Summary: THE APOSTLE PAUL PRESENTS A PERSUASIVE AND STRONG CASE FOR THE PREEMINENCE --- THE PERMANENCE AND THE PERFECTION OF CHRISTIAN LOVE BY LINKING LOVE WITH TWO INDISPENSABLE GIFTS THAT SHOULD BE FOUND IN EACH OF OUR SPIRITUAL TOOL BOX

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV)

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

THE WORD OF GOD FOR THE CHILDREN OF GOD

VERY BRIEFLY I WANT TO REASON WITH YOU ON THE THOUGHT

THESE THREE -FAITH –HOPE AND LOVE

MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS

IN THE CHAPTER THAT IS BEFORE US

THE APOSTLE PAUL PRESENTS A PERSUASIVE AND STRONG CASE

FOR THE PREEMINENCE ---

THE PERMANENCE AND THE

PERFECTION OF CHRISTIAN LOVE

BY LINKING LOVE WITH TWO

INDISPENSABLE GIFTS THAT SHOULD

BE FOUND IN EACH OF OUR

SPIRITUAL TOOL BOX

FOR HE SAYS

NOW ABIDETH FAITH , HOPE AND LOVE

AND IT`S IMPORTANT TO

UNDERSTAND THAT

THESE 3 WORDS ARE LABELED AS THE 3 GRACES

AND THEY ARE LABELED AS THE 3 GRACES

BECAUSE THEY REPRESENT THE

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF

CHRISTIANITY

SO HE TAKES THESE 3 WORDS AND

COUPLES THEM WITH A VERB IN THE SINGULAR

AND REVEALS TO US THE NECESSITY

AND THE EXCELLENCE OF THESE 3

GRACES

AND IN ORDER TO GET A BETTER

SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT PAUL IS SAYING TO US

WE 1ST MUST LOOK AT THESE 3

WORDS INDIVUALLY AS WELL ALL 3 WORDS COLLECTIVELY

**************************************

NOTICE ---NOTICE ---NOTICE

WHAT HE SAYS

NOW ABIDETH FAITH

AND IT`S IMPORTANT TO

UNDERSTAND THAT FAITH IS NOT

THE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF RELLIGION

BECAUSE EVEN SCIENTIST WHO

PROCEEDS TO TRY UNRAVEL THE

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE MOVES BY FAITH

BECAUSE THEY MUST HAVE FAITH IN

THE FACT THAT UNIVERSE IS LAW ABIDING

AND FAITH FORMS THE VERY AXLES OF THE UNIVERSE

YOU SEE THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER

IS

MANKIND DON`T KNOW THE MILLION

PART OF ONE PERCENT ABOUT

ANYTHING

WE DON`T KNOW WHAT WATER IS

WE DON`T KNOW WHAT LIGHT IS

OR WHAT GRAVITATION IS

WE DON`T EVEN KNOW WHAT

ENABLES US TO STAY ON OUR FEET WHEN WE STAND UP

EVEN THOU MANKIND HAS A THEORY

ABOUT THESE THING

BUT WE DO NOT LET OUR

IGNORANCE ABOUT THESE THINGS

DEPRIVE US OF THERE USE

BUT IT IS BY FAITH WE USE THEM

YOU SEE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS

FAITH IS AN IMPORTANT VIRTUE

BECAUSE IT IS A COMMITMENT TO

JESUS CHRIST

A VECHILE THAT GOD USES TO

ENRICH US WITH SPIRITUAL GROWTH

BECAUSE WHEN OUR FAITH GROWS

WE DO TO IN OUR WALK WITH THE LORD

BECAUSE IT`S OUR FAITH THAT

UNITES US WITH JESUS CHRIST

AND SECURES OUR FORGIVINESS AND JUSTIFICATION

***********************************

WELL NOT ONLY DOES PAUL SAYS NOW ABIDETH FAITH

BUT THE RECORD REVEALS HE SAYS

NOW ABIDETH FAITH AND HOPE

AND THE WORD HOPE MEANS TO

OPEN THE EYES WIDE AND WATCH

FOR WHAT IS TO COME

YOU SEE HOPE IS THE DESIRE OF EXPECTANY OF THE FUTURE

BASED ON FAITH IN IT`S ULTIMATE REALIZATION

BECAUSE HOPE IS THE MINISTER OF STRENGHT

HOPE ELEVATES –STRENGHTENS AND INSPIRES

CAN I BORROW A SKINNY MINUTE

AND TELL YOU WHAT I`M TALKING

ABOUT

YOU SEE

HOPE IS TENANT OF THE HEART

THAT HAS BEEN BROKEN AND HEALED AGAIN

BECAUSE HOPE IS THE DESIRE

COMBINED WITH EXPECTATION

OF THE BLESSING THAT IS PROMISE

TO US AS BELIEVERS

