will ever with us stay; therefore, give us love. Faith, and hope and love we see, joining hand in hand, agree; but the greatest of the three, and the best, is love. When Philippians 29-11 has been fulfilled, then I suggest love will remain supreme, but until that distant day is reached, our heavenly estate will still call for faith and hope as the creation of a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness will dwell will be worked out. Our getting to heaven won’t be the finale. This will be the finale “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” I suggest that, even when we get to heaven, there’s a way to go before that ultimate climax, when "that which is perfect" has arrived Romans 1310. Thisis a “tough love” moment for America and Americans. Call it “spanked by reality.”. Where do we go from here? First, realize that the ship of state is Iman, harapan, dan kasih..... Pertama, saya akan membahas mengenai iman. Walaupun saya adalah orang awam, namun saya percaya bahwa kita semua, umat beragama, pasti memiliki iman kepercayaan masing-masing. Entah itu yang beragama Kristiani, Islam, Hindu, Buddha, pasti diajarkan untuk beriman kepada Tuhan Yang Maha Esa. Iman itulah yang menjadikan kita sebagai pedoman hidup untuk terus bertahan di tengah-tengah kerasnya kehidupan di dunia ini. Tanpa adanya iman yang kuat, kita pasti mudah untuk terjerumus ke dalam dosa, yang malah akan merugikan diri kita sendiri dan orang lain di sekitar kita. Kedua adalah harapan. Harapan ini seringkali ditujukan untuk Tuhan kita berupa doa permohonan. Seperti saat kita gagal mendapatkan apa yang kita inginkan, kita secara sadar maupun tidak sadar akan membatin atau mengatakan Tuhan, bukan ini yang saya inginkan. Saya menginginkan hubungan yang harmonis, cinta yang sejati, usaha yang lancar, dan sebagainya. Ya, harapan adalah keinginan kita. Terakhir adalah yang terpenting dari semuanya. Cinta kasih. Kalau yang ini pasti semuanya sudah bisa mendefinisikan apa itu cinta. Heheheee... Ada yang bilang, cinta itu rumit. Semakin dipikirin, semakin bikin otak melilit. hahaha.. Tetapi, buat yang sudah menjalin bahtera rumah tangga atau buat pasangan muda-mudi yang sedang kasmaran, pasti akan mengatakan bahwa cinta itu manis. Semanis dirinya di hatiku.. wakakakaa.. Memang benar, cinta dapat membuat segalanya berbeda. Suasana yang dingin dan kaku, dapat menjadi hangat jika ada cinta di dalamnya. Entah itu cinta dalam keluarga, persahabatan, maupun dalam hubungan berpacaran dengan lawan jenis. Karena ini adalah bagian terpenting, mungkin saya akan sedikit sharing tentang pengalaman pribadi saya. Dia itu sosok yang berbeda dibandingkan dengan pria lainnya yang saya kenal. Saya mengenal dirinya saat di bangku kuliah, tepatnya dalam sebuah organisasi paduan suara universitas. Awalnya sangat manis. Pastinya.. Dan itu adalah momen yang tidak akan pernah terlupakan. Kami jadian tanggal 22 Agustus 2008. Sehari sebelum kami mengikuti kompetisi paduan suara di salah satu institut negeri di daerah Bandung. Waktu berjalan, memang tidak semudah yang kami kira. Setahun kemudian, masalah pertama mulai mewarnai kehidupan cinta kami. Dia sempat menyerah dan berniat untuk putus dari saya, namun saya terus meyakinkan dirinya untuk bertahan dan menyelesaikan masalah itu baik-baik. Permasalahan yang kami hadapi saat itu tidak ada hubungannya dengan orang ketiga. Dia hanya stres karena ada masalah dalam sidang skripsinya. Saya bisa merasakan bahwa dia hanya perlu ditenangkan emosinya. Akhirnya kami berhasil menjalin cinta kami kembali setelah saya memperjuangkannya. Selang waktu berlalu, dirinya pun akhirnya diwisuda dan ternyata masalah kembali datang di kehidupan cinta kami. Sebulan setelah dirinya diwisuda, saya yang saat itu masih sangat labil, mulai mempertanyakan keseriusan dan komitmennya. Dia tidak menepati janji untuk ketemuan, dan saya memaksanya untuk datang ke kosan saya. Ternyata dia datang, dan tepat malam itu hujan sangat deras. Saya merasa sangat sangat bersalah padanya. Dia membuktikan janjinya. Namun dia menjadi sangat marah kepada