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Good morning friends,
Today is Friday June 21 and we have finally arrived at the chapter many of you have been waiting for. . . “the LOVE chapter”, 1 Corinthians 13.
This chapter is something like an Oreo cookie, the frosting between chapters 12 & 14, both of which, deal with Holy Spirit given Spiritual gifts, and purity of worshiping Holy God.
It appears a serious problem had arisen in the Corinthian church. A problem found in too many churches today around the world. Spiritual competitiveness, Spiritual envy and jealousy.
As the Holy Spirit was doing His developmental work in the Christians in Corinth, and some were experiencing manifestations of His work in them, a natural competitiveness, envy, and jealousy arose, as to who was evidencing the more spectacular gifts? In an effort to gain approval and even applause, some were faking various gifts.
Some felt the remarkable ability to speak in languages they did not know, but foreigners present in the room could understand, was the pinnacle ‘tongues’ gifting, and they desperately sought it. Others felt an anointing of the Holy Spirit, which enabled them to speak prophetic words of wisdom or anointed teaching of God’s truths was the supreme gift.
So do you notice a powerful statement from Paul which serves as a type of ‘headline’ or banner over chapter 13… “And now I will show you the most excellent way.” Wow! I can imagine as Paul’s letter was read out-loud to the Corinthian church for the first time, a reverent hush spread across the room. People leaned forward, ears straining, hearts beating a little faster…what was this ‘most excellent way’?
“If I speak in the languages of men and of angels, but I have not love, I am nothing more than a resounding gong, or a symbol clanging in the wind.”
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing…”
Oh my, Paul struck right to the heart. No apparent gift from the Holy Spirit of God, is spiritually authentic, and useful to the Body, and gives glory to God, UNLESS. . . it is immersed in Jesus style love?!
I can imagine a gasp swept the room. Astonished, almost frightened eyes, raced around the room looking for explanation. Brows furrowed, the temperature in the room likely rose.
Paul had, in one fell swoop, discounted most of what had been taking place in the Corinthian church, under the guise of ‘Holy Spirit anointing and ‘Spiritual Gifts'”!
But what did Paul mean… “...have not love“?
Do you remember when Jesus was gathered with His disciples, for the Passover meal, in the upper room? It was an unforgettable evening. Jesus had shocked His friends, saying one of them was a betrayer. He then offered the dish of olive oil to Judas, and by Judas’ dipping his bread in the oil, he acknowledged the truth…it was him. John writes “As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him..and he went out.” (John 13:27,30).
Satan was in that upper room with Jesus and His disciples. Satan was determined to try and stop Jesus from going to the cross, and providing Redemption from sin for the human race. Satan was looking to disrupt God’s plan, and he found one of Jesus’ disciples with a prideful, selfish heart, weak enough to be tempted into betraying Jesus to death!
Then John writes “When Judas was gone, Jesus said “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in Him…a new command I give to you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know you are My disciples, if you love one another.” (13:31-35)
So many times Jesus had modeled remarkable, God honoring love, to those people society cast off… lepers, widows, women of questionable reputation, tax collectors. That evening He, the master, had washed His students’ feet…unthinkable. And now rather than killing the one who had acknowledged he would betray Jesus, He served Judas with love. “As I have loved you, so you must love one another, by this all men will know you are My disciples.”
Do you see the emphasis on “by this all men will know you are MY disciples.”? Our natural human tendency is to make everything about us…about me. That’s what was happening in Corinth. Spiritual chest puffing. “Look at me, I’m speaking in tongues, aren’t I special? God must really love me and have great plans for me.” Can’t you just hear the pride talk around Corinth…or at least they were thinking it? And that was repulsive to God, who was trying so hard to work through His people to redeem decadent Corinth. But in their pride, they were making a mockery of Jesus and His blood purchased redemption.
Friends, throughout Scripture, throughout human history, there is a fundamental and repeated warning from God. Pride pushes God away! God cannot bless pride. God will not share His glory with anyone. Isaiah 42:8 “I am the LORD, that is My name! I will not give My glory to another or My praise to idols.”
1 Corinthians 13 is a line of demarcation. A challenge to the highest standard. Jesus style love is the singular, most powerful, evidence of the authentic work of the Holy Spirit of God in a person. And when that love consumes a follower of Jesus, then, and only then, will the anointing of the Holy Spirit be evidenced in authentic, Christ glorifying, Body benefiting, genuine Spiritual gifting!! Because it is only when immersed in Jesus style love, that the anointing of the Holy Spirit will be fully for God’s glory and fully submitted to Jesus’ Lordship, therefore eligible to be used strategically in what Jesus is trying to accomplish IN and THROUGH His people, in a particular place at that time in history. Did you get that?
The opening 3 verses of 1 Corinthians 13 are worth memorizing… at least studying deeply and often. Hold these verses up as a mirror to your ambitions, especially your spiritual ambitions. What do you see?
Verse 4-7 may be four of the most powerful verses in the Bible. Hold them up as a mirror to what you claim as LOVE. May I urge every married couple to filter your marriage relationship through every phrase, every word of these 4 verses? Every couple who has ever invited me to meet with them, regarding trouble in their marriage… when immersing themselves into these 4 verses, has experienced the Holy Spirit uncovering the roots of their marriage problems.
These four verses explain what Jesus style love really is and how it works practically in human relationships. Whenever the Bible uses words like ALWAYS or NEVER, I pay close attention.
“LOVE always protects…
LOVE always trusts…
LOVE always hopes…
LOVE always perseveres…
LOVE never fails…”
That’s Jesus in action, isn’t it?
Jesus always PROTECTS His people, like a Good Shepherd. That’s John 10, right? In fact He does so to the ultimate, the cross.
Jesus always TRUSTS His heavenly Father and follows Him without wavering or doubt.
Jesus always HOPES that God’s people will find the power of the Holy Spirit, the power of God’s Truthful Word, the certainty of their Salvation, and the dynamic of their relationship with Jesus, to be sufficient to strengthen them and sustain them, in the battles with the dark kingdom that we face.
Jesus always PERSEVERES in interceding for us (Rom. 8:34), in providing complete salvation (Heb. 7:25) for all who trust in Him, and in leading His global Church, of which He is the Head (Eph. 1:22,23; 4:15,16).
Jesus never FAILS. He is the same victorious Lord, yesterday, today and forever. (Heb. 13:8)
And that is why Paul concludes this hallmark chapter with these words: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
My friends, when you and I really grasp and own Jesus style love and it consumes us, it transforms us, then we can expect the Holy Spirit permeating every fiber of our being, our hearts and minds. And He will manifest Himself in remarkable ways. It is then Jesus can engage us to our maximum potential in His global, strategic plan and purpose…starting at home, with those closest to us, and moving out…to the ends of the earth, It is then “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is being accomplished in and through you and me!
I feel like it’s time to worship, what about you?
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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