Sunday, February 15, 1998 This Week’s Lesson:
In this week's lesson, which came from I Corinthians 12:31 and 13:1-13, we studied about the importance of demonstrating Christian love towards others. In the church, we sometimes focus on the more glamorous aspects of ministry, such as preaching, teaching, soul-winning, and good music. Without question, each of these is very important to the Lord's work, but the Apostle Paul told the Corinthian church that a loving heart is a more pure evidence of a genuine walk with the Lord than any of the above. As Christians, sometimes the best work we can do is fix a meal for someone in need, walk next door to tell a hurting neighbor about Christ's love and our love for them, or as our Pastor would say, bake someone a cake. We live in a world where people are hurting and sometimes their greatest need is to feel the love of someone who has a personal walk with the Lord. The Apostle Paul wrote that all is in vain if we do not possess a genuine Christian love for others. He knew that Christian love is important because it points others to Christ.
In the Corinthian church, the members believed that they could be superior Christians if they possessed and demonstrated many spiritual gifts. Speaking in tongues was just one of the controversies in their church. So in this part of his writings, Paul dealt especially with the gift of tongues. In commenting about tongues, he wrote that a clanging cymbal only brings the wrong kind of attention to itself. He was not trying to put down their spiritual gifts but was instead trying to re-focus their motives and how they used those gifts. Our gifts from the Holy Spirit should never be used to bring attention to ourselves. But with humble, committed hearts to the One Who loved and died for us, we should always desire to use our talents to bring attention to Jesus. We should always strive to bring others to Him. Paul was simply telling the people at that church that their gifts should be used in ways to benefit others and exalt Christ rather than to bring attention to themselves, and the same is true for each of us.
The Quarterly said that it is possible to do great things for God yet not have a heart of Christian love. Christian love deals gently with others. It is patient and kind. It does not involve trying to compare ourselves to others so that we might outdo them. It is not motivated by selfish ambitions but is instead confident and steadfast, grounded and committed to truth. Christian maturity is characterized by this kind of love, and consistent with other Bible teachings, Christian love is also "others-centered." In a world where most people only care about themselves, let those of us who name Christ as Savior be quick to show others the love of Christ. As the Holy Spirit brings people into our lives, let us also commit ourselves to the task of reaching them for Him.
Tom of Spotswood"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
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