saya...dan meminta saya untuk putus saat itu juga.. Saya sangat menyesal dan berniat ke rumahnya malam itu juga untuk minta maaf. Kakak-kakaknya pun sampai ikut mendukung keputusan saya, karena saya memang sudah dekat dengan keluarganya. Saya dibantu oleh kakak iparnya, menginap di kamar kakak iparnya tanpa sepengetahuan dirinya, dan menulis surat untuk diselipkan di pintu kamarnya. Paginya, saya berusaha untuk berbicara empat mata dengannya. Awalnya dia tidak mau bertemu dengan saya, namun akhirnya dia mau membicarakan masalah kami berdua. Pendek kata, kami berbaikan kembali.. Untuk yang ketiga kalinya, dia meminta saya untuk putus lagi. Kali ini lebih ekstrem, karena saya memperjuangkan keutuhan cinta kami sampai ke Garut, Jawa Barat. Memang, setelah kami baikan untuk yang kedua kalinya, kami mengalami apa yang disebut Long Distance Relationship LDR. Saat dia minta untuk putus, saya sedang KKN Kuliah Kerja Nyata di daerah Semarang, sedangkan dia kerja di Garut. Saya langsung bela-belain ke Garut seorang diri, hanya untuk meng-clear-kan permasalahannya. Saya memang belum pernah ke Garut, dan hal itu yang membuat teman saya, bahkan sahabat saya, mencegah keberangkatan saya ke sana seorang diri. Namun tekad saya sudah bulat. Saya benar-benar ingin membuktikan bahwa rasa sayangnya saya ke dirinya tidak main-main. Sesampainya di Garut, dia terlihat begitu kaget saat saya ada di depan kosannya. Saya pun segera membicarakan penyebab mengapa dia meminta putus. Ternyata hanya satu, sangat klise, dia bosan. Dia tetap bersikukuh untuk putus dengan saya saat itu juga. Rasa sakit, lelah, dan kecewa, saya tumpahkan di depan dia, yang ditutup dengan kata maaf dan ciuman di kening saya. Sinetron banget yah.. Tapi itu benar-benar saya alami. Sejak saat itu, saya akui, sangat sulit untuk bangkit dari rasa kecewa. Tapi dari peristiwa itu, saya mulai belajar untuk lebih mendekatkan diri pada Tuhan saya, Tuhan Yesus Kristus. Kemudian saya mendapat salah satu ayat dari Alkitab, yaitu 1 Korintus 13 1 - 13. Awalnya saya tertarik karena salah satu dari ayat tersebut membicarakan tetntang yang namanya "KASIH". Melalui ayat tersebut, saya merasa bahwa saya diingatkan kembali atau lebih tepatnya ditegur olehNya. Ternyata saya merasa bahwa saya masih sangat kurang dalam mencintai pasangan saya. Arti mencintai tidak hanya sekedar "aku sayang dia", tetapi juga ada pembelajaran yang harus diperdalam kembali sebelum kita benar-benar siap untuk menjalin huibungan yang lebih intim dengan lawan jenis. Berikut ini adalah sepenggal dari ayat yang terkandung dalam 1 Korintus 13. Kasih itu sabar; kasih itu murah hati; ia tidak cemburu. Ia tidak memegahkan diri dan tidak sombong. Ia tidak melakukan yang tidak sopan dan tidak mencari keuntungan diri sendiri. Ia tidak pemarah dan tidak menyimpan kesalahan orang lain. Ia tidak bersukacita karena ketidakadilan, tetapi karena kebenaran. Ia menutupi segala sesuatu, percaya segala sesuatu, mengharapkan segala sesuatu, sabar menanggung segala sesuatu. Kasih tidak berkesudahan. Saat membaca sepenggal ayat tersebut, saya sadar, masih ada banyak sekali kekurangan pada diri saya. Seringkali saya sulit memaafkan apa yang telah diperbuat oleh dia, terutama hal-hal yang menyakiti hati saya. Padahal jelas-jelas Tuhan mengajarkan kita untuk tidak menyimpan kesalahan. Saya juga akui bahwa saya terkadang menjadi sangat marah apabila dia tidak menepati janjinya pada saya. Jujur, saat itu saya merasa bahwa saya memang saat itu belum pantas untuk mengasihi dirinya. Masih ada banyak kekurangan dari diri saya. Masih belum sempurna 1 Kor 13 9. Mungkin, Tuhan Yesus saat ini memberikan jalan yang terbaik untuk saya dengan cara putus, supaya saya belajar untuk menjadi pribadi yang lebih baik lagi dalam mengasihi pasangan saya nantinya. Iman, harapan, dan kasih. Tanpa adanya iman yang kuat, bisa saja saya berpikir untuk melukai diri saya sendiri. Tanpa adanya harapan untuk terus hidup, saya bisa saja menjadi orang yang sangat depresi, bahkan gila. Dan tanpa adanya cinta kasih dari sahabat, teman, dan tentu saja, Tuhan Yesus