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Have Faith -- I Corinthians 13:13
This is the first of a three part look at what will last into eternity from our life here.
We need to first consider the 12th verse of this 'love' chapter before trying to digest the 13th verse:
12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
These three things will remain into eternity representing the extent of each of our lives here: "faith, hope and love." The greatest 'weighting' will be on 'love.'
I particularly like the reading that the early church had from the Latin: I Corinthians 13:13 nunc autem manet fides spes caritas tria haec maior autem his est caritas
'Fides' -- the great old Latin word from which we get fidelity, faith, faithful, faithfulness...get the picture?
We have sure messed up our theology here in this modern era of Western Christianity. We look at 'faith' as some hyper-religiosity that is measured by codes and intensity. That is not at all the view presented in this Latin case: the three things that will remain into eternity from your life here on earth are how you handled fidelity, hope and love!
Fidelity! (We'll look at hope and love in the next couple of weeks.) Fidelity is going to be part of the criteria God examines as He looks at our life in judgment.
How well are you doing in your 'fides'? Perhaps you need to talk with a retired Marine officer about Semper Fi (Fidelis). They can give you a good idea of the importance of 'fides'.
Jesus talked about this when He was quoted by Mark (8:38) and by Luke (18:8) in regard to whether he would find 'fides' when he comes back; would he find people who had been faithful to the path, the cross, the Christ in their lives.
There has always been the necessity of 'fides'. A couple of great passages from the Old Testament regarding 'fides' are:
Proverbs 20:6
Most men will
proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?
Daniel 6:4
Then the presidents and
princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but
they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful,
neither was there any error or fault found in him.
When we stand before Him we undoubtedly will want to proclaim our own goodness, but God will be examining our record of 'fides', fidelity.