The Ultimate Excellence

UV 3602/10000 The Ultimate Excellence Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. I Corinthians 13 v 4 St Paul describes love as the ultimate excellence. The characteristics of love described in this uni-verse and indeed, in this unique and beautiful chapter written by St Paul are the description of the character of the agape love of God and of His Son Jesus. The love of Jesus for us endures through all of our lives and all of history. He is patient with our faults and imperfections and covers it with His grace and mercy so that the Father does not see any flaw in us. He is kind and thoughtful and knows our most intimate or deepest need and provides for it. The love of Jesus is not possessive or insecure. He gives us freedom to choose and to act in our lives. He is humble and gentle. St Paul describes the character of Jesus when he writes that love is not rude, not selfish, not easily provoked or easily angered or overly sensitive. He blots out our transgressions with the cancellation implied in our confession or acceptance of His sacrifice of His blood for our sake. He does not keep a record of our wrongs and blunders. He is steadfast in His support of us in difficult situations or crises of our lives. We only need to lean on Him as John leant on Him at the last supper. He never fails us nor does His love ebb or vary from day to day. His love completes and perfects us. We see in part our errors in the mirror of scripture and Jesus gives us grace or power and wisdom to overcome it. He is forgiving and harbours no bitterness in His heart against us. We need to emulate the flesh and blood model that God gave us of love in His Son Jesus. We should not take pride in our spiritual gifts or talents or ability. We ought not to brag about anything but in all things give glory to God, appropriating His grace and basking in His love. Jesus holds two banners over us that the enemy can see- the banner of love and the banner of victory.