Something Better

SOMETHING BETTER

“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity (love).” - 1 Corinthians 13:13

In the past, the advertising business has been guilty of hyperbole in their ads. Often we'd hear phrases like, “new and improved,” and “better than ever.” They would try to gain a share of the market by convincing buyers that their product has improved. Also, they would attempt to show that their product was better than a competitor's version of the same product.

When it comes to issues of faith, the American Church has bought into the consumer mindset, trying to sell Christianity like it is a product. Ministers sound like salesmen, pointing out the positive side of Christianity. Of course, they sidestep issues like trials, persecution and martyrdom. The main defense of the Christianity is its authenticity, something that is not always emphasized. Christianity is true. Its founder is alive. Its message is real and relevant. The real issue when choosing religions is not the popular sales points. The real matter is truth. Which religion, if any, is true? This is really the core issue. On this level, Christianity prevails without a rival.

Yet even within Christianity we tend to emphasize some matters over others. When it comes to Biblical topics, we can be guilty of concentrating on the ones we like and enjoy, while avoiding other topics that can be just as important. 

As followers of Jesus, we tend to emphasize subjects like, “faith,” and “hope,” yet the Apostle Paul wrote, “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity (love).” 

Faith and hope are both vital in our daily walk. Our salvation came by grace through faith. We are called to walk by faith, not by sight. The Bible tells us that the just shall live by faith.

We also need hope. Biblical hope is more than just wishful thinking. Hope is more than just dreaming. Hope is more than a coping mechanism. Biblical hope is the assurance that God will keep His promise. We have a living hope in a living Lord. Because Jesus is alive, we have a genuine hope of the resurrection. This hope is the foundation of our faith.

Faith, hope and love are all significant components in our journey. Yet Paul makes a distinction between them. According to Paul, there is something better than faith and hope. Love is the greatest of the three. Why is that?

Faith and hope exists within us. Our faith and hope rests in the promises of God. But love is something that exists within God Himself. In fact, while it is true that God has love, the first epistle of John tells us that God is love. Jesus is love personified. Faith and hope are things we have, but love is who He is.

Our faith and hope cause us to love Him and others more. The two greatest commandments are not to have faith or hope, but to love God and others. Love is the natural outcome of Biblical faith and hope. If we claim to have faith and hope, yet exhibit little or no love, something is badly wrong. We are most like our Lord when exercise love.

God is love. He has graciously enabled humans to give, receive and enjoy love. We can enjoy different degrees of affection, based on each relationship. For instance, the love that a man has for a friend is different than the love he has for his children. A man should love his wife with the deepest form of human love, an intimate, sacrificial love. Over and over again, the Scripture points out that marital love is a reflection of the love God has for us.

Love is a more than an emotion. It is a selfless demonstration of care shown for another person. God expects His children to love each other. We should be known for our love.

Let me be clear about something. Love is not a mushy emotion that permits sin and wrong. It is not tolerant of lies. Instead, love causes us to want the best for others. As such, love may cause us to call out the sin or wrong in others. Until they honestly repent, they can never experience God's best for them. Love does not treat sin lightly. In this permissive society, a loving Christian can be called cruel for speaking the truth. Yet any other response is not loving at all.

Faith and hope is vital to our existence. Yet love is even better.

May we never settle for less.

Active Love

ACTIVE LOVE

“Charity (love) suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

If you look up the word, “love,” in the dictionary, you'll find that love is both a noun and a verb. Although we tend to think about what love is, it is important to consider what love does. It is impossible to possess love for a person and keep it bottled up for any length of time. Love tends to reveal itself.

In his first letter to the Corinthian church, Paul dedicates a chapter of the epistle solely to the subject of love. In chapter 13, verses 4 thru 7, Paul reveals several things about love. In these verses, we find love in action.

Verse 4 says, “Charity (love) suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.” Love is patient and kind. The reason that love is patient and kind is because love focuses on the welfare of someone else. We consider their situation. We try to understand their challenges. We do this because we genuinely care.

Also, this verse teaches that love does not envy, boast or is proud. This is because if you love someone, you seek their advancement. You applaud their successes. You appreciate their accomplishments. The focus is on the person you love, not yourself.

Verse 5 teaches us that love, “Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.” Paul teaches us that love does not treat others with disrespect or dishonor. Neither does love act selfishly, seeking personal gain. This is in sharp contrast to the world, isn't it? Most people are pursuing selfish goals, driven with personal ambition. They aren't concerned about the devastating affects it has on others. As believers, we are called to live at a higher level than this. Looking back at my past, I must confess that when I've acted selfishly, it hurt others. When I treat others with love, everything changes.

Paul continues his description of love in verse 6, teaching us that love, “Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.” A loving heart hates sin but loves the truth. It is true that the truth can hurt, but love goes beyond the superficial, temporary results and focuses on the well-being of others. People are hurting today because of sin. Sin is destroying marriages, breaking up homes, leading people to immorality and substance abuse. If we love others, we will hate sin because sin dishonors God and destroys people. On the flip side, if we love others, we will rejoice in the truth. We know that Jesus is the person of truth. We rejoice to hear His Name spoke reverently. We rejoice to share Him with others. We greatly rejoice when a sinner turns to Him and is saved. We love Him because He first loved us. Praise the Lord!

