WHAT IS THE GREATEST?

Some equate being a Christian with a church or a particular denomination.  Membership in a church does not make one Christian.  A Christian expresses faith or trust in God and God's plan for sin.  There is a big difference between sin and sins.  Sin refers to that part of us that we inherit or is passed down to us through the birth experience.  We call it the humanity's fall.  We are born with a nature or desire to sin or not follow God.  This is called the sinful nature.  God came in the person of Jesus Christ to live like we live.  Jesus experienced all the temptations, frustrations, diseases, and loneliness that we all feel.  When Jesus died and rose again, Jesus conquered the sinful nature and makes it possible for us to overcome the sinful nature.  A Christian cannot do this on his own.  The only way a Christian can overcome is by faith or trust in God's plan.  Faith=trust in God.  

God did this because God loves us so much.  John 3:16 states "For God loved the world (us) that God gave God's only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life."  I John 1 states that God is love.  Paul defines love like this: (I Corinthians 13)

•  Love is patient and kind.
•  Love is not jealous or boastful or proud  or rude. 
•  Love does not demand its own way.
•  Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 
•  Love does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
•  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Christians are followers of God.  Christians are called to live in loving relationships with God, others, self, and the created universe in which we live.  We cannot love God if we don't have love for others and we can't love others if we don't love ourselves.  Loving self means we recognize that we are not in control for God is in control.  We see God is great, glorious, gracious, and good.  God's love begins to flow in us and through us as we trust God and trust God's plan.

Hope is the expectation of something good will come from the bad.  Hope is ability to know that God will see us through the storms of life.  We may not see what is ahead but when adverse events happen, we know God is there and that God'g grace will see us through it even if it means our death.  Christians are not immune to suffering or disease or failure in business or relationships.  Failure does not mean God is punishing us.  Suffering happens to everyone.  Hope knows that when we leave this world, there is a better place for us!

Love is the greatest of all.  Without love, our faith and hope grows dim.  May God continue to open our hearts, our minds, and being to God's gracious love that shows us God's greatness and glory for God is good!