In 1 Cor. 13 the apostle Paul describes the attributes of the divine love. The word “agape” is certainly wrongly translated as “charity”. Charity can be practised by anyone, but agape – divine love is the essence of God Himself. If we were preaching, singing, and talking about this love and our lives testify of the contrary, whom should we believe? We need to find the cause of hatred and enmity which penetrates into marriage, into families, among different parties, and into the church fellowships. We must find the cause which separates believers from one another, before we can find the cure and unite and live a God-pleasing life which coincides with the Holy Scriptures. A life not living in self-pleasing righteousness, but a life indeed well-pleasing unto God. Enoch had the testimony that he pleased God, before he was taken up (Heb. 11:5). No self-testimony embedded in self-righteousness is of any value or use. We need God to testify from the heavens, “This is My beloved son, My beloved daughter, in whom I am well pleased.” Whenever heaven opens over us, the Spirit of God comes down and our whole being including our tongue will be placed into the service of God. We shall then proclaim His great works, as was done on and since the Day of Pentecost.

Those who will partake in the rapture will unite in the divine love which is the bond of perfection leading into our completion. Love, reconciliation, and forgiveness go together. Only then the peace of God which passes all human understanding will rule and reign in our hearts and dictate our deeds. In this way we reach a lovely atmosphere in which God and His people do feel well.

The utterance of our LORD in the Sermon on the Mount should be once more mentioned, “Therefore, all things whatever, ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.” Without hesitation can be said, “Whatever we do not want others would do to us, we should never do to them.” Would we appreciate if somebody would think, speak, and judge, as we do with them? Would it be all right, if some would hate and despise and reject us, as we do with them? Would somebody really wish to be disfellowshipped, despised, and treated as one with leprosy and so on?

Surely not.

Who ever is concerned with being ready at the return of Christ, will be spoken to by the Word and take the correction by the Spirit. May the following Bible quotations not miss their effects in all of us.

“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous, not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, but on the contrary, blessing, knowing that Ye are called to this, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile; let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and pursue it. For the eyes of the LORD are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers; but the face of the LORD is against them that do evil.” (1 Pet. 3:8-12)

“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the LORD. Behold, the farmer waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient, establish your hearts; for the coming of the LORD draweth near. Murmur not one against another, brethren, lest ye be judged; behold, the judge standeth before the door. Take, my brethren, the prophets who have spoken in the name of the LORD, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.” (Jas. 5:7-10)

“Only let your conduct be as it becometh the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27)

“If there be, therefore, any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassions, fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves.” (Phil. 2:1-3)

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue; by which are given unto us exceedingly great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self control, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our LORD Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” (2 Pet. 1:3-11)

“Put on, therefore, as the elect of God holy and beloved, tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” (Col. 3:12-15)

“But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” (Heb. 3:13)

“But the end of all things is at hand; be ye, therefore, sober-minded, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent love among yourselves for love shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” (1 Pet. 4:7-10)

“Now unto him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” (Eph. 3:20-21)

“And now, little children, abide in him, that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” (1 Jn. 2:28)

In 1 Cor. 13 the apostle Paul describes the attributes of the divine love. The word “agape” is certainly wrongly translated as “charity”. Charity can be practised by anyone, but agape – divine love is the essence of God Himself. If we were preaching, singing, and talking about this love and our lives testify of the contrary, whom should we believe? We need to find the cause of hatred and enmity which penetrates into marriage, into families, among different parties, and into the church fellowships. We must find the cause which separates believers from one another, before we can find the cure and unite and live a God-pleasing life which coincides with the Holy Scriptures. A life not living in self-pleasing righteousness, but a life indeed well-pleasing unto God. Enoch had the testimony that he pleased God, before he was taken up (Heb. 11:5). No self-testimony embedded in self-righteousness is of any value or use. We need God to testify from the heavens, “This is My beloved son, My beloved daughter, in whom I am well pleased.” Whenever heaven opens over us, the Spirit of God comes down and our whole being including our tongue will be placed into the service of God. We shall then proclaim His great works, as was done on and since the Day of Pentecost.

Those who will partake in the rapture will unite in the divine love which is the bond of perfection leading into our completion. Love, reconciliation, and forgiveness go together. Only then the peace of God which passes all human understanding will rule and reign in our hearts and dictate our deeds. In this way we reach a lovely atmosphere in which God and His people do feel well.

The utterance of our LORD in the Sermon on the Mount should be once more mentioned, “Therefore, all things whatever, ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.” Without hesitation can be said, “Whatever we do not want others would do to us, we should never do to them.” Would we appreciate if somebody would think, speak, and judge, as we do with them? Would it be all right, if some would hate and despise and reject us, as we do with them? Would somebody really wish to be disfellowshipped, despised, and treated as one with leprosy and so on?

Surely not.

Who ever is concerned with being ready at the return of Christ, will be spoken to by the Word and take the correction by the Spirit. May the following Bible quotations not miss their effects in all of us.

“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous, not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, but on the contrary, blessing, knowing that Ye are called to this, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile; let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and pursue it. For the eyes of the LORD are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers; but the face of the LORD is against them that do evil.” (1 Pet. 3:8-12)

“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the LORD. Behold, the farmer waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient, establish your hearts; for the coming of the LORD draweth near. Murmur not one against another, brethren, lest ye be judged; behold, the judge standeth before the door. Take, my brethren, the prophets who have spoken in the name of the LORD, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.” (Jas. 5:7-10)

“Only let your conduct be as it becometh the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27)

“If there be, therefore, any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassions, fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves.” (Phil. 2:1-3)

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue; by which are given unto us exceedingly great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self control, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our LORD Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” (2 Pet. 1:3-11)

“Put on, therefore, as the elect of God holy and beloved, tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” (Col. 3:12-15)

“But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” (Heb. 3:13)

“But the end of all things is at hand; be ye, therefore, sober-minded, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent love among yourselves for love shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” (1 Pet. 4:7-10)

“Now unto him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” (Eph. 3:20-21)

“And now, little children, abide in him, that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” (1 Jn. 2:28)