1 Corinthians 13:13 – “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, lists love along with faith and hope as a gift that lasts forever. The lasting nature of faith, hope, and love make them greater than all other gifts of the Holy Spirit. Of these three, love is the greatest because both hope and faith depend on love for their existence. Without love, there can be no true faith. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:2, “If I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing”. Without love, there can be no genuine hope, because we can’t truly hope for something that we do not love.
One of the reasons that love is the greatest gift is that it is essential to God’s nature. Love is core to God’s character and central to the Christian life. The law of Christ is to love God and love others. Love never fails and it will never cease. Because of this, love is greater than even hope and faith. So, let us today hold on to God, allowing Him to teach us to love people the way He loves us and, in the process, never lose our hope and faith in Him who is PERFECT.
