Love is the greatest…discover how to be loved and to love
Love is the greatest gift you can receive or give! 1 John 4:7 says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” I want to encourage you to follow through on this 
verse. Love people, not because they deserve it, but because you are born of God. Real love is a choice not a feeling. What the world needs is love!
As a child of God, you have the love of God on the inside of you. (Romans 5:5) You have the ability to love others, because He first loved you. However, it’s your choice. Jesus chose to love us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8) He expressed His love for us in the ultimate way by giving himself as a living sacrifice for our salvation. “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. Real love is powerful. It is a gift. In fact – Love is the greatest gift.
Love is the Greatest Gift
1 Corinthians 13:13 says, “Three things will last forever: faith, hope, and love-and the greatest of these is love.” Why is love the greatest? Leading up to that verse the apostle Paul teaches us about spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit to equip and empower believers to help meet needs, build up the body of Christ, and expand the kingdom of God. He talks about the working of miracles, speaking in tongues, prophecy, gifts of healing and others. Yet he brings everything down to just one thing, the most important – LOVE.
Faith, Hope, and Love are for ever
All of the gifts are important and helpful for us now in fulfilling our calling and purpose, but one day they will no longer be needed. However, the gifts of faith, hope, and love will last forever! Faith, hope, and love all will continue into heaven, but love is the most important. Why is love the greatest and what is this love?
What is Love?
Love means different things to different people. In our world we use the word love casually and flippantly; we love pizza, we love sports, we love our job, we love a movie, we love our pets, spouse, family, and friends.
God Kind of Love
The Apostle Paul is talking about a specific and much deeper kind of love. He is talking about the God kind of love. It comes from the Greek word “agape”. Agape love is a selfless love verses “eros” the romantic sensual kind of love or “philia” the brotherly friendship type of love. Paul goes on to define in depth what the God kind of love is:
Agape Love Defined
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.8 Love never fails.’’” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
The God kind of love is unique and different from what most think love is. Many think real love is a physical act, or some kind of romantic feeling. But sensual love often justifies jealousy while the God kind of love is not jealous. Romantic love many times is demanding, angry and selfish, but the God kind of love is not. Even brotherly love can be narrow, self-centered and competitive, which is the exact opposite of what Paul describes as love.
The God kind of love never fails. It doesn’t give up or quit. It is unconditional and sacrificial. This kind of love is not based on a feeling or emotion but is based on a choice and is rooted deep with in the heart, the spirit of a person.
Why is Love the Greatest
First, love is the greatest because everything else flows or works from love. While faith and hope are great and even necessary in our walk with the Lord, there would be no faith and no hope if it weren’t for love. Love was first and love will be last. Faith can move mountains (Matt. 17:20), and hope is an anchor to our soul (Heb. 6:19), but real faith and genuine hope work through and by love; without love, faith and hope are worthless. Love is the greatest.
Love is Eternal
Second, love is the greatest because it is eternal! We will continue to love God with all our heart and to love one another throughout eternity. It will not cease of diminish. More importantly His love for us is forever. There is nothing you can do to get God to stop loving you. His love cannot increase or decrease based on what we do, it’s not performance based. The God kind of love is eternal. Love is greater.
God is Love
Third, love is the greatest because of who God is. God is love. The very essence of who God is – is love. John didn’t say, God is faith or God is hope – he said, “God is love” (I John 4:8). If God ever stopped loving or stopped loving us, He would stop being God. Love is the greatest
What Do We Do?
So, what are we to do? Are we supposed to just focus on love and neglect faith and hope? No, we can’t because we are to live by faith (Romans 1:17) and we are to be ready to give a reason for the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15). We are to pursue all three understanding it is the by the power of His love that faith and hope work. It is not our works, it is Him working in us and through us. All the glory belongs to Him. So, let us continue to love one another, always knowing love comes from God. You are able to love because you love and know God. (1John 4:7)
