REPEATING HISTORY: THE IMPORTANCE OF LOVE

Pastor Jonathan Falwell 

As Paul continues his letter, he encourages the church at Corinth to love one another. Paul clearly adhered to Christ’s commandment to love God and to love one’s neighbor as themselves. The Corinth believers, while indulging in sinful behaviors, had also allowed their actual worship of God within the church to be tainted by their own selfish desires. Thus, chapter 13 is a reminder of what’s most important…LOVE! 

Last week, we finished up chapter 12 with some action points which tell us to 1) Get acquainted with the Holy Spirit, 2) Find and develop your spiritual gift, and finally 3) Just get to work! In chapter 13, we see the motivation for the work is not the work itself but rather the love we have for others. 

1. Every believer must start and end at love 

1 Cor. 13:1-3 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 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. 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.

• Paul spoke of gifts in chapter 12. Here, he reminds them their gifts are of no value without love.

1. God defines love differently than the world

1 Cor. 13:4-8a Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails…

• Love is patient and kind
• Does not envy or boast
• Not arrogant
• Not rude
• Does not insist on its own way
• Not irritable 
• Not resentful
• Does not rejoice at wrongdoing
• Rejoices with the truth
• Love bears all things (never gives up)
• Believes all things (never loses faith)
• Hopes all things
• Endures all things
• Love never ends[1]

1. God’s love endures

1 Cor. 13:8b-13 But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love

• Paul indicates many of the gifts the church so cherished would come to an end for there will be no need of them
• He states clearly the church is not fulfilling its true calling if it does not start and end with love

Action Points:

1. Evaluate your actions towards others based on love

• When you serve, are you serving for yourself, are you serving out of guilt, or are you serving out of love?

1. Measure your relationships based on verses 4-8

• Are your relationships self-serving or “others” serving?
• In other words, is it always “all about you” in every relationship?

1. See others as Christ sees them

• When you see others as Christ sees them, you can’t help but love others.

[1] English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016.