In today’s sermon, we focus on three important features of love, as found in 1 Corinthians 13.

The Lord is a God full of grace and fairness. But the Lord does not deal with us according to fairness. He deals with us according to grace.

If the Lord will deal with us according to fairness, then there is only death for all of us. Before we became believers, the Lord dealt with us according to grace, and after we become believers, the Lord continue to deal with us with grace. Before I knew the Lord, I truly deserved death, I have done many shameful deeds of darkness, thought many shameful thoughts, a true sinner who deserves death. After I became a believer, the more I deserved death. Just as I sinned unknowingly before, now, I sin knowingly. So, I deserve death through and through. Thankfully, the Lord doesn’t deal with us according to fairness, but instead deals with us according to His grace.

Matthew 11, verse 28 lets us know how to receive rest; verses 29-30 tells us how we can enjoy this rest. Receiving and enjoying rest are two different matters. Some people obtain but never enjoy rest. Jesus wants to give us rest and he wants us to enjoy rest.

Brothers and sisters, our spirits, soul and body must be sanctified. This is what we must pursue all our life. But you may argue, how can that be? We recognize how corrupt and sinful we are. This is impossible on our own. However, when we rely on the Lord, it is possible. Paul said, “May the God of peace sanctify you through and through.” God is our full sanctification. He gave us three precious gifts to help us become sanctified, that is, the precious blood of the Lord, the Word of the Lord and the Spirit of the Lord (Holy Spirit). These three treasures help our spirit, soul and body to become fully sanctified.