Text: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 13:13

“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (NKJV)

This chapter contains the premier teaching of Christianity. It is an undying expression of Jesus’ doctrine of heavenly love. This chapter is more potent for the building of the church than any, or all, of the various manifestations of God’s power.

Love is the church’s most effective weapon. Love is the essence of God’s nature. It is the perfection of human character. Love is the most powerful, ultimate force in the universe. Without love, all the various gifts of the Spirit are of no avail. “If I give all I possess to the poor and
surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing” (v. 3). The gift of speaking like an angel, of prophesying, of having all knowledge, of faith that moves mountains, of giving the last dollar to charity, even martyrdom—all are of no use unless we have the spirit of Christian love. What a call to self-examination!

The important issue for Christians is not the display of their spiritual gifts, but the exercise of faith, hope, and above all, love. The other gifts pass away, but these remain forever. Love is necessary for both faith and hope.

It is good to have the gifts the we can exercise for the edification of our faith faith communities but love is more desirable for it will outlast all the other gifts, it nourishes faith and hope. It is best, at this point, to examine ourselves with regards to our exercise of charity or Christian love!

Sources:

Halley, Henry H. Halley’s Bible Handbook. ePub Format. Grand rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2000.

MySword for Android. Riversoft Ministry, 2011-2019.

Olive Tree Bible Software, 1998-2020.

http://www.biblegateway.com

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