Hearing two messages in two days on the same Bible passage is just another one of those “God things” that confirmed I am suppose to pen these thoughts this week. I must say it is also perfect timing with Valentine’s Day this week! 🙂
Take a few moments to read this passage from 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13:
Brothers and sisters:
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.
But I shall show you a still more excellent way.
If I speak in human and angelic tongues,
but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy,
and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;
if I have all faith so as to move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so that I may boast,
but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, it is not pompous,
It is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
These verses are most likely very familiar as we usually hear them read at weddings but did you know that these verses are actually written in the context of Paul talking about the different spiritual gifts that God has given each of us?
If you have a few minutes, I encourage you to read Chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians to see what is being shared.
A quick synopsis is that it is about the unity the believers, the Body of Christ, have in Christ. We all have different spiritual gifts that God has given us to build up and share with one another. We are one Body in Christ yet the Body is comprised of many parts.
Each member needs to be doing their part, using their spiritual gifts to edify the Body of Christ.
And you know what else Paul is saying? That we are all EQUAL! No person or gift is greater than another.
In Chapter 13, Paul continues writing about living in an even more “excellent” way! What is that way?
Living in LOVE! All the spiritual gifts that we have and all that we do for the Body of Christ needs to be done with and through LOVE. All of it means nothing unless LOVE is our motivation!
Just happened to see this sign while penning these thoughts!
Consider these two sets of Bible verses which we will use to then dust off some cobwebs applying a math concept some of us might recall from our school days!
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. –John 1:1-3 (NIV)
I and the Father are one. –John 10:30 (NIV)
These two verses prove that God and Jesus are two but really one; unified.
We have come to know and rely on the love that God has for us. God is love, and the person who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. –1 John 4:16 (ISV)
The person who does not love does not know God, because God is love. –1 John 4:8 (ISV)
Both of these verses define God as Love.
So our mathematical formula of a = b and a = c then we know b = c, correct?
Plugging our formula with names we get….
Let’s look at the original 1 Corinthians passage substituting JESUS for the word LOVE.
Brothers and sisters:
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.
But I shall show you a still more excellent way.
If I speak in human and angelic tongues,
but do not have JESUS,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy,
and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;
if I have all faith so as to move mountains,
but do not have JESUS, I am nothing.
If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so that I may boast,
but do not have JESUS, I gain nothing.
JESUS is patient, JESUS is kind.
JESUS is not jealous, JESUS is not pompous,
JESUS is not inflated, JESUS is not rude,
JESUS does not seek its own interests,
JESUS is not quick-tempered, JESUS does not brood over injury,
JESUS does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
JESUS bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
JESUS never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, Jesus remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is JESUS.
Replacing the verses with JESUS instead of the word love makes it seem even more powerful for me! What great truth radiates from those verses~
Taking it one step further, consider this verse….
So that it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. This life that I live now, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me. –Galatians 2:20 (GNT)
Since Christ lives in us, we are empowered to live out those same virtues that Jesus models for us!
May I encourage you this week to ponder these truths…..
Time seeking Jesus breeds more love in us and our lives….
Only because Jesus is living in us, are we enabled to love like He does!
Remember the great love that God has for you!
He sent His one and only Son to earth to die for you~~What wondrous, magnificent love!
As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own. Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other.  –Ephesians 4:1-2 (CEV)
