1 Corinthians 13:4-8 "Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 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."
The premier teaching of Christianity. An undying expression of Jesus' doctrine of heavenly love. More potent for the building of the Church than any, or all, of the various manifestations of God's power. Love, the Church's most effective weapon. Love, without which all the various gifts of the Spirit are of no avail. Love, the essence of God's nature. Love, the perfection of human character, Love, the most powerful ultimate force in the universe.
Even if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, even if I give my body to be burned, if I have not love, it profits me nothing. What a thought provoking passage! The gift of speaking like an angel, of prophesying, of having all knowledge, of faith that moves mountains, of charity to the last dollar, even martyrdom, all of no use unless we have the Spirit of Christian Love. What a call to self examination! (Halley's Bible Handbook pg. 598)
By embarking on a journey to discover true love we are blessed by receiving spiritual gifts that allow us to see the kingdom of God. For the first love that we have come to know it that of God. God loved us first and asks that we fulfill His commandment in loving one another. There are so many gifts that we may attain in our journey of falling in love. Of all the gifts that God asks us to use, love is the most important. Doing away with immorality is learning to love unconditionally. Expecting the second coming of Jesus and discovering His presence is where we may experience God's greatest love.
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