Without Love, We Are Nothing.

For two weeks, we'll be moving through 1st Corinthians 13 verse by verse in order. On each verse I'll try to pull some thought out of it to "nibble" on. (with the exception of sundays)

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. (KJV)

1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. (NASB)

This is something some preachers seem to miss unfortunately. I've heard tales of some cold things preachers have done and things I've done myself. This very weekend, I was told by my brother's girlfriend (who are not married but have a child) that her preacher would not christen the child because they weren't married. I was in disgust, and my first thought was "noise". I would say it would be so much better if they were married for that child and their family, but does that mean I am not to love them? Does that mean the christian community must hate that child? It's God's child. And if you despise that child well you frown at God, He created that child and he lives for a reason.

That preacher is an example of this verse, without love his words are just noise and his actions won't profit him anything. Too many times we get caught up in policy and religious behaviour and we're just not humble enough to operate under love.

Yesterday that little boy was crawling around (just starting to walk and his 1st birthday is in dec.) and he held on to the arm rest of the chair I was in and just stared at me. I turned my head away from the football game and looked at him. I gave him the biggest grin across my face, a very happy one. And what he did is something I'll never forget, though may seem silly to some. But he smiled back as big as he could, a real smile and not a fake courtesy smile. It made all my troubles of that day so insignificant. That was love, and after that day I've wanted nothing but to love and watch over him.

Guess the point is, all the talk in the world can sound so beautiful and amazing but without love it is just talk and fleeting adrenaline. But love, and a loving smile can silence every tongue against you.

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, and have not charity, I am nothing. (kjv)

2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.(nasb)

You could be the biggest theological powerhouse and a prophet, but unless you have love it is meaningless. In God's eyes all these things without love are worthless. Love is the greatest gift you could have. Love acted on can do amazing things, preaching with love can reach out to people. Prayer with love can change the world, real love. Agape love. Love can literally bring someone back to life, I have seen it. Love can remove any barrier. Real love and not casual love, not love with baggage. But a driving selfless love is unstoppable.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. (kjv)

3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. (nasb)

Works without love are dead works. The bible tells us it profits us nothing to do works that are not out of love. Works for appearance or for our own conscience are dead works. We are to work together out of love for the people of this earth. And for our love for Christ. Jesus said if you do unto "one of these" you have done so to him.

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; (kjv)

4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, (nasb)

Two verses today for the sake of context. The bible tells us some practical characteristics of real love. On one side it tells us some of the positive characterististics of real love and in contrast it shows us some negative feelings that are not associated with *real* love. As opposed to "patient" I like to think of the word enduring. Someone who loves someone endures a lot for their sake and they are gentle or kind in return to anything negative. Another interesting thing is that the words are distinctively different in the two translations.

"does not take into account a wrong suffered" Forgiveness and having mercy on someone that has done something awful to you, and continuing to show love to them.

"Thinketh no evil" Is a bit simplistic and vague at the same time. You could easily associate that with the NASB translation, in that you think no evil against someone. Given the context of the two verses I think it would suggest basically what the NASB transaltion had it as. You think no evil against someone who has done evil to you, you do not seek revenge or hold a grudge. I would not say that it is generally speaking against having evil thoughts or daily temptations because of the context.

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; (kjv)

Pretty clear verse. Academically, there isn't much to say on the verse. Spiritually, it could be eye opening to someone who experiences such a thing. I think there is a level of compassion needed to understand this verse the way it really is meant. We all rejoice in the truth of Christ Jesus, we rejoice in our victories over sin and evil and over death we will rejoice. But there is another side of this and that is rejoicing when good strikes down evil. When you see or even have a hand in defeating evil in your own life or someone else's life. Maybe someone close to you even. When you see God work in someone's life to crush our adversary's schemes. Or see God crush the enemy's schemes in our own life. When God breaks the chains and the baggage held over you by Satan and gives you the power to deal the final blow to his schemes.

Such a small simple verse, but so much to think about in your own life. Take time today and think about all the jams God has got you out of, some you might not even realize yet.

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. (kjv)

Love bears a cross, your heart bears the mistreatment against it and all the lies and attacks. There are people out there that will use you and play you and in the end Satan would use them to destroy you. Depraved minds will conspire against your heart. But the love you've been given by God covers all things and bears anything anyone can throw at you. God fills your heart with a supernatural love, an untame one and a radical one.

