May 5, 2024
Evening Service

The Way of Love

1st Corinthians 13:1  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 

1st Corinthians 13:2  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 

1st Corinthians 13:3  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Chapter 12 finished with verse 31 saying:

1st Corinthians 12:31  But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.

The excellent way Paul talks about is loving God and man in the fullest capacity. Letting God’s gifts abound as man shows true love to God and his fellow man. The Spirit of God generously gives the gifts of the Spirit to the body of Christ to furnish believers all that is needed. But Paul is explicit in stating that having all the gifts and knowledge is worth nothing without having love! God is love, so we must have love to have God and if we truly have God in our hearts and guarding our souls, we will have love to enjoy the gifts of the Spirit. Without love, the most precious gifts are of no value to us and of no admiration from God. God has sent a very clear message throughout the entire bible of love being the main theme. From beginning to end, the Word tells us to first love God and also to love others as He has loved us. This is the one thing that makes all the words of the bible beneficial to us as His servants. Obedience to God out of love for Him is the main idea in all of scripture. Doing good to and for others will do nothing for us if it is not done out of love to God and earnest good-will toward men. If we were to pass on every worldly possession we have and give it to the less fortunate and withhold our heart from God, it will all be for nothing. We can never be accepted to God for any works of our hands, nor should we expect this either. Man is a sinful and selfish creation and works from this source only is never going to be acceptable to God. Our works and sacrifices can be accepted through the righteousness of our Lord and Savior. He is our mediator and relentlessly grants us grace for our acceptance. Romans tells us to present ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord, this is our reasonable service.

1st Corinthians 13:4  Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 

1st Corinthians 13:5  does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 

1st Corinthians 13:6  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 

1st Corinthians 13:7  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

The characteristics of love are stated that we may be aware of our possessing this grace; if we do not possess these attributes, we should not be content with our self-awareness until we have them. This pure love is proof of us being reborn in Christ and it serves as the benchmark for our faith in Jesus. Paul gives this excellent description of the nature and effects of love to show the people of Corinth that their actions in many ways were in contrast. Love is the opposite of selfishness, love does not seek its own honor, praise, profit, or pleasures. Love should not destroy all our interests of self or the maintenance of self, but we should never let our self care lead to hurting or neglecting others in our efforts. Love would instead show concern for the happiness and well-being of others rather than any personal advantage. Christian love in its definition is defined by God’s love for us and the love He has shown. Our God challenges us to love others as He has loved us and we know that He went to the cross to buy our pardon. We should desire to have this Divine love in our hearts and to pray to God to mold us into the image He has for our well-being. If the world exhibited love as defined here in the Bible, there would be no room for evil in the world. God’s love would overflow on to all those around us and it would be pleasing to our Lord. We can begin by casting aside our selfish aims and desires and trying to be more like Christ in our daily living. We should pray for others, pray for our ministers, pray for our being diligent about the Lord’s business lovingly. Be ready by watching and waiting upon the return of our Lord Jesus to be with Him in His kingdom.  

1st Corinthians 13:8  Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 

1st Corinthians 13:9  For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 

1st Corinthians 13:10  But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 

1st Corinthians 13:11  When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 

1st Corinthians 13:12  For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 

1st Corinthians 13:13  And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

These verses in the Bible are inspiring for young Christians trying to start fresh in life and refrain from sinful ways. It was beneficial to me to read of putting away the childish things and to begin acting and thinking like a man. Although my age and maturity was sufficient for meeting the criteria of being a man, my spiritual life was that of a child and my understanding was that of a child. The words of the Bible spoke to me about my state of being with my Lord and Savior Jesus and where I needed to get to in order to stay on the narrow path leading to Him. Like a lot of people in this world, I was raised in a church and left the church shortly after entering life on my own. This left me with only the childhood understanding of God and His love and I failed to grow in Christ. Once I repented and came honestly to Christ for His forgiveness and protection, I longed to have a grown man understanding of the Word of God. The Holy Spirit living in me guided me to stay in prayer and reading the Word to understand God’s will for me. The Bible is a convicting book written for the edification of man to carry on a relationship with the Lord in honor of Him and not of ourselves. Our current view of life and all things that surround us is truly seen dimly, we know what we see and very little of that actually. When we come into the perfection of Christ in the kingdom of Heaven, we will understand more clearly than ever before. We will understand that at our very best on earth in this life, we only saw in part and the eternal things were beyond our capability to grasp. The grace of God is eternal and His love is truly hard to get an understanding of since he loved us while we were still in our sins! Our present state here in this life is yet another childhood similarity, when we enter into Heaven when He returns, we will again gain understanding as different as a child to a man. When our faith becomes sight and we reside in God’s presence, our understanding will be clear and evident without mystery or darkness. All things that hinder us in this world will have no power over us in the next world. There will be no need to believe and hope in the kingdom of Heaven, when we see and enjoy the presence of the Lord Almighty! He will perfect our love in His presence and we will love Him and others perfectly!