A Love that Lasts

Our secret weapons are Faith, Hope, and Love. 

Paul wrote about these to three different churches. 

1 Corinthians 13:13  (NKJV)

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

Colossians 1  (NKJV)

4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; 

5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,

1 Thessalonians 1 (NKJV)

 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,

1 Thessalonians 5 (NKJV)

8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.

Paul found these three when Christ found him.  Jesus is the author of Faith, Hope, and Love.  

God offers these three to all of us.  

No matter your level of success or income.  

These three walk in when everything else walks out.  

The greatest of these three is love.  

It is the unconditional and unstoppable love of God.  

Faith is important because love sparks it.  

Love ignites hope, too!  

1 Corinthians 13  (NKJV)

4 Love suffers long and is kind;

love does not envy; 

love does not parade itself, 

is not puffed up; 

5 does not behave rudely, 

does not seek its own, 

is not provoked, 

thinks no evil; 

6 does not rejoice in iniquity, 

but rejoices in the truth; 

7 bears all things, 

believes all things, 

hopes all things, 

endures all things.

8 Love never fails. 

But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; 

whether there are tongues, 

they will cease; 

whether there is knowledge, 

it will vanish away.

Do we want it.  Then, we have to be it.  

The twin of 1 Corinthians is 1 John 4 in the Bible.  

1 John 4:7-11  (NKJV)

7  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 

8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 

9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son (Jesus) into the world, that we might live through Him. 

10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (sacrifice) for our sins. 

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Love is not supplied by us, but from God within us. We must ask Him in.

Revelation 3(NKJV)

20 Behold, I (Jesus) stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 

God Almighty is love, and we discover His love through our Lord Jesus Christ.  

John 3:16 (NKJV)

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Lord, I'm going to let you love me, and I surrender my life to you and your love for me today. 

1.  God loves us perfectly.  

God is our love source and not other people.  

1 John 4:18  (NKJV)

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

Only God loves us perfectly. 

2.  God loves us powerfully.

1 John 3:1 (NKJV)

3 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! 

3.  God loves us permanently.

John 10:29 (NKJV)

My Father, who has given them to Me (Jesus), is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.

God loves us regardless of our wins and loses.  His love for us does not change. 

Applications:

1. Say it... I love you. Divine things happen when people hear these words.  Bad things happen when they don't.  

2. Write it... so they can keep a record of your love forever.

3.  Convey it... with small gifts and acts of kindness.  It let's them know that you are thinking about them.  

4.  Mean it... love them in all you do.  

John 15:13 (NKJV)

13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends (Jesus did for you).

God has told us that you are mine when we surrender to Him, and His love for us does not change.  

Dino Rizzo, Church of the Highlands