John 13:35 says, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
In that beautiful book, The Desire of Ages, it makes a very pointed statement. It says, “when we love the world as He has loved it, then for us His mission is accomplished. We are fitted for heaven; for we have heaven in our hearts.” (E. G. White, DA p. 641) Love. Without it we are nothing. Without it, all the good we do is of no value. Without it, all our profession is worthless. Without it, we won’t be going to heaven. So what then is love? Ellen White said once, “The Lord desires me to call the attention of His people to the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians. Read this chapter every day, and from it obtain comfort and strength. Learn from it the value that God places on sanctified, heaven-born love, and let the lesson that it teaches come home to your hearts. Learn that Christlike love is of heavenly birth, and that without it all other qualifications are worthless.” (E. G. White, Review and Herald, July 21, 1904) Without love all other qualifications are worthless! It is love that is the foundational character quality. It is love that is the first fruit of the Spirit. The song says: ‘Tis love that makes us happy, ‘Tis love that smooths the way. It helps us mind, it makes us kind, To others everyday. Love makes the difference. The Bible speaks about love a lot, but specifically 1 Corinthians 13 is known as the “love chapter.” “This song of love is divided into three parts: love contrasted, love analyzed, and love abiding; or, the supremacy of love, the characteristics of love, and the permanence of love.” (Taylor Bunch, Love, p. 42) Last week we discussed love contrasted, or the supremacy of love—although I do all these things, if I don’t have love it’s of no value; love must rule all other actions. We see in love contrasted the necessity of love. Today I want us to analyze love; to see the characteristics of love. This is found in verses 4-7 of 1 Corinthians. “Charity suffereth long, and is kind” Love is patient with the faults and failings of others. “It is calm, meek, and quiet. It is willing to forgive seventy times seven times if necessary. Human nature is such that occasions for irritation and impatience are bound to occur. Clashes of personality and disposition are inevitable, and love is the only remedy. Human beings are all different, and ever will be. The Creator never made two creatures alike. Personalities are distinct even in families. Hence the imperative need of love to make us ‘patient and kind’ in all our contacts and dealings with one another.” (Taylor Bunch, Love, p. 54) Speaking in reference to teachers with students Ellen White said, “We are living in a hard, unfeeling, uncharitable world. Satan and his angels are using every means in their power to destroy souls. The good that a teacher will do his students will be proportionate to his belief in them. And let the teacher remember that it is the most unfortunate, those who have a disagreeable temperament, who are rough, stubborn, sullen, that most need love, compassion, and help. Those who most try our patience most need our love.” (E. G. White, Counsels to Teachers, p. 267) Are there people who get on your nerves? Are you irritable? Love is the answer. This last week I was looking at the fruit of the Spirit. In that list found in Galatians 5:22-23 there are three things that come before patience—love, joy, peace. If we are prone to annoyance and agitation perhaps we are lacking the first three fruits. Perhaps we need to check our own hearts. Do I have the love that Christ gives? Am I joyful and happy? Am I at peace? If not, then there’s no way we can be patient with others. We must start at the beginning. We need true love and when that love is in our hearts we will be patient and kind. “charity envieth not” Love doesn’t compete with others who have more talents or are doing something more efficiently. It doesn’t have pain at the sight of superior excellence or accomplishments in another. It doesn’t feel inferior. It isn’t bitter and angry when others are praised. It doesn’t compare itself to another’s condition or station in life. It is content. It is not selfish and self-centered. “charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up” Love is not rash. It is not arrogant or rude. It doesn’t boast of what it has done or can do. It’s humble and meek. It doesn’t have to put itself in the forefront. It is content to go unnoticed. Love “Doth not behave itself unseemly” “Love is always kind and courteous and considerate, and ever walks in the pathway of truth, uprightness, and rectitude. Love is never rude, ill bred, or uncivil, but does all things ‘decently and in order.’ “Love is always moderate, judicious, and reasonable, avoiding extremes. It is never erratic or fanatical. It does not get off balance and indulge in that kind of uncontrolled emotionalism that sometimes brings a reproach upon Christianity. Like Jesus, love is sane and rational in word and conduct.” (Taylor Bunch, Love, p. 65) Love “seeketh not her own” Love seeks to do others good. It is not selfish. “ ‘Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not,’ is a Scriptural statement that cuts squarely across the philosophy of modern man….Those who live to get rather than to give, who demand their own way and focus their interests on themselves, are doomed to frustration and disappointment in the end.” (Love, 69) Love “is not easily provoked” It is not irritable or resentful. “Love does not have a quick, hair-trigger temper. It is not hasty, touchy, or sensitive.” (Love, p. 70) Love “thinketh no evil” Love puts the best construction on the actions of those around us. It doesn’t assume the worst. It doesn’t keep a record of evil in others. “It seeks to make allowances for weaknesses and failings…” Love seeks to understand people. Love has pure thoughts. It feeds on good things, not gossip or evil. It doesn’t brood over real or supposed wrongs. It doesn’t worry. Love “Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth” Love isn’t happy when others mess up. It doesn’t have a “I told you so” attitude. It isn’t glad when others suffer. Yet, love doesn’t let wrong go without correction. “It grieves when evil people are promoted and unjust laws are made. It does not secretly desire to carry out the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, or the prideful goals of life.” (The Power of True Success, p. 33) “Love delights in fairness and is always on the side of mercy. Love is never influenced by policy, but bravely takes its stand on the side of right, regardless of the consequences….Love is happy over the defeat of wrong and the triumph of right, justice, and equity.” (Love, p. 84) Love is happy in the truth. It isn’t dwelling on gloom and doom. It is cheerful and optimistic. It rejoices when truth prevails. This kind of love, “Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” This love can outlast anything, because love never fails. Love is pretty lovely! Do you feel your lack? 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 is like a test to check the state of our hearts. If I’m impatient, proud, irritable, angry, worrying, accusing, boastful, cold, selfish, indulgent, critical, imbalanced, not dependable, what’s the root cause? A lack of true love. And if we see these things in others, what’s our part? “Do not try to compel each other to yield to your wishes. You cannot do this and retain each other's love.” (E. G. White, The Faith I Live By, p. 259) “Only by love is love awakened.” (E. G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 22)
