Introduction
‘And to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.’ 2 Peter 1:7
The last two qualities listed by Apostle Peter are mutual affection and love and they are closely connected. He started with faith as the foundation and ended the pyramid with love. A loveless Christian can never be effective in the journey to heaven. In his first epistle, Peter encourages us to love each other deeply, 1 Peter 4:8.
The word ‘love’ is so important that it occurs about 551 times in the New International Version of the Bible. According to 1 John 3:16, we know what love is by the sacrifice of Christ in that He laid down His life for us.
The Father has such great love for us that we are called children of God. From the discourse of Paul with the Christians in Corinth, it is evident that our spiritual lives are incomplete without a thorough reflection of the attributes of love.
To this end, Paul asserts that love is: patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, not proud, not dishonourable to others, not self-seeking, not easily angered, not a record keeper of wrongs, not delightful in evil but joyous with the truth. He went on to say that love always protects, always trusts, always hopes always perseveres and it never fails.
Let’s think for a moment. If only we could beautify our lives with the attributes of love catalogued above, we would truly live like people who are ready at all times to go and live eternally with our Maker. Finally, of the three things that now abide, the greatest is love.
‘If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour 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 13:1-13
Prayer
Loving Father in heaven, we pray that You strengthen us to live love-filled lives that will bring You glory in every way, and may this love propel us to help others understand Your love and come to You.
