Philippians 3:12 / 1 Corinthians 13:13
In Romans 1, Apostle Paul talks about the arrogance of Gentiles, but what really matters on our path of faith is intellectual/spiritual arrogance. It is very easy for us to perceive selves as standing firm and healthy as our faith settles down more and more. What we must remember all the time is that we might be like the blind man at Bethsaida whom Jesus laid his hands on twice. This miracle shows us how the Lord works for us to fully see Him.
Even Apostle Paul said in Philippians that it is not that he has already obtained all this, or has already arrived at the goal but just presses on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of him. And what was it that Christ took hold of him? The love of Christ. Though now we see only dimly as in a mirror; then we shall see clearly as seeing face to face. It is not that we have first taken hold of Christ but Christ first took hold of us. Moreover, it is not that we’ve taken hold of Christ now already in the present, but we are still pressing toward taking hold of Christ and can press on because Christ is taking hold of us. And toward what do we press on? Toward knowing and loving Christ fully just as we are known and loved fully by him.
Christ never does his work half or leaves before “it is finished.” He continuously lays his hands on our eyes to fully know his love and helps us overcome our unbelief. Paul says the three things that will remain in 1 Cor 13:13: faith, hope and love. What is our spiritual eye? In Hebrews 11, it reads, “…faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Faith, hope and love, are what the Lord treats us and looks at us with. Let us accept the fact that God has called us, the blind men, in love, by faith in hope.
