Rethink Christian

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Faith < Love > Hope

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul teaches us to abide in faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love.  Faith, hope, and love, are all essential pieces of a Christian’s life.  Faith being the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen (Heb. 11:1-2).  Through God’s great mercy, he causes us to be born again to a living hope, through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ from to an inheritance that is imperishable, undies, and unfading, kept in heaven for us, who by God’s power are being guarding through faith for a salvation that will be revealed (1Peter 1:3-5).  God showed us what love is by giving his only son to die on the cross to save the world, so that who ever believes will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16-17).  Hope, faith, and love all work together for us to be reconciled with God and receive his gift of salvation, so why does Paul say that love is the greatest of the three?

Paul tells us in Romans 8:24-25 that our hope is in salvation and we hope for what we have not seen.  Once we see what we have been hoping for, it is no longer hope.  Therefore, once our hope in eternal life with Christ is realized, hope will end.  The same is true with faith.  Once we see heaven, faith for salvation will end.  Love, however, is different.  Love is eternal, it is what brings Jesus and God the Father together as one and love brings all those who follow Jesus together as one in Him (John 17:21-26).  Jesus showed the greatest act of love by sacrificing his life on the cross for us, while we were all sinners, to reconcile us with God and save us with his life (Romans 5:7-11).  Another reason love is so great is that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Rom 8:38-39).  God’s love is everlasting (Psalms 103:17-18).  One day faith and hope will cease, but love will remain.  Jesus says if we love him, we will keep his commandments (John 14:15).  We can show our love for Jesus each day by following his two greatest commandments: love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:29-31).

