I Corinthians 13:11-13
When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child;
when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face;
now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
I did away with childish things- I laid childish things away, I exchanged childish things for the things of God. I set aside that which was not perfect in exchange for Him who is perfect. I laid down my need for all of life to revolve around me, because I now know it doesn’t revolve around me and it never did. I now know if I lay down what is not true in exchange for what is true, that I will live in accordance with what is true and not against it. Instead of throwing little temper tantrums when I don’t get my way, I will know that my way is not the best way. I will know that God’s way is ALWAYS the best way and that the only way I can experience it- receive it, is by doing away with my childish and self-centered thinking.
Have you done away with childish things? What reactions this week point to you still clinging to childish things?
How does God’s love in Christ help us do away with childish things?
For now we see in a mirror dimly- The reality is that I do NOT see things clearly. At best I see things dimly. Remember a mirror in Paul’s time was made out of polished metal, and at best gave a cloudy and distorted image of what was in the mirror. If we live knowing we do NOT know it all it will lead to several things- Humility toward others because we know we are NOT all knowing. Faith in God, because we know HE is ALL Knowing. Our security is not in what we know, but in Him who we know.
Do you know Him well enough that you can trust Him with what you do not understand, even when it seems to be contrary to who He is?
now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known- We will know fully JUST AS we have been fully known. God knows us perfectly. God knows what’s in our heart. God knows our fears, our desires and our motives. God knows who we are as His children. When we are united with Christ we then will fully know all that is in His heart. There will be no doubt that He is always for us and that He loves us with a perfect love that only desires the best for us. We will know love fully, because we have come to fully know Christ face to face.
How can we see God, ourselves, others and life as a whole more clearly now?
the greatest of these is love- Love is the greatest because we will go on for all eternity experiencing the Love of God- receiving it from Him and giving it to Him and sharing it with each other forever. Love shared mutually with man was the motive of God’s heart from the beginning of all creation and His love is the completeness we have always longed for and will enjoy for all eternity.
Faith and Hope will both pass away when we are united in perfect love with Christ. We will no longer need faith to know God because we will be in His presence continuously. We will no longer need hope, because there will be nothing more to hope for- to want, to desire, to need; because God will have made all things right and perfect and will have satisfied every earthly hope in the Love of Christ.
For now though, the only way to fully know His love is by Faith in who He says He is and by Hope in the knowledge that His desire is always the best for us.
What beliefs prevent you from fully experiencing and giving the Love of Christ?