The Need to Repent

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. —1 John 4:8

Throughout 1 Corinthians 13, Paul emphasized the importance and permanence of love. He described the characteristics of love. What impact do his words have for our lives today?

First, we need to acknowledge to God that our love is human and fragile, that we haven’t loved people in the way He has loved us. We need to acknowledge to God that we’ve not had the kind of love that’s patient and kind, that we’re envious, jealous, and arrogant. We need to confess that our love hasn’t born all things, believed all things, hoped all things, or endured all things.

You and I need to repent. We need to repent of loveless religion. We need to repent of loveless relationships. We need to repent of loveless service for God, thinking we were doing so much for Him when love was not behind it. Until we repent of the fact that we have not loved, we’ll never have God’s grace to love others like He wants us to.