Living a Joyful Life as a Christian

A.  Love God, love others  (Mark 12:29-31)

B.  Worship God daily in Spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24)

1.  Spirit – Live life as sacrifice to God  (Romans 12:1-2)

2.  Truth – Study and meditate on God’s word  (2 Timothy 3:16)

C.  Have gratitude for God  (1 Corinthians 1:4-9, 1Thes. 5:16-18)

D.  Pray  (Matthew 7:7-8, Philippians 4:6, Colossians 1:9-19, James 1:5)

E.  Serve those in need  (Matthew 20:26-28, 25: 34-40, Galatians 5:13, 1 Peter 4:10)

F.  Be a disciple – Show Jesus. Make disciples- Live Jesus.  (Matthew 7:24-27, 28:19-20)

Our Value to God

A.  Psalm 139:13-16
I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

B.  Ephesians 2:4-9
God made us alive together with Christ

C.  Matthew 6:25-34
Valuable to God, so need not be anxious.

D.  Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

E. Matthew 10:31
Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

F.  Romans 5:8
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

G.  John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

H.  Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

I.  Hebrews 4:16
Let us draw draw close to God with confidence, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

J.  1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

K.  Romans 8:32
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

L.  Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

M.  John 1:12
God gave all those who believed in his name the right to become children of God.

N.  1 Samuel 16:7
For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.

O.  1 John 3:16-17
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us.

P.  James 4:6
He gives more grace.

Q.  Ephesians 1:3-5
We are adopted children of God through Christ Jesus.

R.  Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.

Made To Love

I. LOVE ORIGINATES FROM GOD (I John 4:7-10)

A. God the Father teaches us how to love (John 3:16, I John 4:7-19)

B. God the Son teaches us how to love (John 15:12-13, I John 3:16)

C. Love is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22)

D. Love is produced in our faith in God’s love for us (I John 4:16-17)

II. WE ARE COMMANDED TO HAVE LOVE

A. We are to have love for God (Matt. 22:37-40, Mark 12:30)

B. We are to love our neighbor (Mark 12:31, Romans 13:8-10, Gal. 6:10)

C. We are to love our enemies (Matt. 5:44)

D. We are to love our brethren (John 13:34-35, 15:13, 17; I Peter 1:22, 2:17; I John 3:23, 4:20-21)

1. Requires action when a need is seen (I John 3:17-18)

2. It is provoked by assembling and exhorting one another (Heb. 10:24-25)

E. We are to love our family (Eph. 5:33, Titus 2:4)

F. We are not to love the world (Matt. 6:24, James 4:4, I John 2:15)

G. We are to pray for one another (Luke 6:28, James 5:16)

III. LOVE FOR GOD IS SEEN IN ACTION

A. It has to be with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30)

B. It results in obedience (John 14:15, 23-24; I John 5:3)

C. It produces works of faith (Gal. 5:6, Eph. 6:23)

D. It produces labor (I Thes. 1:3)

E. It causes belief, rejoicing, and faith to salvation (I Peter 1:8-9)

F. It causes one to speak the truth (Eph. 4:15)

G. It will root and ground us firmly (Eph. 3:17)

H. It will cause one to love Christ and live for Him (John 8:42, II Cor. 5:14-15, Gal. 2:20)

I. It gives comfort (Phil 2:1)

IV.  LOVE IS THE GREATEST OF ALL

     A.  “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (I Cor. 13:13).

B.  Peter gives the progression of what all Christians should be striving for with the end result being love; “to godliness brotherly kindness, and to 

      brotherly kindness love” (II Peter 1:7).

V. I CORINTHIANS 13 – REAL LOVE

A. Without Love we are nothing (Verses 1-3)

B. Love suffers long and endures (Verses 4-7)

1. Love is patient (Verses 4 and 7)

a. An example is God with the people in Noah’s day (I Peter 3:20, II Peter 3:9)

b. Christians are to bear with one another (Eph. 4:1-3)

2. Love is kind (Verse 4, Eph. 4:32)

3. Love does not envy (Verse 4)

a. Opposite of Joseph’s brothers (Acts 7:9)

b. Opposite of the mob who killed the Lord (Matt. 27:18)

4. Love is humble (Verse 4, Romans 12:3, Prov. 27:2)

a. If we are humble God will lift us up (James 4:10, I Peter 5:6)

b. Jesus our example of humility (Phil. 2:8, I Peter 2:21)

5. Love does not behave rudely (is courteous) (Verse 5)

6. Love does not seek its own (Verse 5)

a. The Christian is to put others first (Phil. 2:1-4)

b. The husband is to put his wife first (Eph. 5:25, I Peter 3:7)

c. The Macedonians are a great example of putting others first (II Cor. 8:1-5)

d. If we have proper love for God we will seek His will first (Matt. 6:33, 26:39)

C. Love rejoices in (with) the truth (Verse 6)

1. We can rejoice that others are walking in the truth (III John 3-4)

2. We can rejoice that we are following the Lord who is truth (John 14:6)

D. Love never fails (Verses 8-13)

II. PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR (I John 4:17-19)

A. We will use our gifts when we let love control us rather than fear (II Tim. 1:6-7, Romans 12:4-21).

B. “I cannot” will be replaced with “With God’s help I can!” (Phil 4:13)

C. In tough situations perfect love will remind us of our hope (love) for others to get to heaven (Gal. 2:11-21, I Peter 3:15, James 5:19-20)

1. Our fear for other’s salvation will overcome our fear of rejection (Jude 22-23)

D. Perfect love produces sacrifice (Matt. 10:37-38)

E. Perfect love makes us willing to suffer for Him (Acts 21:13-14, I Peter 4:1-2, I Jn 4:19)

My Identity in Jesus

BELOVED

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” – Jeremiah 31:3

A CHILD OF GOD

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” – 1 John 3:1

DELIGHTED IN

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
– Zephaniah 3:17

FORGIVEN

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” – 1 Peter 2:24

WASHED CLEAN

“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” – Isaiah 1:18

FREE

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” – Galatians 5:1

A TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?”
– 1 Corinthians 6:19

ADOPTED INTO GOD’S FAMILY

“The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” – Romans 8:15

CO-HEIR WITH CHRIST

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.” – Romans 8:17

RIGHTEOUS

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
– 2 Corinthians 5:21

NEW

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: The old has gone, the new has come!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
A SAINT

“You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” – 1 Corinthians 6:11

SET APART

“You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession.” – 1 Peter 2:9

AN AMBASSADOR OF CHRIST

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” – 2 Corinthians 5:20

A CO-LABORER

“For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.” – 1 Corinthians 3:9

A SWEET AROMA

“For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” – 2 Corinthians 2:15

NEVER ALONE

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:8

A MASTERPIECE

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” – Ephesians 2:10

WONDERFULLY MADE

“I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” – Psalm 139:14

BOLD

“Since we have such a hope, we are very bold.” – 2 Corinthians 3:12

HAVING GUARANTEED VICTORY

“You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.”
– Psalm 18:35

HOLDING A SECURED FUTURE

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” – Jeremiah 29:11

WHOLE IN CHRIST

“In Christ you have been brought to fullness.” – Colossians 2:10