Is Love Really the Greatest?

[spockrates]

1 Corinthians 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

So don't get me wrong! I know Paul is correct. Love is greater than Faith and Hope. But...

I'm not sure why, and would like to know. Thought it might be fun for me to take up the defense of Faith and Hope against Love and see how far I can get making the case that they are better than Love.

I'm pretty sure I'll loose, but hope to learn why Love is greater in the process. Anyone want to join the discussion and talk about why Love is greater?

 

[Solomons Porch]

Ya cant have faith or hope WITHOUT love.
Love is the root for faith
Love is the root for hope
For no person will have faith in their "hate"
Nor would the have hope in their "hate"

For if I hate = my flesh will not hope, my flesh will wish for evil
For if I hate = my flesh will not have faith, it will find its own revenge

Love is the root of any tree, and the fruit it bears is faith n hope

 

[brinny]

1 Corinthians 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

So don't get me wrong! I know Paul is correct. Love is greater than Faith and Hope. But...

I'm not sure why, and would like to know. Thought it might be fun for me to take up the defense of Faith and Hope against Love and see how far I can get making the case that they are better than Love.

I'm pretty sure I'll loose, but hope to learn why Love is greater in the process. Anyone want to join the discussion and talk about why Love is greater?

Why would ya' wanna defend "against" love?

 

[Galatea]

Well, if you hate God, you will not have faith. We love God, and therefore have faith in Him. I don't think anyone can get saved if they don't love God.

In order to be saved, we have to recognize the great love that Christ had for us, to take our sins in His body- taking our place.

There are no Christians who hate Jesus. I think that is a pretty good litmus test to tell whether a person is in Christ or not. Does the person love the Lord Jesus Christ? What does the person say about Jesus? What does the person say about God?

 

[AvgJoe]

1 Corinthians 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

So don't get me wrong! I know Paul is correct. Love is greater than Faith and Hope. But...

I'm not sure why, and would like to know. Thought it might be fun for me to take up the defense of Faith and Hope against Love and see how far I can get making the case that they are better than Love.

I'm pretty sure I'll loose, but hope to learn why Love is greater in the process. Anyone want to join the discussion and talk about why Love is greater?

Why is love the greatest? Because God is love (1 John 4:8). Without God, there is no real hope and no right place in which to place your faith, and really, when you get right down to it, without God there is no hope or faith, at all, because God is the provider of both. Therefore, love is the greatest.

 

[spockrates]

Why would ya' wanna defend "against" love?

LOL! Because I can?

 

[spockrates]

Ya cant have faith or hope WITHOUT love.
Love is the root for faith
Love is the root for hope
For no person will have faith in their "hate"
Nor would the have hope in their "hate"

For if I hate = my flesh will not hope, my flesh will wish for evil
For if I hate = my flesh will not have faith, it will find its own revenge

Love is the root of any tree, and the fruit it bears is faith n hope

Oh, I don't know. Is it possible one who hates hopes for revenge and has faith she has a right to hate? Hmmm.

 

[Galatea]

Oh, I don't know. Is it possible one who hates hopes for revenge and has faith she has a right to hate? Hmmm.

The passage in Corinthians is referring to faith and hope in God, not faith and hope in revenge.

 

[spockrates]

Well, if you hate God, you will not have faith. We love God, and therefore have faith in Him. I don't think anyone can get saved if they don't love God.

In order to be saved, we have to recognize the great love that Christ had for us, to take our sins in His body- taking our place.

There are no Christians who hate Jesus. I think that is a pretty good litmus test to tell whether a person is in Christ or not. Does the person love the Lord Jesus Christ? What does the person say about Jesus? What does the person say about God?

Hi, Galatea. Yeah, yeah, I agree a person can't really be in a relationship with God (be a Christian) without Love. But isn't the same true of Faith and Hope? If Christians need all three, then I'm not sure that makes Love greater. Faith and Hope might be equally is great.

 

[spockrates]

The passage in Corinthians is referring to faith and hope in God, not faith and hope in revenge.

True.

 

[Galatea]

Hi, Galatea. Yeah, yeah, I agree a person can't really be in a relationship with God (be a Christian) without Love. But isn't the same true of Faith and Hope? If Christians need all three, then I'm not sure that makes Love greater. Faith and Hope might be equally is great.

I don't know. You can go through hard times, lose hope and your faith can waver at times, but Christians know that God loves no matter what- even when we have lost hope and have doubts.