IN THE WORD OF GOD

***********************************

BUT NOT ONLY DOES PAUL SAY

NOW ABIDETH FAITH AND HOPE

BUT THE RECORD REVEAL THAT

NOW ABIDETH FAITH HOPE AND LOVE

AND THE GREATEST OF THESE THREE IS LOVE

YOU SEE IN THIS 13TH CHAPTER OF THIS 1ST LETTER

TO THE CHURCH AT CORINTH

PAUL REVEAL TO US

WHAT LOVE DOES

WHAT LOVE SEEKS TO AVOID

WHAT LOVE BEARS

AS WELL AS WHAT LOVE

BEARS –BELIEVE—HOPES AND ENDURES

FOR HE SHARES WITH THE CORITHIANS

THAT LOVE IS PATIENT AND KIND

HE LETS THEM KNOW THAT LOVE IS

NOT

JEALOUS OR BOASTFUL

ARROGANT OR RUDE

IRRITABLE OR INTOLERANCE

IT DOES NOT REJOICE IN WRONG BUT IN RIGHT

AS WELL THAT LOVE BEARS ALL

THINGS

BELIEVES ALL THINGS

HOPES ALL THINGS

AS WELL ENDURES ALL THINGS

***********************************

WELL WE HAVE LOOK AT THESE 3 GRACES SEPARATELY

BUT NOW LETS LOOK AT THEM

ACTING AND RE-ACTING WITH EACH

OTHER

BECAUSE THESE 3 GRACES

ARE INTERWOVEN WITH EACH OTHER

AND ARE VAIN WITHOUT EACH OTHER

BECAUSE ALL 3 OF THESE ABIDING

PRINCIPLES SEAL OUR

RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

AND THE REASON WHY IS

WE COME TO GOD BY FAITH

WE TRUST GOD BECAUSE OF THE BLESSED HOPE

AND WE SERVE GOD OUT OF THE

SPIRIT OF LOVE

YOU SEE

HOPE WITHOUT FAITH IS A IDLE DREAM

BECAUSE FAITH HAS NO TIME FOR DOUBT

AND HOPE HAS NO TIME FOR DESPAIR

AND LOVE HAS NO DEALING WITH HATE

BECAUSE FAITH IS WHAT KEEP HOPE

HOPING

AND HOPE IS WHAT KEEP FAITH TRUSTING

AND LOVE KEEPS FAITH AND HOPE

LIVING

AND THE REASON WHY IS

FAITH IS IN -REACHING

HOPE IS OUT-LOOKING

AND LOVE IS IN -BEING

IT`S BY FAITH WE STAND

IT`S BY HOPE WE SOAR

AND IT`S BY LOVE WE ARE SONS AND

DAUGHTERS OF GOD

BECAUSE BY FAITH WE BELIEVE GOD`S PROMISES

BY HOPE WE WAIT PATIENTLY UPON

THEM

AND BY LOVE WE TESTIFY TO WHAT WE BELIEVE AND HOPE

BECAUSE FAITH IS THE OUR

FOUNDATION

HOPE IS THE WALL AND LOVE IS THE ROOF

YOU SEE MY BROTHERS AND

SISTERS

HOPE BUILDS ON FAITH AND BUILDS ON GOD

FOR BY FAITH WE ARE SAVED

AND WITHOUT IT WE CAN`T PLEASE GOD

FOR WITHOUT HOPE WE WOULD BE MISERABLE

AND WITHOUT LOVE WE WOULD`NT

HAVE NOTHING

BECAUSE GOD IS LOVE

**************************************

FOR I HEAR PAUL SAYING THESE 3

AND YOU DO KNOW THAT 3 IS AN IMPORTANT NUMBER

BECAUSE 3 STANDS FOR THAT WHICH IS

SOLID--REAL—SUBSTANTIAL –

COMPLETE ---- ENTIRE---UNIFIED AND PERFECT

BUT I ALSO HEARD PAUL SAY THE GREATEST OF THESE 3 IS LOVE

AND AS I GO TO MY SEAT CAN I TELL

WHY LOVE IS THE GREATEST

BECAUSE IT WAS LOVE

THAT STEP OUT OF ETERNITY INTO

TIME

GOT ON HEAVENS ELEVATOR CAME DOWN THROUGH 42 GENERATIONS

AND THE BOTTOM FLOOR WAS A VIRGIN NAME MARY

LOVE WAS BORN IN BETHLEHEM

REARED IN NAZARETH

BAPTIZE IN THE JORDAN

TEMPTED IN THE WILDERNESS

BETRAYED BY ONE OF HIS OWN

LED UP A MOUNTIAN CALLED CALVARY

NAILED TO AN OLD RUGGED CROSS

DIED ON THAT CROSS FOR YOUR SINS AND MINE

PLACE IN A BORROWED TOMB

BUT EARLY SUNDAY MORNING

LOVE GOT UP WITH ALL POWER IN HEAVEN AND EARTH IN HIS HAND

THAT’S WHY THE SONG WRITER

TOOK A PEN AND PUT IT TO PAPER

AND WROTE THE WORDS

I WAS SINKING DEEP IN SIN FAR FROM A PEACEFUL SHORE

VERY DEEPLY SINK WITHIN SINKING TO RISE NO MORE

BUT THE MASTER OF THE SEA HEARD OUR DESPAIRING CRY

FROM THE WATER LIFTED ME NOW SAVED AM I

YOU SEE IT WAS LOVE LIFTED ME

WHEN NOTHING ELSE WOULD HELP LOVE……………. LIFTED ME

AIN`T GOD ALRIGHT