Hello, my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this Friday,
Change is a harsh reality of life in our world, isn’t it? Do you find yourself seeking stability in all the change? I live in a place where new houses are being built up all around me. Thousands of people are moving to my part of the world every month and therefore change seems constant. And the changing landscape is a fair picture of world change happening so fast even AI struggles to keep up. But my friends, do you know God offers us stability and consistency in our ever-changing world?
That’s what Paul was talking about in the 13th chapter of his first letter to the group of Christians in Corinth, Greece in the mid first century.
Yesterday we looked closely at the Jesus portrayed love God desires will be seen in ALL Jesus followers, all around the world, in every generation. How is it possible? That’s the wonderful work of the powerful Holy Spirit living in us, as He lived in Jesus!
Now let’s continue in vs. 8 “Where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge it will pass away.” (1 Cor. 13:8) Do you hear Paul describing change, even change that could be discouraging, maybe even fearful? For these early Christians the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit in prophecies, tongues and increasing knowledge provided HOPE that God’s powerful presence was with them. But the thought of those powerful works of the Holy Spirit ENDING was not at all good news, in fact it was frightening, so Paul continued.
“For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.” (1 Cor. 13:8-10) What does Paul mean? Paul is pointing at Jesus, now fully complete in His resurrected, glorified, ascended, heavenly body, reigning on His throne in heaven, at the right hand of God the Father. (Heb. 1:3)
Why is Paul calling us to look at Jesus? Because Jesus REIGNs over all things, in all places, NOW! Nothing is happening in our crazy world unnoticed by Jesus! And Jesus is sustaining God’s people all around the world by His power of the Holy Spirit alive in us as The Spirit was alive in Jesus when Jesus was here.
But also, we look to Jesus on His throne because one day in the future, EVERY redeemed Jesus follower will have our transformed, glorified, ascended, heavenly body and we will be together with God for all eternity, finally complete! This temporary earthly journey and all its constant change and the effects of sin here will finally be over as all that Jesus has accomplished in His incarnation, atonement death, resurrection and ascension, will bring about a new reality, even a new heaven and a new earth! (Is. 65:17-25 & Rev. 21)
Paul wrote these wonderful words about that future hope: “Now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: Faith, Hope and Love. But the greatest of these is LOVE.” (1 Cor. 13:12,13)
So, Paul was declaring that as you and I live our lives on this earth, while we are surrounded by constant change and a decaying world, Jesus proved that we can live victorious lives filled with great FAITH. confident in the unchanging character of God! God had declared to the last prophet of the Old Testament Malachi: “I the LORD do not change!” (Malachi 3:6) And the Holy Spirit led the writer of Hebrews to declare: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Heb. 13:8) That’s why FAITH in God and His promises have carried God’s people since the days of Noah!
Do you also see Paul’s confident HOPE that despite all the discouraging things he and we face in our world, resurrected, ascended Jesus is still on His throne, victorious over sin, Satan and death, holding our lives in His hand, as Jesus declared in John 10:27,28: “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them and they follow Me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand.”
But my friends, do you see Paul’s great joy that even greater than the FAITH and HOPE we have in Christ, is the certainty that God’s LOVE for us is unconditional, unwavering and ready each day to embolden us to face whatever life in this crazy world brings to us!
Paul wrote about that to the Christians in Rome a few years later: “In all things we are more than conquerors through HIM who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any power…will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39)
So, my friends, please consider this: If you EVER doubt the love of God or the power of God’s love, there is one place to look… the CROSS! The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of extreme, all-powerful love… the love of God the Father sending His Son to that cross for our sin! And the love of God the Son, both for His Father and for us sinful people, as Jesus obediently went to the cross for us! And the love of the Holy Spirit who joyfully and powerfully applies that life transforming, sin forgiving love of God, to our lives while He cleanses us, creates a new spiritual holy nature in us, and empowers us for living Faith filled, Hope filled and Love filled lives through which Jesus can accomplish God’s purposes in our world, through us!
Oh my, we have so much to celebrate today and the “lessons learned” study notes at the link below will help you. I urge you to read the entire 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians carefully, with those lessons learned notes handy, and then worship with the song I found which I know will bless your soul. Tomorrow let’s meet here again and we step into Paul’s next chapter.
Today’s Scripture: 1 Cor. 13:8-13
Choose below to read or listen.
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Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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