Kristus, saya tidak akan bisa move on seperti sekarang ini. Cinta kasih memberi pengaruh yang sangat besar di dalam hidup saya, bahkan dalam hidup Anda. Apa yang akan terjadi jika tidak ada cinta dari orang-orang yang menyayangi Anda dengan tulus? Dunia ini memang jahat. Saya akui itu. Tinggal bagaimana cara kita untuk melawan kejahatan itu dengan cinta kasih yang kita miliki? Ampuni dia yang sudah menyakiti hati dan perasaan kita Berdoa dan berharap yang terbaik padaNYA Beriman dan percaya pada janjiNYA Selalu berserah diri kepadaNYA Point pertama memang terdengar sangat sulit untuk dijalankan. Tapi percayalah, tidak ada yang mustahil bagiNYA! Kita pasti mampu mengampuni dia dan menggantikan posisi dirinya dengan orang yang lebih baik dari dirinya. Mengapa? Karena rencana Tuhan selalu lebih indah dari yang kita kira! Ini adalah secuil proses pendewasaan diri. Semua proses itu adalah hujan dariNYA. Pelangi akan selalu hadir saat hujan reda.. Itu adalah janji Tuhan. Dan janjiNYA adalah kekal, setia, selamanya. Amin. Tuhan memberkati kita semua. Faith Hope, and Love Senin, 10 Juni 2013. Hidup ini adalah pemberian dari TUHAN oleh karena itu kita harus bersyukur dalam segala hal. Karena apa yang TUHAN berikan itu adalah yang terbaik bagi kita :) Diposting oleh Unknown di
Question Answer First Corinthians 12 talks about spiritual gifts, which are distributed by the Holy Spirit 1 Corinthians 124. Thus one Christian may receive one type of gift while another receives a different gift. Chapter 13 goes one step further and mentions the three gifts that are common for all Christians faith, hope, and love. Verse 13 says, “And now these three remain faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” In stating that faith, hope, and love remain, Paul does something interesting and unexpected he uses a singular verb for a compound and therefore plural subject. His statement in 1 Corinthians 1313 could be literally rendered “faith, hope, and love remains.” Paul’s point is that, essentially, faith, hope, and love are united; what happens to one happens to all. And what happens is that they “remain.” The fact that faith, hope, and love remain must be understood in light of the broader context. Paul had just listed another set of three gifts that would not remain “Where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away” 1 Corinthians 138. So, the passage contains a contrast three gifts of the Spirit that will cease, and three gifts that will never end. Faith, hope, and love will always remain. The Corinthian church members were priding themselves on the fact that they could speak in tongues and demonstrate other attention-getting gifts. Paul reminds them of “the most excellent way” 1 Corinthians 1231—the way of love. The gifts that the Corinthians so desired were but temporary; faith, hope, and love, the foundational gifts, are permanent and therefore more to be desired. Faith, hope, and love are gifts in the present age, and they will still be gifts in the age to come. The NLT translates the promise this way “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love.” It’s easy to see how love will last forever, since love is an essential part of God’s nature 1 John 416. But what about faith and hope? Those two gifts will likewise last forever. Faith in the Son of God will not cease in the eternal state; we will not stop trusting Jesus just because our faith has become sight. If anything, our trust in Him will grow greater. Similarly, our hope will not cease just because our blessed hope has come. Our lives will continue in the eternal state, as will our expectation of other things in an infinite sequence of adventure. As commentator Alexander MacLaren explained, “That Future presents itself to us as the continual communication of an inexhaustible God to our progressively capacious and capable spirits. In that continual communication there is continual progress. Wherever there is progress there must be hope. And thus the fair form . . . will move before us through all the long avenues of an endless progress, and will