THE GREATEST OF ALL

Main Scriptures: 1Cor.13:13

More Scriptures: 1Jn.4:16, Ss.8:6, 1Jn.4:18

Today’s title draws its inspiration from the teaching of late Bishop Eddie L. Long on restoration and reconciliation. He preached the message in January 2016. This was after he was accused of some wrong doings. Now, whether they are true or not, I am not in a position to comment. But this is what he said, “The power of God’s love is the greatest”. Though he died one year (January 2017) after he preached this message, the force of the Spirit of the love of God still sounded strongly in my heart like never before. And that is why the Person of the Holy Spirit is impressing it on you and I to know that the love of God, not as this world gives but as God gives, is greater than all. It is greater than hate, greater than the faults of your wife and children. It is greater than the imperfections of your sheep. It is also greater than bitterness and weaknesses of your sheep. If you understand how powerful God’s love is, you will easily forgive your wife and children, trust them, pray for them, always wish them goodwill, sacrifice your convenience, have hope in them, have faith in them and persevere with them through and through.

All of these is captured in the word of God. The Bible says of this love in 1Cor.13:3-7 and gives its final verdict in 1Cor.13 and verse 13. This is what the Scripture says, and now abideth faith, hope, love, these three, but the greatest of these is LOVE (1Cor.13:13). I want you to understand that love is the greatest. It is more potent than faith and more effectual than hope. It is so powerful that it can recover and restore the dignity and honour due to you from your wife and children. It can transform your irresponsible wife to a woman of beauty and character. It can win over your children from the clutches of the corruption of the world. It does not matter how many times your wife or children may have failed or disappointed you, the power of God’s love can restore them. And that is the kind of love God wants you to extend to your wife and children. It is not as the world gives but as God gives. God’s love can reform, recover and restore the worst wife and child. It has no respect for colour, age or background. It only has respect for any husband who is ready to walk in it. And do you the good news about the love of God? It is in your heart by the Spirit of God. For the love of Christ is spread abroad in our hearts by the Spirit of God. (Rom.5:5). So, God has empowered you to love your sheep.

But what makes this love powerful? The love is powerful because it demonstrates the nature of God in you and to your wife and children. The Bible tells us that God is love (1Jn.4:16). What this means is that whenever you show forth the love of God to your wife and children, you invite God to act in your affairs. And when God appears on any scene in life, every other force bows down. Your wife cannot resist the love of God, neither can your children. It does not matter how far they have strayed away from the right track you may have taught them, the power of God’s love can recover and restore them. So, are you ready to demonstrate the love of God toward your wife and children in response to the weight of offence that they have committed? The choice is yours to make, but I want you to know that in love, you are never wrong.

SPIRITUAL EXERCISE

• Father, by Your Spirit, saturate my heart, will, emotion, conduct and words with the powerfulness of the love of Christ.
• Father, by the blood of Jesus Christ, deliver me from every spirit that condemns and judges my wife and children when they fail and offend me.
• Father, by the power in the blood of Jesus, empower me to forgive every wrong as You have always forgiven me.

FAITH CONFESSION

I accept to extend the love of God that is spread abundantly in my heart to my wife and children irrespective of the offence because that is what makes me a good and godly husbandman in Jesus name. Amen.

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