What is love?

 

What is love?

 

1 Corinthians 12:4-7: "Love (he agape) is patient, love is kind (krestuetai), love does not envy, love does not boast, love is not arrogant, love does not behave rudely, love does not seek its own advantage, love does not get angry, love does not think evil, love does not rejoice in injustice, but rejoices with the truth, love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

 

Here, love is related to the gifts given by God. The reason God gives gifts to believers is to preach the gospel. Although believers face many difficulties when preaching the gospel, because they are doing valuable work to revive dead spirits, they are able to be patient, endure, and devote themselves solely to ministry without seeking their own benefit.

 

Krestuetai (χρηστεύεται) means knowing the value and benefit of it. He Agape (ἡ ἀγάπη) is for the purpose of bringing life to all that was dead; therefore, it is not a competitive relationship, nor is there any envy. Since Agape is not for oneself, there is nothing to boast about, nor is it arrogant or rude; it does not seek its own benefit or become angry.

 

Love is Agape, and since it is the work of obtaining salvation in Christ of the cross, this is the truth, the attainment of righteousness, and something for everyone to rejoice over. Therefore, one patiently waits with the heart of God for the dead spirit to return, and believes.

 

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on the cross are the core of Christianity. Therefore, they are eternal. If a dead spirit comes to life, prophecy, speaking in tongues, and knowledge are no longer necessary for him. Prophecy, speaking in tongues, and knowledge are merely tools for proclaiming the death and resurrection of the cross, and they are partial.

 

While there are various gifts of God regarding partial knowledge and prophecy, these gifts are merely partial prophecy and knowledge intended to proclaim Jesus Christ. Perfection refers to Jesus Christ, who embodies the death and resurrection of the cross. Spiritual gifts are a means to preach the gospel, but once the perfect gospel is realized, there is no longer a need to use them.

 

While spiritual gifts are necessary for the gospel, using them as a standard for one's own faith is a childlike faith. A mature person who properly preaches the gospel forgets about such gifts as if they were childish matters.

 

Those who must convey Agape love based on spiritual gifts understand God's love dimly, as if looking through a mirror; however, those who truly convey Agape love do not need the help of spiritual gifts. Since this signifies the Word of the Logos within the heart, it becomes a situation akin to conversing face-to-face. This is the relationship in which one comes to know God completely.

 

To express Jesus Christ, who died on the cross and resurrected, in other words, He is the Son of God, the Temple, the Image of God, holiness, the Kingdom of Heaven, faith, love, and the gospel. To be united with Jesus Christ means that Jesus Christ is present in the heart of the saint, so that I die and only Jesus remains. Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

 

"The life which I live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (νῦν ζῶ ἐν σαρκί, ἐν πίστει ζῶ τῇ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντός με καὶ παραδόντος ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ.)

 

Retranslating this part, it reads: "Now I in the flesh "I live, but I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Here, the Son of God and faith are in apposition. The relative pronoun corresponding to the English 'that' expresses the Son and faith as being in apposition. When united with Jesus, the faith that comes from Jesus becomes the faith of the saint.

 

Because they are united with Jesus Christ, the saint also becomes a Son of God, a temple, the image of God, becomes holy, becomes heaven, becomes faith, becomes love, and becomes the gospel. The saint must realize that they become identical because of Jesus Christ.

 

It is not something obtained through the believer's diligent efforts, but solely through God's grace through Jesus Christ. Therefore, the believer must believe that they have died with Jesus and resurrected with Him.

 

In the phrase, "It is not I who live, but Christ who lives in me," since I have died with Jesus, I am denied. And because Jesus has resurrected, it means that the resurrected Jesus enters into the heart of the saint and lives.

 

Realistically, one might ask, "How can this be possible when my physical body is not dead but alive, and I live, act, predict the future, and worry about various matters according to my own thoughts." This does not mean that the concept is one where a believer says, "I must live by denying myself," and then diligently strives to ask Jesus within their heart to please appear.

 

This is a matter of identity. The phrase "that I live in the flesh (sarka)" should be translated as, "Although I now live in the flesh." Sarka is not the physical body, but rather a fleshly body (fresh)—a sinful body destined to die, handed down from the first man. Although we live in this sinful body destined to die, the identity of a believer is to become Jesus Christ.

 

We must realize that because we are in Jesus Christ, we are united with Him. The old temple is still ruled by the flesh; however, since Jesus, the new temple, is the master in His resurrected body (spiritual body), believers must clearly realize their own identity and move forward.

 

Just as a newborn baby does not recognize its mother's face until it gradually comes to know it as time passes, believers also establish their identity alongside spiritual growth. Do not regard the physical body viewed in a mirror as oneself; only by recognizing the spiritual body within the Holy Spirit and living accordingly can one escape from the world.