ever and anon come back to tell us of the unseen glories that lie beyond the next turn, and to woo us further into the depths of heaven and the fulness of God” MacLaren Expositions of Holy Scripture, 1 Corinthians. Faith, hope, and love are the three gifts that will be ours throughout all eternity. And agape love is the ultimate gift. God in His goodness gives us the privilege of possessing these gifts today, and we look forward to having them remain with us forever. Return to Questions about 1 Corinthians What does it mean that faith, hope, and love remain 1 Corinthians 1313? Subscribe to the Question of the Week Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox!
Love. Faith . Spirit Selasa, 27 November 2012 (udara panas) yang mengenai konjungtiva bulbi berperan penting dalam hal ini. Selain itu dapat pula dipengaruhi oleh faktor-faktor lain seperti zat alle r gen, kimia dan zat pengiritasi lainnya. Pterigium Sering ditemukan pada petani, nelayan dan orang-orang yang tinggal di dekat daerah
What have Christians been known for in 2021? What has marked the church? Jesus has commissioned his followers to represent him in this world. When nonbelievers look at our lives, we want them to see people distinguished by Christlike character. When they look at churches, we want them to see outposts of God’s heavenly kingdom, early installments of the new creation. And in particular, whether they look at individual Christians or churches, we want them to notice three dominant graces faith, hope, and most of all, love. The gospel creates people who are filled with faith in Christ, captivated by the hope of eternal life, and overflowing in love for God and neighbor. In fact, at least nine passages — scattered throughout the letters of Paul, Peter, and Hebrews — mention this trio of Christian graces 1 Corinthians 1313; Galatians 55–6; Ephesians 42–5; Colossians 14–5; 1 Thessalonians 13; 58; Hebrews 610–12; 1022–24; 1 Peter 121–22. If you could travel back in time and ask New Testament believers how they live the Christian life, I expect that you would hear the same answer again and again we aim to abound in faith, hope, and love. Greatest of These First Corinthians 1313 is the most well-known passage that highlights this trio. Paul tells us, “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” His claim raises an important question Why is love “the greatest” of these graces? After all, we are saved by grace through faith Ephesians 28, and we continue to grow as believers through faith in Christ and his promises. Likewise, as we look forward to Christ’s return with eager anticipation, hope fills us with joy and empowers us to persevere through suffering Romans 1212. Yet Paul tells us that love holds the highest place in this holy triad. So why is love the greatest? Let’s answer that question by approaching 1 Corinthians 1313 in three contexts. We’ll begin with the larger context of Paul’s letters, then focus more closely on this section of 1 Corinthians chapters 12–14, and finally zero in on the immediate context in 1 Corinthians 138–13. As we do so, my hope is that our hearts will be stirred up to love one another, so that our homes, our churches, and our neighborhoods would be saturated with love that spreads the fame of Christ. Faith and Hope Produce Love Several passages in Paul’s letters show us that both faith and hope produce love. We can see this connection between faith and love in Galatians 56 “In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” Though we are justified by faith alone, the kind of faith that justifies never remains alone; it always works through love for others. God does not save us in order that we might remain indifferent to the needs of those around us. Rather, as the Holy Spirit begets faith in our hearts, he intends for that faith to produce countless deeds of love. Similarly, the hope that is ours in Christ leads us to love one another. In Colossians 14–5, Paul tells the Colossian believers about his gratitude for them, “since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.” The