Love Looks to Things Eternal

1 Corinthians 6:1-8




The Corinthians were taking each other to court over issues that should have been settled among their Christian brothers and sisters. These weren't cases of murder. These were cases of simple wrong doing... people being defrauded.

Paul appeals to them saying, "To have lawsuits is already a defeat for you... Don't you know that we are going to judge the world and the angels?!!"

The Corinthians were fighting over stuff. Paul tries to remind them about the eternal destiny that they now share as Christians. It's like he was saying... "We are going to judge the world with Christ, and you are going to fight with each other and go to the world's court against each other over little worldly things??!!!"

If we can remember to focus on eternal things... love, relationship, hope, peace, joy, kindness, self-control, gentleness, etc. we won't bother fighting over things that don't matter in the long run.

Love has an eternal perspective.

That is why Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame... for the joy set before him... he endured it. Though all the wisdom of the world would call Jesus to call upon the same power he used to create the world to defend himself... he had every RIGHT in the world to do so... but he wasn't focused on his immediate reputation or comfort... he was looking to eternal things... to the Joy set before him... to the salvation he was spreading... to his love for his father and for us.