Perfect Love_Spiritual Love (15)
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 5771 |
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April 28, 2019 |
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 Senior Pastor Rev. Jaerock Lee
"Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away;
if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away." 1 Cor. 13:8
"But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Cor. 13:13
What would you bring if you can take one object with you when you go to heaven? Heaven's roads are made of pure gold; thus expensive gold, gemstones, or money are of no use.
God has made heaven with the most precious and beautiful things that His children want the most, understanding their minds. However, there is one thing from this earth that will be precious in heaven as well. What is it?
1. Spiritual Love
When we go to heaven, all the physical things of this earth will disappear (Rev. 21:1). Even fame, honor, and power will perish eventually (Psa. 103:15). Hatred, quarreling, envy, and jealousy and other sins in darkness will also go away.
1 Cor. 13:8-10 says, "Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away." Prophecy, speaking in tongues, and knowledge of God are all spiritual things, and why would they be done away?
Heaven is a perfect place. Even if we prophesy on this earth, it will only pale in comparison with knowledge in heaven later. We will feel and understand the heart of God and the Lord very well, so prophecy wouldn't be necessary.
It's the same with speaking in tongues. We need to learn foreign languages because there are many and regional differences hinder communication. We also need a great length of time to understand each other's heart and thoughts of those who come from different cultures. Even if we share the same culture and language, it is impossible to understand each other's heart completely or to express our heart perfectly. However, once we go to heaven, we will have only one language. There is no chance of misunderstanding each other. We will be able to convey our goodness of heart as it is.
It's the same with knowledge of God. Through the Bible we learn how we can be saved and what God's will is to some extent, but it is only a small fraction of 'knowledge' in its entirety.
We learn we have to love each other and not be jealous and try to put it into practice on this earth. But in heaven, we wouldn't need such knowledge at all because there is only love there. Prophecy, tongues, knowledge all belong to spirit, but it is necessary only temporarily, and they will be done away with eventually.
Therefore, knowing about heaven is important but it is more important to cultivate spiritual love, because we can go to a better heavenly place to the extent that we cultivate spiritual love.
2. Love Has Eternal Value
If we love somebody, we see only their good points. In the same way, if we are filled with God's love, we'd be happy and joyous all the time. In heaven such joy will last forever.
If you present a quarter and a 50-dollar bill to little children who do not know the value of money, they're likely to take the coin. They've experienced buying candy with the quarter and learned its value, but they don't know the value of the 50-dollar bill yet. It is similar with our knowledge about eternal kingdom of heaven.
We know it is a beautiful place, but we don't know how beautiful and how splendid it is. However, once we go to heaven, we will fully understand all the mysteries of the spiritual realm and the principles by which it is run (1 Cor. 13:11).
In heaven, there is no darkness or worries but only goodness and love. Thus, we can express our love to the fullest extent. The physical world and spiritual world are completely different. Of course, there is a difference in what we speak, understand, think and communicate depending each one's measure of faith.
1 John chapter 2 likens the level of faith with that of little children, children, young men, and fathers. Those at the level of little children and children do not understand deeply spiritual messages. They lack the strength to practice them. As they become young men and fathers their words, way of thinking and behaviors change.
They feel God's love and understand spiritual words at a different level. They have more strength to practice the word and can overcome the power of darkness. However, even if we have the faith of fathers, there are still physical limits on this earth. Compared to being in heaven, we are still like children.
3. Feel God's Love Fully
As childhood is a preparatory period for adulthood, life on this earth is a process to prepare for eternal life. Compared to the eternal world, this world is only like a shadow. It passes away. A shadow is not the real entity, but only an image of the real entity (1 Chron. 29:15).
The shadow gives us a rough shape. This world is only a shadow that gives us a glimpse of eternal life; it is not eternal. After this shadow-like earthly life is over, we will see the kingdom of heaven, the real entity.
This world is dimmed as though looking at the reflection in a mirror, but in heaven we will see and know as clearly as looking at each other face to face (1 Cor. 13:12). Paul wrote 1 Corinthians about 2,000 years ago. Mirrors of that the time were made of polished brass or silver and the image was dim.
Of course, some people on this earth vividly see and feel heaven in their spirit. And yet, that is also dim compared to seeing heaven directly.
When we go to heaven later, we will see and feel every detail of the place and understand all spiritual things. We will understand God is truly great and beautiful beyond expression.
4. Among Faith, Hope, and Love, Love is the Best
Faith and hope are crucial for our spiritual growth. We can be saved and become God's children only by faith. Faith is the treasure of treasures because it gives us eternal life in heaven. It is the key to receiving answers. With hope we can take hold of the better heavenly places by force.
Thus, if we have faith we will also have hope. If we believe in God and heaven and hell, we will try to cast away sins and become sanctified with our hope for heaven. Faith and hope are necessary until we go to heaven. Then, what is the reason that 1 Cor. 13:13 says love is the best?
1) Faith and hope are necessary only in this life. Only love remains in heaven
When we go to heaven, we are already in heaven and we don't have to believe or hope for anything. Suppose you couldn't see a beloved person for the period of a week and then a period of 10 years. Meeting them after a week and after 10 years would feel very different. Now, if you are seeing them after 10 years right in front of you, would you still miss them?
In the same way, if you have faith and love God, you will have greater hope of heaven as your faith increases over time. You would also want to see the Lord with increasingly greater longing.
Those who have hope of heaven will not say the narrow way of this life is hard, nor would they be shaken by any temptation. When they reach heaven, faith and hope are no longer necessary. However, love continues even in heaven, and for this reason love is the best.
2) We can possess heaven with faith, but without love, we can't enter New Jerusalem
We can go into heaven as we act in faith and hope in the Lord (Matt. 7:21). We'll be given spiritual love to the extent that we live by God's word, cast away sins, and cultivate a beautiful heart. And, according to the measure of this faith, we will be given our heavenly dwelling places.
One of the criminals who was hung next to Jesus went to Paradise. It's a place for those who are barely saved by accepting Jesus Christ. They didn't do anything for God's kingdom. The dwelling places for those who tried to live by God's word are much more beautiful than Paradise.
There are also places for those who actually practiced the word of God and have been faithful to God's kingdom. There are places for those who loved God to the utmost degree and cast away all sins. Furthermore, the city of New Jerusalem is a place for those who have perfect faith that pleases God and have been faithful in all His household.
The city of New Jerusalem is a crystalloid of love given to God's children who cultivated perfect love. Originally, there was no one who could enter this city but Jesus Christ. However, if we are justified by the precious blood of Jesus Christ and possess perfect faith, we will be given the right to enter the city.
In order for us to enter the city, we have to follow the way of the Lord, which is the way of love. Only when we have love, we can bear the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit and the Beatitudes, meaning we will become God's true children who have the characters of the Lord.
If we become God's true children, we will receive anything we ask for in prayer and we will enjoy the privilege of walking with the Lord forever.
We can go to heaven with faith, and we can cast away sins with hope. Therefore, faith and hope are a must. However, we can go to New Jerusalem only when we have love, For this reason love is the best.
Dear brothers and sisters, God has believed, hoped, and endured all things to gain true children with whom He could share true love forever. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will quickly cultivate the heart of Jesus Christ and perfect love so that you will enter the city of New Jerusalem.
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