Category: What do you think?

Why Love Stands Above Faith and Hope

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AMY TURNER

In First Corinthians 13, often called the love chapter, Paul names three lasting virtues: faith, hope, and love. He ends by saying that love is the greatest of them all. This raises the question: Why does Scripture place love above the others?

Faith and hope are vital for life today. Faith helps us trust in what we cannot see, and hope looks forward to what God has promised. But one day, both will no longer be needed. In eternity, we will see God clearly, leaving no room for doubt or questions. The things we once hoped for will be fully present. Faith and hope will have served their purpose and come to an end.

Love, however, never ends. It is eternal. Love is not only lasting; it is also the most godlike quality. Could this be why Paul points us toward love as the highest virtue?

In addition to all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

Colossians 3:14

What It Means to Hate Your Life

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JEFF TURNER

In John 12:25, Jesus gives a striking statement: those who love their life will lose it, but those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternity. This does not mean despising life in a bitter way. Instead, it describes giving up self as the highest priority.

To “hate” your life in this sense is to surrender it fully to Christ, treating it as something you no longer own. It is a choice to set aside selfish ambitions and live for God’s purposes and will. This surrender begins with confessing Jesus as Lord, worshipping him, and submitting to his direction.

When a person does this, they gain the eternal life that God promises. In giving up control to Christ, we receive a life that far surpasses anything we could achieve on our own.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Matthew 16:25

A Deep Desire to Know God More

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FLOYD ROGERS

Some people today are comfortable with what they already know about God, their faith, or the Bible. But true spiritual growth doesn’t come from staying still. It comes from a heart that longs to keep learning and growing.

For every person who follows Christ, there is a strong inner pull. We have a deep desire that doesn’t go away. We want to understand God more. While we can feel joy and peace in our relationship with Him, we are also meant to want more of Him. This doesn’t mean we are unhappy with God; rather, it means we are drawn to a closer, fuller connection with Him.

It is possible to feel both content with God’s presence and yet eager to go deeper. We are called not to settle, but to keep seeking and discovering who He is.

that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

Philippians 3:10

The Promise of Resurrection Life

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AMY TURNER

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul describes Jesus as the beginning and the first to rise from the dead in a way that gives Him first place in all things. The Bible shows that other people were brought back to life, such as Lazarus, but their return was temporary. They would face death again.

Jesus, however, was raised in a different way. His resurrection was not only a return to life but a transformation. He was given a body filled with glory and strength, a body that will last forever. Scripture calls Him the first fruit from among the dead. This means He is the beginning of something greater that is promised to all who belong to Him.

When Jesus rose, He showed what lies ahead for those who trust in Him. As He was raised with a body fit for eternity, so one day His people will share in that same kind of life. The resurrection of Christ is both a victory over death and a promise of what is to come.

But the fact is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

1 Corinthians 15:20

How Adam’s Sin Affected All Humanity

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JEFF TURNER

Romans 5:12 teaches that sin entered the world through one man, and death came as a result. This death then spread to all people because all sinned. Scripture explains that when Adam disobeyed, the whole human race was represented in him. Humanity is united in a way that God designed, so Adam’s choice affected everyone who came after him.

In this sense, all people sinned in Adam, and the sin nature has been passed down through every generation. From that moment in the garden, every person has been born under the reality of sin and death, and this will continue until God creates the new heaven and new earth.

Paul also gives a hopeful comparison. Just as Adam’s act brought sin and death to all, Christ’s work on the cross brings life to everyone who trusts in him.

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

1 Corinthians 15:22