Sermon – January 31

Text: 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13

But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way. {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. {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. {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. {4} Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; {5} does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; {6} does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; {7} bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. {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. {9} For we know in part and we prophesy in part. {10} But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. {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. {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. {13} And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Love is the Greatest Gift of All
Dear fellow redeemed in Christ:

In listening to sports radio when I’m driving around, there are debates every so often as to who the greatest quarterback of all time is, or who is the greatest hitter in all of baseball history. Generally there is no conclusion because people will cite different statistics or say that you cannot compare different eras.

As Christians we might find ourselves debating what the most valuable gifts are. We might get so caught up in using our gifts that we forget why we’re using them. We might get so caught up in figuring out the best way to do something that we forget why we’re doing it. The Lord puts an end to all debate about what the best gifts are or how to use them. He points us to the most necessary ingredient in every gift, and in fact the best gift. He says to us through the apostle Paul, And yet I show you a more excellent way. That more excellent way involves love.

1. In its necessity
When the subject of love is brought up, each person in the conversation will likely have a different definition of what love is. Some will use the term loosely, others will be rather specific about it. Some confuse love with lust. Some will be speaking of romance when it comes to love. Others will be talking about a deep friendship. We are somewhat limited in the English language because we have but the one word love.

In the Bible there are no less than three Greek words that could be translated love. There is a friendly love as we would use in a term such as “brotherly love.” There is the love that is expressed in the sexual relationship between a man and a woman. And then there is the love that is above all others. That love is called agape. It is the love that the Lord has for us. It is a love that seeks the welfare of others who are not worthy of any such concern. It is a love exemplified in God sending His only-begotten Son into the world to be the sacrifice for sin. God defines Himself by this love.

If that love is removed from other gifts, they lose all their meaning. In chapters 12-14 of 1 Corinthians there is a lengthy discussion of spiritual gifts. The Corinthian congregation was spending a lot of time and energy on these gifts. Some that are mentioned are prophecy, gifts of healings, helps, administrations, and varieties of tongues. Yet there was the danger that they were focusing on the gifts instead of the reason behind them. Love is the necessary ingredient involved with any spiritual gift.

In verses 1-3 of chapter 13, we read, Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 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. And though I bestow all my good to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love it profits me nothing.

Just consider this. How impressive it would be if all of a sudden I could speak a foreign language. I have thought what a great thing it would be if I could speak fluent Spanish and we could offer a service like that here. When I had the opportunity to travel to India, I wished that I could speak the local language there. Yet if love is not involved, we’re told that is like a clanging cymbal. Without love it’s just noise. If I could predict the future, or preach a sermon like Peter did on Pentecost, what a great gift, but without love it’s worthless. If I could explain the Trinity, or have the perfect faith, it’s worthless without love. Even if I could give away everything that I have, or become a martyr, it is meaningless without love.

We spoke last week of how as members of the body of Christ, we have each been given gifts from God. For these gifts to be beneficial they have to come from love. Is your work for the Lord done out of compulsion or out of love? Do you use your gifts grudgingly or willingly? Is your daily life duty or joy for the Lord? The love that comes from God is what moves us. If we cut off that flow of love from God into us, then it will not flow out from us either. The love of Christ constrains us. He has made us a new creation in Christ. If you want to know what true love us, then learn about your Savior. Learn of His life and learn of His death. See that it was all for you, and then you will begin to grasp what love truly is, and see how it is intimately connected to the gifts that He has given us.

2. In its attributes
We have in verses 4-7 a very detailed definition of love.To sum it up we could say that love is directed outward. If you are concerned about your own needs first and foremost, then that goes contrary to God’s idea of love. The idea of looking inward will lead to envy, and boasting, being puffed up, and behaving rudely. If we are concerned about ourselves most of all, then we want to be elevated above others. This is accomplished either by running somebody down, or by bragging ourselves up. Neither situation has anything to do with love. If we are intent on making ourselves #1, then we’ll keep a scorecard of who has wronged us. We’ll be quick to point out when somebody has failed and also when we have succeeded. We will rejoice in iniquity, silently or verbally delighting in the spiritual failure of others. This is no way love.

Rather in love we will be patient. We will use love to cover sin. Rather than being quick to spread gossip about another person, we will forgive and put the matter behind us. In love we will be optimistic and hopeful. We will be able to put up with all sorts of baloney and be above the fray. There’s no doubt that we can’t do these things consistently or perfectly. I can’t say that I have never been envious or that I have always endured all things. It is the goal that we strive for, but thanks be to God that Jesus is our substitute.

In His love, though He saw the inner workings of the hearts of those around Him, He still was patient and endured all thing. Though above everyone else, He did not do everything for Himself, but worked for the benefit of others. He did not want to see His enemies fall, though they wanted that very thing for Him. Jesus’ life is more than an example. By the grace of God that is your life. That is your track record before the almighty Judge. Since you are connected to Christ by faith, His loving walk on earth has become yours. That is love. Love is the greatest gift because God is love.

3. In its duration
Love is also superior because it lasts forever. There will be a time when prophecies are no longer necessary. Prophecy can either mean telling the future as revealed by God, or much more commonly it can simply mean proclaiming God’s will. In either case, there will be a time when the revealing of God’s will will no longer be necessary. In heaven we’ll know exactly what God wants. Tongues also will have an end. The same is true for the striving after spiritual knowledge.

At this point in time we are rather limited in what we know about our Lord. We read in verse 12, For now we see in a mirror dimly. In the days of the apostles, a mirror was not like the glass that we have today, but rather highly polished metal. It did not give a perfect reflection. The same is true of our knowledge of God and the exercise of our spiritual gifts.

In heaven, though, the mystery of the Trinity will not be a problem. The concept of eternity will be understood. Those spiritual gifts that we strive after to understand our God and glorify Him will not be in use, because they will not be needed. Love is more valuable because it lasts past this life unlike the other spiritual gifts mentioned.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. If we had to answer a multiple choice question of which of the three – faith, hope, love – is greatest, we might answer faith. After all, the Lord tells us of the great importance of being connected to Him in faith.

Yet here again when the end comes we won’t need faith anymore. Faith will have become sight. Faith is believing what we cannot see. In heaven we will see. Hope is looking toward the future optimistically. In heaven there will be no need for hope because we will be where we want to be. Yet love still remains. Love has been around before time began, and it will be around after time ends.

With all this emphasis on love, we want to value it highly. We certainly do not want to make the mistake of the Corinthians who got so hung up on the practice of their spiritual gifts, that they forgot why they were doing them. In the same way we don’t want to forget why God has gathered us together – His love. We don’t want to forget why our sins are forgiven – God’s love. Love is not some abstract concept that we’ll never get. Love is defined for us. God is love. He gives us His love as the greatest gift of all. Amen.