Colossian Christians loved their fellow believers, Paul says, because they knew they had a glorious hope awaiting them in heaven. They knew they would spend eternity in the presence of Christ, and this hope freed them to give of their time, their possessions, and perhaps even their lives to serve their fellow believers. Faith and hope are, in one sense, means to an even greater end, without which they would be incomplete they transform us so that our lives overflow with Christlike love. Love Builds Up the Church Now we’ll narrow our focus to the section of 1 Corinthians in which Paul says that “the greatest of these is love.” In 1 Corinthians 12–14, Paul is teaching the church about spiritual gifts. As he sorts through issues such as the variety of gifts in the church and the use of what we might call “miraculous gifts,” his great concern is for everything to be done for the building up of the church. When Christ’s people meet together for worship, everyone may bring something to contribute with this goal in mind “Let all things be done for building up” 1 Corinthians 1426. “What makes the difference between fruitless religious activity and church-strengthening service? Love.” When Christians worship God together, it’s possible for them to exercise their spiritual gifts in ways that do not build up the rest of the body. God has no desire for the church to be filled with exciting manifestations that glorify those with the gifts but fail to edify the church. And what makes the difference between fruitless religious activity and church-strengthening service? Love. Earlier in the letter, Paul wrote that “love builds up” 1 Corinthians 81. In the context of 1 Corinthians 12–14, Paul’s famous words about love in chapter 13 reveal that love is what makes the difference between Christians whose gifts build up the body and those who are just “a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” 1 Corinthians 131. Because Jesus loves his church with a love “that surpasses knowledge” Ephesians 319, he desires for the members of his body to build up one another — and in order to do that, we need not only faith, and not only hope, but love. Love Will Be Greatest for Eternity A third reason why love holds the highest place in the trio of Christian graces is found in the second half of 1 Corinthians 13. In verses 8–13, Paul says that spiritual gifts such as prophecy, tongues, and knowledge are temporary provisions for the present age. In contrast, when he writes in verse 13 that “faith, hope, and love abide, these three,” he shows us that these graces are superior to the gifts because they will endure forever. In the new creation, we will continue to have faith in God and his promises, and we will continue to look forward to the future with hope. But most of all, the life of the new creation will be characterized by love, flowing through us from the God who is love 1 John 416. “As followers of Jesus, we rejoice in the hope of spending eternity in a world saturated with pure love.” In 1738, Jonathan Edwards preached a sermon entitled “Heaven Is a World of Love.” He pointed out that since heaven is God’s dwelling place, “this renders heaven a world of love; for God is the fountain of love, as the sun is the fountain of light. And therefore the glorious presence of God in heaven fills heaven with love, as the sun placed in the midst of the hemisphere in a clear day fills the world with light” Works, 8369. Furthermore, “love reigns in every heart” in heaven, as the saints abound in love for God and for one another 8373. As followers of Jesus, we rejoice in the hope of spending eternity in a world saturated with pure love. And as our lives are filled increasingly with love here, we reflect the new creation in the present, and our churches fulfill their callings as outposts of the kingdom of heaven. Our lives and our churches spread the sweet aroma of heaven as we love God and one another, for “faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
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arti love faith and hope