By Ruth Dusingize 
HIGHLIGHT: Love-agape love is a gift from God by the Holy Spirit. The picture of this love is embodied in Jesus Christ. By beholding Him, we are drawn into loving the same way He does.
This week, we explore more on what love truly is, its utmost importance, what it does and does not do as far as true Christian character is concerned. Above all, love is the attribute that shall live on eternally even where faith and hope cease to be.
Memory Text: 1 Corinthians 13:13 NKJV
“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
SABBATH: INTRODUCTION
Our focus this week is on one of Scripture’s most beautiful and powerful portraits of love: 1 Corinthians 13. Love stands at the heart of Paul’s message, not as a passing emotion, but as a Christlike attitude revealed in action, words, sacrifice, and grace.
Without love, even the greatest gifts and achievements are empty. But with love, the life of Christ is made visible in His people. Join us as we explore what love truly is, what it does, and how its fullest expression is seen in the life and character of Jesus.
SUNDAY: THE ESSENTIALNESS OF LOVE
None of the spiritual gifts listed by Paul is effective unless used with and in love. The type of love highlighted by Paul is the agape love which is unconditional and is not self-seeking in nature.
It goes beyond mere emotions and it is action driven. This Christ-like love is only of heavenly birth, imparted in us as a special grace by the Holy Spirit. Because God is love, He can fully be known only through love. Without love, we cannot know God and without God we are nothing.
Therefore, only by fixing our eyes at the Cross can we be able to have the love that never grows cold towards our homes, our churches and neighbourhoods.
(READ 1 Corinthians 13; Matthew 24:12; 1 John 4:8)
MONDAY: WHAT LOVE DOES
Love is more about actions than it is about feelings or emotions. Love shows patience even amidst challenging situations. Just as God has mercy towards us, love enables us to have compassion towards our fellow brethren.
Love rejoices in the truth and it also has the sense of resilience. In addition, love believes and hopes in all things as well. Above all, love endures all things. Above are the attributes embodied by a Spirit-filled believer driven by love he/she has for God and for other people as well.
(READ 1 Corinthians 9:12; 12:26; 13:4-7; Ephesians 4:2; Psalms 145:9; Luke 1:58; 15:6&9; Philippians 2:17&18; Galatians 5:22&23)
TUESDAY: WHAT LOVE DOES NOT DO
Having seen the things that love does, there are things that love doesn’t do. Love does not envy, in that, one may desire to have a higher attainment of spiritual gifts, but one does not feel envious towards gifted persons.
Love does not boast and it is not puffed up with self-importance. In addition, love does not behave rudely, neither does it seek its own rights. Rather, it gives up its own rights for the sake of others.
Love does not easily get irritated, and it does not keep a record of wrongs,meaning that it forgives. Furthermore, love does not delight in wrongdoing, but rather, seeks to help a friend who has made a mistake.
(READ 1 Corinthians 3:3; 4:10; 8:9-12; 12:31; 10:24; 13:4-7; 14:1&39; Acts 7:9)
WEDNESDAY: A PORTRAIT OF JESUS
Just as Paul highlights what love truly is, what it does and does not do, this is a replica of who Jesus is, what He does and what He does not do, for He is the full expression of this love.
Jesus’ life shows us that He is kind towards us, He is patient with us as sinners, He rejoices in the truth of God’s word, He hopes and believes that you and I can change into His likeness by beholding Him. Above all, he endured the pain at Calvary that you and I can be saved when we believe in Him.
A clear understanding of this truth is evidenced towards compassion extended to those we meet and interact with.
(READ 1 Corinthians 13; John 13:1&34; 15:9-12; 17:12-14; 1 Timothy 1:14; 2 Timothy 1:7&13; 1 John 3:16; 4:7-12,19-21; 1 Peter 2:3; Philippians 2:8; Acts 9:13-15)
THURSDAY: FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE
The Corinthians were struggling with pride, division and competition over spiritual gifts. Just like we struggle with the same today, Paul calls us to a higher standard of love.
He reminds us that the faith we hold and the hope we have in the second coming of Jesus will be fulfilled when He returns. Our spiritual gifts are only needed in our imperfect earthly state and will no longer be necessary when we reach full knowledge in God’s presence.
However, the character of love will live eternally for it will continue with us till eternity.
(READ 1Corinthians 13:8,10,12; Romans 4:3; 5:1-5; Galatians 5:5&6; Ephesians 1:15&18; 4:1-5)
FRIDAY: FURTHER THOUGHT
No matter how high the profession, he whose heart is not filled with love for God and his fellow men is not a true disciple of Christ. We have an abundance of sermonizing. What is most needed is love for perishing souls, that love which comes in rich currents from the throne of God.
The burning, consuming love of Christ for perishing souls is the life of the whole system of Christianity. Only the love that flows from the heart of Christ can heal. Only he in whom that love flows, even as the sap in the tree or the blood in the body, can restore the wounded soul.
(READ “The Need of Love”, pp.545&546, Review and Herald, 28 August, 1888; The Acts of the Apostles, pp.318&319; Lift Him Up, p.134; Education, p.114; The Advent Review and Herald, 21 July 1904)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
- In what ways does Jesus reveal to us what true love really is?
- Do you think Paul’s list of positive features of love is exhaustive? If not, what other elements would you add to the list?
- Paul hints that love is the ultimate solution for the lack of unity among members in Corinth. Why? How does this apply to our churches today?
- Can you think of examples where people do “good things” but without love? How does that affect the impact of their actions?
- How does 1 Corinthians challenge the way we define success?
- How can you practise agape love in situations where you don’t feel like loving(for example difficult relationships, disagreements, daily frustrations)?
Shalom Insights 
Edwin Kyle Kule