How do you deal with issues of pride over your spiritual gifts, and obsession with good things that God has given?  The answer is this: A good look at the temporal nature of those things and the glorious eternal future the gospel promises in Christ Jesus.  This is what is happening in 1 Corinthians 13.

Christ is the giver of gifts and is Love

Examine the first 8 verses of the chapter.  Paul makes a case for how “loveless” exercising of even the most amazing gifts are useless.  When he describes love, he is describing the beautiful person of Jesus Christ- Jesus Christ IS the greatest gift that produces the best eternal fruit.  No gift is usable apart from the giver.  So whatever the spiritual gift you have, if you aren’t cherishing the giver more, then you are lots of noise with your gift but no substance.

Verses 9-13 is where Paul gives us a view of glory- this is how we overcome the pride and obsession.  He shows us the contrast between “here and now” and “then and there”- our time on earth vs out time in heaven.

Here and Now

• Know in part, prophecy in part (verse 9)
• I spoke like a child, thought like a child, reasoned like a child (verse 11)
• Now we see in a mirror dimly (verse 12)

Paul is comparing what we can know now, what our gifts amount to now, and what we can see (understand) now to that of a child with his toys.  The best of our gifts now (marriage, spiritual gifts, understanding) are childish- incapable of completely making God known, of complete sanctification.  Not childish in a trivial way, but childish in an underdeveloped way.  

Why would I boast in what is ultimately underdeveloped?  Why would I puff up in pride over that when it grows up into something better?  Paul sets us up to view glory!

Then and There

• When the perfect comes the partial will pass away (verse 10)
• Became a man, put away childish ways (verse 11)
• Then we will see face to face, know fully (verse 12)

This is the glory of Christ!  When Christ, the perfect, comes, all of our knowing in part, all of our gifts (like marriage, as Jesus said) will be put away- done- finished.  Your marriage will end.  Your spiritual gifts will cease.  Who will care about your puny knowledge?  These were all just a means of knowing Christ- not an ends to themselves.  They are here now so that we may know love- that is, Christ the giver- more.  Don’t idolize them so that they distract you from that.

Why love is greater than faith and hope

Faith, hope, and love- the greatest is love.  Love is eternal- Love is God.  Cherishing God is the goal of faith and hope- it is the fuel to faith and hope.  

When Christ comes, we will not need faith and hope because we will be with Christ Himself, beholding His glory for eternity- face to face.  We will know Him perfectly, no need for Bible studies.  We would have put away childish ways (the best of what we have here and now) and become mature “men”- glorified and made perfect!

This is the hope of the gospel in the text, and with this constantly in mind, how could we ever boast ourselves in our gifts?  Instead, love Christ more and “pursue love and earnestly desire spiritual gifts” (1 Corinthians 14:1) while we are here.