My favorite verse is "I believe, help thou mine unbelief." The man knew Jesus was good and loved him and his son, but he was hopeless and had doubts.

Love never fails, hope and faith might.

 

[spockrates]

Why is love the greatest? Because God is love (1 John 4:8). Without God, there is no real hope and no right place in which to place your faith, and really, when you get right down to it, without God there is no hope or faith, at all, beside God is the provider of both. Therefore, love is the greatest.

Hi, AvJoe. So are you saying this? Since love is God, and God is greatest of all, Faith and Hope don't compare. For they aren't God, and nothing we desire compares to Him?

 

[spockrates]

I don't know. You can go through hard times, lose hope and your faith can waver at times, but Christians know that God loves no matter what- even when we have lost hope and have doubts.

My favorite verse is "I believe, help thou mine unbelief." The man knew Jesus was good and loved him and his son, but he was hopeless and had doubts.

Love never fails, hope and faith might.

Yeah and no. I mean, yeah I see we can lose hope that things will get better, but do we lose hope that God still loves? I think we don't, if we still know He loves despite how bad things get. So as long as we have faith (belief or trust in) His love, I guess we still have hope in His love?

 

[spockrates]

So maybe this is why Paul says, "Now these three remain"? Maybe it's because the three always seem to be together?

Still, the fact their together doesn't mean their equal. I guess it doesn't prove their unequal, either.

 

[Galatea]

Yeah and no. I mean, yeah I see we can lose hope that things will get better, but do we lose hope that God still loves? I think we don't, if we still know He loves despite how bad things get. So as long as we have faith (belief or trust in) His love, I guess we still have hope in His love?

I don't think it is hoping that God still loves, but it is knowing God still loves- despite our doubts and despite our hopelessness.

Even if we doubt Him, He can not be untrue to Himself. This is what the Bible tells us, that nothing can separate us from the love of God- not even a black moment of doubting and losing faith in His love!

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

1 Corinthians 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

So don't get me wrong! I know Paul is correct. Love is greater than Faith and Hope. But...

I'm not sure why, and would like to know. Thought it might be fun for me to take up the defense of Faith and Hope against Love and see how far I can get making the case that they are better than Love.

I'm pretty sure I'll loose, but hope to learn why Love is greater in the process. Anyone want to join the discussion and talk about why Love is greater?

Love includes inherently obedience, truth, and trusting.

Everyone who obeys God willingly , seeking Him, is healed - everyone.

Few who say they love God, even willingly, are healed - because they claim to love, but they ignore Him.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

So maybe this is why Paul says, "Now these three remain"? Maybe it's because the three always seem to be together?

"Yes", like the many blessing Jesus speaks in the sermon on the mount in Matthew.
ALL of them are all together in anyone of God's children. Not one here, a different one over ther... etc

Same as God's Set Apart Word (HOLY) - every word is truth.
Whenever anyone claims blessings or knowledge of one Scripture,
yet denies other Scripture or does violence to other Scripture ,
that is not in harmony with any of God's Word then, nor His Purpose or Plan in Jesus.

Man does not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God -- ALL of HIS WORD is TRUTH.

That is a sure and certain test of any message, even if deliverd by an angel or by b.g., if it differs/or opposes/ (as messages frequently do) from God's Word, it is not truth.

 

[spockrates]

I don't think it is hoping that God still loves, but it is knowing God still loves- despite our doubts and despite our hopelessness.

Even if we doubt Him, He can not be untrue to Himself. This is what the Bible tells us, that nothing can separate us from the love of God- not even a black moment of doubting and losing faith in His love!

Think about it, though: If we know He cannot be untrue to Himself, then we have no doubt He will be true to Himself! So how is it possible to know this but still doubt Him? What is left to doubt?

 

[spockrates]

Love includes inherently obedience, truth, and trusting.

Everyone who obeys God willingly , seeking Him, is healed - everyone.

Few who say they love God, even willingly, are healed - because they claim to love, but they ignore Him.

Dude! Big thought! Trying to wrap my head round it.

 

[Galatea]

Think about it, though: If we know He cannot be untrue to Himself, then we have no doubt He will be true to Himself! So how is it possible to know this but still doubt Him? What is left to doubt?

Because, we are human. Poor old Job was hopeless, yet he said he knew his redeemer lives.

It is a paradox, I know. But a person could doubt the existence of God, doubt His love, doubt His goodness- and then pray and ask and KNOW God forgives these thoughts, these momentary flashes of atheism that assault our minds and hearts.

And we can come to Him and tell Him and we know He will not cast us out.