Awaiting Completion

We live in a world of partials, whereas our God lives in a world of perfection. 

1 Corinthians 13. More commonly known as the 'Love Chapter,' it's commonly read at weddings because of it's clear depiction of what love is and is not. However, after a transition in verse eight, many people stop their listening, because it feels out of place, until we reach verse thirteen. Here are the verses I'm talking about with some context:

"Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 

"Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for languages, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things. For now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known. Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭6-13‬ HCSB

Wow. This is one of my most favorite sections of the Bible, even though it's commonly overlooked. The theme of completeness and perfection enrapture me. Let's take a look.

The first half of the chapter talks about love. It describes the futility of any good and noble action if love is not present; it then goes onto describe what love is and is not. The transition in verse eight brings us to a new topic: perfection. 

Prophecies, languages, and knowledge all come to an end. The Messianic prophecies about Jesus found in the Old Testament have been fulfilled; they no longer apply to anyone else. Languages like Hebrew and Latin have all but fallen out of existence. And of course, knowledge comes to an end; from the loss of memory that comes with age to the loss of information due to pillaging, burning, or other decay, our world is simply fading. We cannot restore that which is always ending.

One reason for this is because we, as humans, are also imperfect. We are partial; we are not made whole. That's what sanctification is all about; preparing us for a wholeness and completeness. Therefore, if we are not whole, how could we have a complete knowledge of what has happened or what will happen? "But when the perfect comes [and sanctification is complete], the partial will come to an end." Ironic how that which is in a constant state of decay and ending will be ended itself. Then we will be whole and complete, just as we were designed to be!

An analogy is drawn between childhood and adulthood. When adults grow up, they put aside their childlike behavior, possessions, and desires. They embrace new behavior, possesions, and desires in their place. One who may have wished to be an astronaut now wishes to be a grandfather. In their maturity, after realizing the futility of one, they chose another, more reasonable, desire. When we are incomplete, and on this earth, our focus and attention will flit from one to the other, searching for fulfillment where there is none. But, when we are complete with our God, we put aside (or at least have the choice to) our old passions and embrace that which is better and attainable. 

Now, we haven't done anything to attain this grace and mercy; it wouldn't be grace if it were earned! We embrace that which is offered to us, which is why it is attainable. We can choose to pursue Jesus rather than this world.

And then comes my favorite part: the contrast between now and meeting with our Savior. Right now, it's hard to see our God, even with all the wisdom and insight and meditation in the world. Mirrors back in Paul's day were made of polished metal, and so were not very clear. But when we reach heaven, we'll see Jesus face to face. We'll know Him completely, although we don't right now, just as He already fully knows us! The anticipated intimacy with our God is something wonderful, and it gives me hope and strength to press on. To know my Savior fully; just the thought makes me grin!

But, despite our partial nature and incomplete being, three eternal things we have with us: faith, hope, and love. These will last forever. If placed on or in Jesus, these will not fail us. Because they draw their power and affect from an eternal source, they too are eternal. But, the greatest and most impactful is love. For faith and hope are focused on the self, but love is selfless. It changes the lives of many, while faith and hope only sustain the life of one. 

Even though these few verses are often looked over, they apply just as much to love as the rest of the verses. Paul had a purpose when he wrote this letter to the Corinthians. They were a church filled with sexual sin; though they claimed to know what love is, in my judgement, they did not know. That's why Paul had to outline it. Their version of love, sexual pleasure, was inconsistent and finite; partial. But what Jesus offered was eternal, and never ending. Paul was rewriting their definition of love.

If it doesn't last, it isn't love. Emotion, pleasure, and attraction all fade. But a selfless choice is eternal, and is often followed by other selfless choices. Choose to love. In doing so, you find what it is to #LiveItLikeJesus.