City Life Starter

There is a vanity in Christianity, it is doing works without love, even if we are doing great works for God.  This is the message of the 1 Corinthian 13, where Paul addresses the critical importance of understanding love as the foundation for our faith.  Paul’s goal is for the Corinthian church to grasp the true meaning of the word “Love,” through the ultimate example of love founded in Jesus Christ.

In this chapter, Paul describes the characteristics of love.  The list is quite long and it is something we can meditate and ponder about.  Comparing how our culture and society defines love, you will discover that Paul’s description stands quite opposite. In today’s definition, love is based on an individual’s feelings and happiness, this is centered around the person.  Contrary to this definition, Christian love is based on meeting the needs of the others.

The greatest example of love has been given through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  God’s love for humanity is written in the Gospel of John, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” Until we can fully grasp the weight of our sins, and how much it cost for our salvation, we will never understand the true meaning of love.

I have been asked, “How do you know if God loves you?” My answer has always been and will be, “Look at the cross.”  It is at the foot of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, you will discover the true meaning of God’s love for us.