The permanence of love, faith and hope

Chapter 13 of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians is a great sermon on love. What is love? I think we would never get to the full meaning of love. Many define love as giving to the poor, fighting for the homeland, etc. but when we read this letter from the apostle we realize that not even those things are the maximum expression of love.

The word love comes from a Latin word that means “passion”. Actually we feel passion for many things, but really this does not mean that we are people who show the love of God. Love is something that can even be well defined, and that is why John says: “God is love.” It is that the concept of love is so spiritual that this is what can be ended by saying: “God is love.”

In the aforementioned letter the apostle speaks of a series of works such as giving to the poor, being sacrificed, having gifts, etc., but he says: “If I do not have love, I am nothing”. It is useless to have countless good qualities and to do good deeds if, after all, the love of the Father is not in us.

Many times we lose the sense of what is really the most important and we lean more towards other less important things than the love of God, and that is exactly why Jesus says: In these two commandments the law is summarized: “Love the Lord your God above all things and your neighbor as yourself.” In short, the law is summarized in love.

Paul says to the Corinthians:

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13

We must be Christians full of faith, believers that God exists, Christians full of hope, knowing that we have been promised a heavenly city, but above all, we must be believers full of love, because if we do not have love, it does not help have the faith that moves the mountains and nothing would be useful to believe simply in His promises, instead, love, that love of God remains forever and is above all things.

Let us ask God to help us to be believers full of love because love covers multitudes of sins.

When Paul describes love, he does not present it as a mere emotion that comes and goes, but as a virtue that transforms the way we relate to others. Love, according to Scripture, is patient, kind, enduring, and incapable of rejoicing in injustice. These characteristics show that true love is not born from human capacity but from the work of God in the heart. Many people confuse love with generosity or noble acts, but Paul teaches that even great sacrifices lose their eternal value if they are not motivated by genuine love.

The challenge for every believer is to reflect that divine love in daily life. It is easy to love those who love us, but spiritual maturity is revealed when we show love to those who cannot repay us or who have even offended us. In this we imitate Christ, who loved us when we were still sinners and extended His grace without waiting for us to deserve it. Living in that kind of love is a testimony of the gospel and a light in a world where selfishness often prevails.

Furthermore, love strengthens the unity of the church. Spiritual gifts, talents and ministries are important, but none of them reach their full purpose without love. A church may have great knowledge, eloquence and service, but if it lacks love, it loses its fragrance and its witness becomes weak. Paul understood this profoundly and insisted that love is superior because it reflects the very nature of God.

Therefore, when we meditate on this chapter, we understand that love is not optional in the life of a believer; it is essential. It is the bond that perfects all other virtues and the evidence that Christ truly dwells in us. May we grow each day in this love that does not fade, that blesses, restores, forgives and lifts up those around us.