Here is Love

In 1 Corinthians 13, known as the "love chapter," Paul lays forth three characteristics of love:
I. The Demand for Love (vv.1-3)
II. The Definition of Love (vv.4-7)
III. The Durability of Love (vv.8-13)

I. The Demand for Love (vv.1-3)
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. Paul here lays forth how love is the absolute core of the Gospel. If we have everything in the world, yet lack in love, we have nothing. In Paul's terminology, if I have the tongues of men and angels, if I have prophecy, if I know all mysteries and have all knowledge, even if I have all faith, and may even give all my possessions to the poor, and even if I am a martyr and die in the flames - yet without love all of these characteristics are worthless (lit. "it profits me nothing").
II. The Definition of Love (vv.4-7)
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
So here Paul is giving a concise definition of love. He begins the section with he agape signaling that all of the following subordinate clauses are under this main thought.
Think about how significant it is for Paul to say that love - true and biblical love is patient, kind, not jealous. It sure doesn't seek its own. Love does NOT take into account a wrong suffered. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Paul must be crazy. This love that he talks about is counter cultural. This would make the hair on the back of our culture's neck stick straight up. Why would love "not seek its own?" Why should love "bear all things? Why should love endure all things? Simply because this is the love that Jesus Christ demonstrated on the cross (cf. John 13:1 - he loved them "unto the max").
III. The Durability of Love (vv.8-13)
1 Corinthians 13:8 - 14:1 8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Love - that is, true and lasting biblical love - never fails. How needed for our uncommitted culture who is afraid to commit to genuine love to hear this statement. Even if all else passes away, love never will. Even if all knowledge, tongues, prophecies - everything - were to pass away, love will still endure. Though at this point, faith, hope and love still endure - but Paul reveals that the greatest of these is love.
One day our hope will no longer be needed because our hope will be a present reality - in the presence of Christ (1 John 3:2-3). Also, our faith is needed for this present time - until our Savior raptures us (or we die) and then faith is no longer needed cause faith is the assurance of things "not seen" (Heb 11:1,6). Yet, there is no passing for love. Love will always endure. Perhaps this is conceived in the notion that in eternity we will always contemplate and ponder the cross - the atonement. What Love! What Sacrifice! What Forgiveness! The epitome of love was demonstrated at Calvary's Cross. May we be individuals today who are characterized by this kind of self sacrificing (agape) love.