“And as for you, may the Lord make you increase and overflow in love toward each other, indeed, toward everyone as we did toward you; So that he may give you the inner strength to be blameless, by reason of your holiness, when you stand before God our Father at the coming of the Lord Yeshua with all his angels.” (1Thess 3:12-13)
What a magnificent Scripture connecting holiness with agape love and vice versa. To strive for holiness without love will invariably lead to dismal failure yet without holiness one cannot express Divine love (Heb.12:14).
The Aramaic equivalent word for agape love is ‘hooba’ which literally means ‘to set on fire.’ It provides the sense of a ‘burning love’ that consumes every vestige of unholiness.
For nearly two millennia believers have patiently awaited Messiah’s return with great yearning but never with such a heightened expectancy as now. And when that moment finally does arrive, will we be occupying our time with burning love in a spirit of holiness pure and spotless as those who one day will stand before the Bema Seat of Christ (1Cor. 3:12-15)?
The concept of the Bema Seat originated from the ancient Olympics. A judge would sit on a chair at the finish line known as the ‘Bema Seat.’ It was his responsibility to determine what position the runners came in and then distribute the appropriate rewards.
May we each be spurred on to finish well the race as set before us for the time of His return draws ever closer! Every true believer who does so will surely be judged a winner!