Love doesn't distrust. It is wide open, and just as Jesus was on the cross and people stood by and watched, so they will when you put your heart on the line for someone(s). Love isn't prejudiced or dividing. Love trusts the goodness in people.

Love hopes for the very best in people. It has all faith in the right and good things. Even when people abuse it in you. Love is stronger than their manipulations and will continue in hope and faith, always hopeful time and time again.

Finally, Love endures *everything*. All the evil against you and all the breaking hearts you witness and all the broken people laid on your heart. Love endures it, bears it, and is hopeful. Love is unbreakable, it is the only thing to be hopeful in as love is everlasting. Love outshines all the evil committed against you and others you care about. Love comes from the eternity of heaven, therefore has no end. It is the beginning and end of all things. Love makes people survivors and warriors.

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. (kjv)

8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. (nasb)

This verse will probably hit more of a theological snag with some people. I've gone ahead and went and looked at the greek of this verse to be as accurate as possible. One could assume by the three key words in this passage (Glossa = Tongues, language. Propheteia = prophecy, prediction. Gnosis = knowledge, science or possibly divine knowledge.) that we all can atleast agree on that love is greater than all these gifts and is everlasting.

God's love is eternal and does not fail us. His gift of love to us so that we can love others (no amtter what) supercedes all things. Our love is what speaks the truth, not gifts of languages and tongues. These things will pass away in us, but our love is undying, our compassion is our witnessing tool. God no longer sends prophets to us, He sent His son and made us to love. Our eternal everlasting love is our future now. It is what we can hope in. Science will die and pass away, because our love will defy science everytime. The Holy Spirit in us moves us to love each other and defy everything in this world.

Love is our future, it is our language and it is our purpose.

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. (kjv)

Meaning partially. Without love, we only partially know anything and our "prophecies" are imperfect. A short verse, but there is something sobering to be gained here. Though we may be theologians and can debate endlessly, without love our knowledge is imperfect, suffering, and quite minimal. Again, without love we are nothing. Though we may think our knowledge is divine and prophetic even, it fools us. Because without love we are actually handicapped and without love we have trouble seeing clearly. Unfortunately when we choose knowledge over love, we have trouble seeing that we are actually hindered.

Today, evaluate yourself. Try to operate under love instead of knowledge and see how much more you actually learn.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. (kjv)

Another theological thing. Most likely the last few verses refer to the ceasing of certain spiritual gifts and when putting that in the context with the rest of the chapter it would seem to imply that we would now rely on love instead of supernatural gifts. Although the love God gives is supernatural. As we were incapable of such a kind of love. In our current day, we are to rely on love. This is our time to show the most powerful gift of all. The time to put our faith and our works and love together. Helping our fellow man, not just witnessing, but helping people in any way that you can. Doing it because you love them and care for them. The gift of love God gives will surpass the harshness of today's world and it's apathy. "Do not lose heart in doing good". This is our fight now, we have the most important thing to succeed. Time to leave the shelter of our homes and churches and reach out to the broken and the dangerous, there is no one person that God doesn't see. It seems like somewhere we defaulted because we tried to us gifts that are done with instead of using the greatest gift that gaurantees our success.

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. (kjv)

You'll notice Paul has been shifting to maturity in relation to love.

We all have that point where we grow up. Where we stop playing games and saying hurtful things. We begin to understand the consequences on other hearts and ironically our own. The things we say and do that hurt people, or maybe when we do nothing at all. For the most part these days we all pretend everything is okay, we just put on the church suit and look fine. But on the inside we have some hidden sin and on the outside we feel powerless to do anything good for someone. Congratulations, on your first step to maturity if you realized this. For we are a desperately wicked people and unable to do good on our own. Even as a christian we must remember this. It's God's gifts and God's love to us that give us the power to do great things in His name. But we must reach a certain point of maturity. Not the kind where we're polite and speak nicely to people, but a point of maturity where we act on opportunities to do the right thing. We act with compassion and fervor. That takes maturity, a child feels helpless or uninterested but an adult should be trying to make the world better for the children. You'll reach a point where you're done living in shelter and feel the need to make the world better to demonstrate God's love for people. That is when you become effective, not some mystical ritual or some degree. When you're mature enough to put yourself aside regardless of what you got, to do the better thing for people. You don't need invitation, you won't get one from this crazy world. You just need to give everything you've got no matter where you stand.