CRAVE FOR THE GREATEST GIFT!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY JANUARY 15, 2023.

SUBJECT: CRAVE FOR THE GREATEST GIFT!

Memory verse: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another." (John 13 vs 34.)

READ: First Corinthians 13  vs 1 - 9 & 13:

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

13:7: bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

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.

13:9: For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

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

INTIMATION:

Love is the greatest of all human qualities and is an attribute of God Himself (First John 4 vs 8). Love involves unselfish service to others. Love is more important than all the spiritual gifts exercised in the Church body. Great faith, acts of dedication or sacrifice, and miracle-working power have little effect without love. Love makes our actions and gifts useful. Although people have different gifts, love is available to everyone. 

Love exceeds the value of the miraculous gifts since the miraculous gifts will pass away. Therefore, love must be the center of of our behavior. Since the miraculous gifts will pass away, love will be object that will guarantee the unity of the faithful after the passing of the miraculous gifts. The gifts brought unity because they were the work of the one Spirit. However, love would bring unity of the loving unity of the people. 

Love never fails in comparison to the miraculous gifts that would pass away. Though the ministries that came from the gifts would pass away, the ministries that would spring forth from a heart of love would never pass away. Time will come when the gifts of prophecy, language and knowledge would no longer be available. They would pass away because they weren’t longer needed. The apostle Paul used these three miraculous gifts to represent all miraculous gifts. 

In the passage we read today, the apostle Paul uses the Greek word agape for love. This is the primary Greek word that is used for expressing unconditional love. This is the word that is used in the New Testament to refer to man’s active response to God, as well as his godly relationship with his brother. 

Our society confuses love with lust. Unlike lust, God’s kind of love is directed outward toward others, not inward toward ourselves. It is utterly unselfish. This kind of love goes against our natural inclinations. It is impossible to have this love unless God helps us set aside our own natural desires so that we can love and not expect anything in return. Thus, the more we become like Christ, the more love we will show to others.

Without love the ability to miraculously teach the word of God is empty. Without love the privilege of understanding all things in reference to God’s work among men is useless. Without love that moves us to respond to our brother’s needs, the ability of one to remain personally faithful to God is useless. One could legally perform the duties of his beliefs after a meritorious manner. However, the doings of such is worthless without being moved by a heart of love. One could meritoriously give himself into the hands of those who could persecute him to death for his faith. However, if the giving is not in love response to the grace of God, then it is useless. 

In respect of love (agapao) as used of God, it expresses the deep and constant love and interest of a perfect Being towards entirely unworthy objects, producing and fostering a reverential love in them towards the Giver, and a practical love towards those who are partakers of the same, and a desire to help others to seek the Giver. 

The actions of life the apostle Paul mentions in these first three verses of the passage we read  are good works. However, meritorious performances do not prepare one’s character for eternal dwelling in heaven. One can meritoriously do the works without a heart of love, but he cannot love without doing the works. It is a heart of love that is essential for one to be able to dwell in heaven.

There are fifteen qualities explained in the passage we read today concerning the nature of love. The apostle Paul personifies love as one who manifests specific characteristics. These are qualities that are manifested in one’s relationship with his fellow man. In this case, this should be the nature of the Christians’ relationship with one another in their behavior as disciples of Jesus. 

The qualities of love stated in the passage are: (1)  Suffers long, (2) Kind, (3) Not envy, (4) Not exalt itself, (5) Not puffed up, (6) Not behave unbecomingly, (7) Not seek its own, (8) Not easily provoked, (9) Thinks no evil, (10) Not rejoice in iniquity, (11) Rejoices in truth, (12) Bears all things, (13) Believes all things (14) Hopes all things, (15) Endures all things. 

Faith, hope and love must prevail in order that Christianity continue. Faith and hope refer to the individual’s personal relationship with God. However, love refers to the individual’s relationship with his fellow brother on earth. Since the Church is the fellowship of God’s people on earth, love must prevail in order to offer members an atmosphere of preparation for eternal dwelling. Faith and hope will have no reward of eternal dwelling if there is no personal relationship with one’s brother in Christ. 

It is for this reason love is the primary objective of the faithful, since it is the loving faithful who will be rewarded with eternal life in heavenly environment. Faith and hope keep one pointed in the right direction, the direction of heaven. But it is love that will transition our lives into eternal glory.

Faith is the foundation and content of God’s message, hope is the attitude and focus; love is the action. When faith and hope are in line, you are free to love completely because you understand how God loves. Does your faith fully express itself in loving others?

Prayer: Abba Father, I crave for the greatest gift of love. Endue me with the excellent spirit of love according to Your nature that I will walk in love for You and for my neighbor in fulfillment of Your law, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

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