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“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels,”
Even though I am the most gifted orator in every language; even though I’m the most eloquent presenter; even though my words are so well articulated that their power to convince and convert is second to none, “and have not charity,” And have not that love—that deep abiding affection, “I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” I am become just a loud annoying noise. All the good I do, all the beautifully articulated words I speak, all the perfectly presented subjects are just discordant noise. There once was a great man who went before a group of unbelievers. He spoke for some time—perfectly presenting the topics of the Bible in the most convincing manner. He really could not have spoken it more clearly. He was a gifted man and the truth was set in unmistakable fashion. He knew that at the end of his talk no one could refute anything that he said. And sure enough, at the end no one could raise any objections. But also no one accepted the truth. The man was confused. Pulling one of the men aside who had attended the meeting he asked him, “Was the subject presented well?” “Oh yes.” “Was there any flaw in the logic?” “Oh no.” “Was everything completely clear?” “Oh yes.” “So what is the problem?” “You are an excellent speaker, your words are clear, but you spoke roughly to the sound engineer when the mic wasn’t working right, you complained about the hymnals not being put out on time, you were annoyed at the child who cried during your talk, you spoke sharply to the young people who gathered in the parking lot and seemed uninterested in the meeting. Your presentation was second to none, but you are missing the most important element. You do not love, you are not a Christian.” “And though I have the gift of prophecy, Even though I am skilled in Bible study and can interpret the Scriptures consistently; even though I can foretell coming events with exactness, “and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge;” Even though my wisdom is like that of Solomon and nothing is hid from my understanding; even though I can see clearly through every mystery, even though nothing escapes my notice, “and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains,” Even though every patient I ever work with recovers their health; even though every obstacle is removed by my prayers; even though I have success in all my endeavors; even though nothing is impossible to me and my faith is so great that miracles are apart of my daily life, “and have not charity, I am nothing.” If I don’t have love, I’m of no value. You may be sought after for your talents and wisdom. You may be a mighty one of prayer and people receive miracles just by contact with you. But if you do not have love, you are nothing. You are dust and ashes. None of that recommends you to God or gives you value. It’s not what you can do or have done! That’s hard for us to accept. Matthew 7:22-23 says, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” If you do not have love, you are nothing. Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling… “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,” Even though I freely give of my means to help others; even though my home is full of people who eat at my table; even though I go on outreach every week and feed the hungry and give out clothes to those who don’t have much; even though I give it all to help others, “and though I give my body to be burned,” Even though I am ridiculed for my faith and stand up boldly against wrong, and even though I suffer a martyrs death, “and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” If I don’t have love, none of that will matter. “No matter how high the profession, he whose heart is not filled with love for God and his fellow men is not a true disciple of Christ. Though he should possess great faith and have power even to work miracles, yet without love his faith would be worthless. He might display great liberality; but should he, from some other motive than genuine love, bestow all his goods to feed the poor, the act would not commend him to the favor of God. In his zeal he might even meet a martyr's death, yet if not actuated by love, he would be regarded by God as a deluded enthusiast or an ambitious hypocrite.” (Ellen White, The Acts of the Apostles, 318) In 1 Corinthians chapter 12 Paul goes through the gifts and glories of the church. And then he says, “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.” 1 Corinthians 12:31. All these amazing gifts are listed that further the work and save souls and yet Paul says there’s something else—there’s something more that’s needed. What follows next is 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter. “Yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.” “The Lord desires me to call the attention of His people to the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians. Read this chapter every day, and from it obtain comfort and strength. Learn from it the value that God places on sanctified, heaven-born love, and let the lesson that it teaches come home to your hearts. Learn that Christlike love is of heavenly birth, and that without it all other qualifications are worthless.” (Ellen White, Review and Herald, July 21, 1904) Taylor Bunch in his book on Love says, “Unless love is the keystone of belief and the spring of action, the profession of Christianity is mere talk, dry formality, and heavy drudgery, and from such a religion may we be delivered. The genuine variety centers in Christ, and Christ is the personification of love.” (Page 13) All the gifts given to you, all the skills and talents you possess, unless bathed in love for God and man, are of no value. Each person longs for love. We were created to love and be loved. But what is love? What does it look like? What does it feel like? And how do we receive it and give it? There are many things that are termed love that aren’t. So it would be well for us to know what love is. “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35) Love has power. Power to change hardened criminals. Power to bring joy to a discouraged heart. Power to put sunshine in the place of clouds. Power to lift burdens. Power to unite the long estranged. Power to heal. But what is love? We’ll begin this study in part 2... |
SolominaEverything in life has meaning. There's a lesson in every object, every situation, every process. I want to go deeper, in a higher way. I want to listen, to understand, to know. Archives
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