Love Never Fails

I Corinthians 13:8,13

I Corinthians 13 has often been referred to as the love chapter. In verses 4 through 7 we have a list of characteristics that is indicative of true love. I find this list very challenging and convicting. I try to make it a regular practice to read this chapter often. As the first three verses tell us plainly, if we do not have love we are not useful to the work of God.

No matter how impressive our ability is (vs1), without love we are just noise.
No matter how informed we are and no matter how strong our faith is (vs2), without love we are nothing.
No matter how charitable we are and no matter how much we sacrifice (vs3), without love we are of no benefit to ourselves or others.

Love is the energy that powers our service for God. It is not love that we generate on our own. It is God’s love. The love that is being discussed here in I Corinthians 13 is the manifestation of what we do with the love that God has given us. I believe that it comes from a Biblical understanding that God loves everyone with the same love that He has given to us.

True (God’s) love is manifested in our attitudes towards others (vs4).
True (God’s) love is manifested in our actions towards others (vs5,6).
True (God’s) love is manifested in our attitude towards God (vs6,7).

Love never fails. God’s love never fails. If you are loving with your own love, it will fail. The love God has given you personally will never fail you and if you share His love with others it will never fail them. There remains three things necessary for a victorious Christian life; faith, hope, and love. The greatest of these is love. Why? Because love never fails.