Love is an action word. In verse 7, Paul states the love, “Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” Love leads us to sacrificial living. God has used many people to make an incredible difference in this world. If you examine the lives of these saints, you'll find a common characteristic: they loved people. They were willing to sacrifice their lives for the good of others. Their faith, endurance and contributions were rooted in the fertile soil of love.

Sometimes I hear saints talk about love, but fail to demonstrate it in a tangible way. Love is more than a feeling or an emotion. It is a divine work in the heart of an individual that causes that person to have genuine concern and compassion for others, leading to outward expressions of mercy and grace.

Look back at our text: “Charity (love) suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” We could easily substitute the name, “Jesus,” for “charity,” in this passage. You see everything that these verses teach about love is true of the Lord … because He is love.

Jesus demonstrated love on the grandest scale. His love for us was a sacrificial love. Love is the reason He came to earth. Love is the reason He died on the cross. His love remains the same today. He loves you. He loves me. I am overwhelmed with this truth, aren't you?

Love is more than a word in a song or a feeling felt during a romantic movie. Love is an action word. We can claim to love others, but if this love remains bottled up inside of us, what good is it?

As James wrote, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”

That's the kind of love our world needs today!

Loveless Living

 LOVELESS LIVING

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (love), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” - 1 Corinthians 13:1

Although most people would never admit it, our fallen nature is very selfish. For the most part, we tend to think only about ourselves. We often have a secret ulterior motive when we show care or concern for others. The most used word in the English language is, “I”. If you were to record all your conversations for one day, when you played them back, you would be astonished at how many times you refer to yourself.

When relationships are destroyed, it can often be traced to the selfishness of one or both parties. When a business veers from a customer-based foundation to a profit-based focus, bad things can occur. That's why we hear of corporations providing false data to investors. Later, we hear how their CEO's have broken numerous laws just to pad the numbers and receive a huge bonus.

Selfishness and love cannot co-exist. One will ultimately dominate, to the demise of the other. There is a price to pay for either. Selfishness produces immediate results, but the long-term cost is enormous. Love usually has a price at the front end, but typically produces long-term dividends. While there is risk involved with both love and selfishness, love is the best of the two --- by far.

When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, he had to address several problems. The Corinthian church was a mess. Infighting, immorality and doctrinal problems were major issues that Paul had to write about. He also addressed the issue of spiritual gifts. He gave the church practical lessons about the gifts. He paused briefly to point them to something better.

Realizing the importance of spiritual gifts, Paul gave the Corinthian church a powerful message about love. The first three verses of 1 Corinthians 13 reveals something significant that we need as much as the Corinthians. While spiritual gifts are fascinating to study and implement, there was something far greater for Christians to experience.

Paul used some very strong language to stress the importance of Christian love. Basically, Paul wrote that it was better to love others than to employ spiritual gifts. While the Corinthians (and many today) emphasize the value of spiritual gifts, Paul tells us that love is far more valuable. If we implement public and respected spiritual gifts, but fail to have love, we have failed miserably. Notice how Paul phrases this in verses 1 thru 3:

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” In other words, if a Christian doesn't have love, then speaking with tongues is just noise. You don't heard that taught much, do you?

Verse 2 states, “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, and have not charity, I am nothing.” Two more spiritual gifts are mentioned: prophecy and faith. Yet if a believer does not have love, he is nothing … even if he is actively using these gifts. Strong words, aren't they?

Notice his words in verse 3: “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” Pious deeds and even martyrdom are worthless if the person does not have love. How much stronger can he be in making his point?

Sadly, most Christians would rather discuss or debate the subject of spiritual gifts than to actually live with love. In fact, spiritual gifts can become a point of pride. At Corinth, pride and selfishness had become a major problem. They were enamored about spiritual gifts … to the neglect of Christian love.

Many tend to gravitate towards mysticism. We like to see supernatural events unfold. We love to hear of miracles. Yet we downplay basic matters like love. What Paul is stating in 1 Corinthians 13 is that our Christian activity needs to anchored in a foundation of love. When you sing in the choir, do so with love for Jesus, love for the other choir members and love for those who listen. When you teach Sunday School, teach with a loving heart. When you serve in any capacity, never lose that first love.

The two greatest commandments are about love … loving God and loving others. While these are the two greatest commandments, they are not commandments that most Christians seem to be focused on. Having titles, talents and spiritual gifts cannot be emphasized to the neglect of loving God and others. In fact, the proper way to serve God and others is to do so with love. Love needs to be the foundation that everything else is built on.

Perhaps we need a revival of love in our churches. Love for the Lord. Love for each other. Love for the lost.

Are you known as a loving follower of Jesus?