“LOVE NEVER FAILS”
1 Corinthians 13:8 (“Love never fails”)
This scripture presents love from God’s side, which is perfect. It would have to be admitted that the love which had its origin in God has been tainted in the hands of persons who do not know God. However, this scripture is very reassuring. When you get such a statement in Scripture, there is a basis for it, and the basis for this statement is that love from God’s side is perfect, because God is love. Scripture tells us that; “perfect love”, 1 John 4:18. Also, love is very simple, so simple that it is almost impossible to define it. I often wonder if this section of scripture was in Mr Darby’s mind when he made that profound statement, ‘Absolute consecration to Jesus is the strongest bond between human hearts’ 1. What a profound statement! As you consider it, you wonder – what did he mean? Well, we all may ponder it, but to me, the word consecration means to be made suitable as having the hands filled with the excellence of Christ. If you look up the concordance, you will find that the word consecration appears frequently in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, and in Exodus, it is spoken of in relation to Aaron and his sons being made suitable for the service of the priesthood.
Right from the beginning, it was always in the mind of God that man should never be alone. He said “I will make him a helpmate, his like” (Gen.2:18), and when Eve was brought to Adam, she was suitable to him. How precious that is. God saw to it that she was suitable to him, suitable in every way, so that Adam could say “This time it is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” (v.23).
When you go through the Scriptures, you find in Genesis 24 a beautiful chapter which is often referred to as a type of how the Spirit serves in view of the bride being suitable to Christ as the Husband. The servant gave Rebecca everything she needed. How precious in the sight of heaven. And so when Rebecca saw Isaac, she did not need any instruction; she already had all that was needed to ensure that she was properly adorned for her husband. How precious that is in the sight of heaven.
Then there is that beautiful section in Esther, where it says that “she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, keeper of the women, appointed” (Esth.2:15), so that she was suitable and pleasing to king Ahasuerus. That was a divine thought; it was not a case of introducing man’s standard. And so in Revelation 19, you get that beautiful section where it says that “his wife has made herself ready” (v.7). What a lovely touch that is, that the wife has made herself ready for Christ. She is fully suitable. Why? Because love never fails. Underlying it all, the relationship of love is there, and it never fails.
These simple thoughts, beloved, are there to encourage us to see at a time like this that our sister has made herself suitable so that she comes into the enjoyment of the wonderful thought of headship. When the thought of headship is introduced to us, you find nourishing and cherishing (Eph.5:29). The Lord Jesus will “present the assembly to himself glorious” (v.27). What delight there will be in the heart of Christ when He will have the assembly for Himself, all glorious. And what joy there is in this occasion as heaven can take account of it, as everything is made suitable. Consecration to Jesus is the strongest bond between human hearts, and let us never forget – “Love never fails”. Those of us who are getting older have experienced it all our lives long, that love never fails. Whatever the circumstance, whatever the conditions that God passed us through, we always find that love never fails.
May our hearts be encouraged, beloved. This is a time for great encouragement and blessing, blessing for our dear couple, that they may experience that love never fails, that they may move forward together in the wonderful assurance that their link with Christ is the bond between themselves. That bond, beloved, makes this a marriage in the Lord, and how precious that is to heaven. May our hearts be encouraged by these simple thoughts, to realise that love never fails, for His name’s sake.
Given at a meeting for ministry on the occasion of a marriage, Buckie
14 November 2020
Robert B Bain