1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Intro: God has truly been good to His people! He has given us more than we ever deserved. Think of it! He provided a means of salvation that will save the vilest sinner. He has given us so many precious promises such as Heb. 13:5; Phil. 4:19; John 10:28, etc. When a person is saved, they are given spiritual gifts so that God can use them in His kingdom work, 1 Cor. 12:7. Much more could be said about this matter, but I think it is plain to see that God has been good to us! Yet, as I was thinking about these things, I came to realize that the greatest gift the Lord has ever given to His people is His love!
The love of God for His people is everlasting, Jer. 31:3. His love is what motivated Him to send Jesus to die on the cross, John 3:16. In fact, the greatest evidence of the love of God is the death of Christ on the cross, Rom. 5:8. God’s greatest gift to us is His love.
Now, He did not stop by just giving His love to us, He has also placed His love in us. Jesus said that the world would know we were His disciples by the love we have one for another, John 13:35. You see, love is the first characteristic mentioned in Gal. 5:22-23, concerning the Fruit of the Spirit. Not only did He love us, but He has also caused us to love!
Here was one of the primary problems with the church in Corinth, to whom this letter was written. They were manifesting every other spiritual gift in existence, but they were not manifesting love one to another. You see, chapters 12-14 can not be divorced one from the other. In the original, they are one unit. It is a call more Christlikeness and maturity in the midst of childishness and fleshly living. Paul writes these great words to remind the Corinthians that of all the great spiritual things they can do, the greatest spiritual exercise is love.
The effect of these words are to remind us that we might possess all kinds of spiritual
gifts and abilities, but that we are never more like the Lord Jesus Christ than when we love the right way
Categories