Now I thought of 1 Cor 13 immediately in my heart but he pointed out that those were the characteristics of Love - ie love is patient, love is kind...
The definition of love is found in 1 John 4:10
This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
I never caught on to this: that John in the gospel repeatedly and shamelessly pronounced himself as the disciple whom Jesus loves! Instead of writing "me" or "I" or "the author" or even "the other disciple" - John's identity was revealed in this - he is the one whom Jesus' loves!!
Here are his amazing (and sometimes amusing) proclamation of himself in this strange but wonderful way -
- John 13:23-35
- John 19:26-27
- John 20:2-4
- John 21: 4-7
- John 21:20
Does that mean then that Jesus didn't love the other disciples? No - He died for all of them! But they didnt catch on to this agape love. They didnt personalise it for themselves.
Just like what we would do now - we recognise that God so loved us/the world that He sent Jesus to die on the cross - but has it sunk into your heart that actually, God so loves YOU that He sent Jesus to sacrifice on the cross. It's not they, them, us... it's ME & YOU!I used to have this phrase that I hold dear to my heart - I am the beloved of God. And i cherish that identity - that i belong to Him, that no matter what i do, have done, will do - I am His beloved.
I think that is the crux of Christianity - not what I do, but what He has done for me.
