IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

But the Greatest of These is Love

Date: Oct. 21, 2015

Passage

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 

The Way of Love

13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 13:13

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

First, love never fails (1-8a). Spiritual gifts are the gift of God. But if we have gifts, but have not love, we have nothing. Love is everything. Love is the embodiment of the Lord. The nature of love is to build up in every way, to break down barriers, to nurture and protect in all things. The love of God demonstrated throughout Israel's history is one example. The love of Jesus who died is another. The unfailing nature of God's love is the best revelation of his glory.

Second, even as I am fully known (8b-13). Spiritual gifts are the gift of God. But even the gifts are temporal and imperfect. They look forward to perfection-to God whose love is eternal. Today we see in part and we know in part. We may not know God fully, but God sees us fully, knows us fully and loves us fully. In his love is the eternal perfection that guarantees our salvation forever. For us, there is nothing greater than love. His love can never fail.

Prayer: Prayer: Lord, your love never fails. Teach me to dwell in your love, to practice love, and to long for your perfect and eternal love.

One Word: God's love never fails

Daily Bread

God is Our Deliverer

Psalm 78:40-72

Key Verse: 78:65

Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
like a strong man shouting because of wine.

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