Great Virtue of a Christian

GREAT VIRTUE OF A CHRISTIAN

Pr. Asap Singh

SCRIPTURE PORTION: I Corinthians 13: 1-13

¹ If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

 ¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

INTRODUCTION:

I have written a sermon some weeks ago named “Great Commandments of Christ” identifying Love that distinguishes the followers of Jesus from others. The sermon concluded as “The Greatest Commandment Jesus gave to us is LOVE God and neighbors.”

Love is called to be the highest virtue of all. It is because twice in the book of 1 John (4:8 & 16) mentioned God is Love. God is neither faith nor hope but said to be Love. God is possessed with different attributes (Characteristics) like Omnipresence, Omnipotence, Omniscience, Immortal, Immutable …etc all these represent the characteristics of God but LOVE is the nature of God. God acts or reacts everything out of His love.

John 13:34-35, “Love one another as I have loved you … by this all will know you are my disciples.” The parameter for love is already set by our Lord. We are loved by God so that we must love others. We are loved by God not by our attractions (as it is of human love) but by the nature of the lover.

Three Greek words used for Love generally, two words used in the New Testament – one among that was hardly used outside the New Testament,

1. Eros (ἔρως) – Sexual Passion (Erotic) : Not used in the New Testament
2. Philia (φιλία) – Natural / Friendship love : Used in NT widely.
3. Agape (ἀγάπη) – Divine/Supernatural love : Hardly used outside the New Testament

Philia – is the word used for natural love – it says “I like you – You like me” I do everything for you because you do the same to me (reciprocal love – expecting the same from the loving person). Mostly emotion based love.

Agape – describes of divine love – it says “I like you whether you like me or not” I will love you, do things for you whether you redo it for me or not. This is not emotional love (act of the will) – not expecting the reciprocal love and care from whom it is shown. This is the love God shows on human beings – God expects his people to reflect this love upon the fellow human beings.

Luke 6:32-35, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

We see about Jesus illustrating this strange love to the disciples. Sinners love those who love them – sinners lend money expecting to be paid back. Philia – natural love and lending but Jesus spoke of Agape which do not expect anything just give, give and give. I Cor. 13:13 says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

• Faith is looking unto God
• Hope is looking into the future
• Love looking towards others

We see in I Cor. 13, three major elements which is classical expression about Love,

1.      Loving Activities (vv. 1-3)

2.      Loving Attitudes (vv. 4-7)

3.      Loving Aspirations (vv. 8-13)

1.      LOVING ACTIVITIES (VV 1-3) 

¹ If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Jesus as he spoke about fulfilling the law in Matt. 5:17, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” the new commandment Jesus gave included love to the old commandments (John 13:34-35). In this session of scriptures (13:1-3) Paul added love to the spiritual gifts, when there is no love included with spiritual gifts, the gifts are nothing and gained nothing with those gifts.

Chapter 12 speaks about the “Spiritual gifts” that edify the church and brings unity in the church by energizing the believers. 12:29-30 identifies different spiritual gifts are given to different people to serve the church in Unity (not all are Apostles, Prophets, Miracle Workers, Teachers, Healers, Tongue Speakers, Interpreters). When it comes to Love, it is for all – Most excellent way (v.31)

Chapter 13 starts with the function of spiritual gifts (tongues, prophecy, knowledge, faith, giving) with the absence of Love is useless to anyone. All these gifts are Holy Spirit enabled, good for edification but when it is practiced without love – it is a resounding gong / clanging cymbal: I am nothing / I gain nothing. It is harsh statement, now the question may arise, can these things happen without love? Why do people give everything – go through physical hardship without love? There are other motives we see in the scripture for people who show generosity without love. In Indian context people feed poor to increase their Karma, wanted to do good works to gain eternity (selfish motive), some to gain famous through advertising their charity acts (stone plaques of donor’s names), some do it to gain ego/selfish motives…etc.

Matthew 6:1-2, Jesus said, ““Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.”

Hypocrites blow trumpets as they give it to the poor and needy – they get their reward in full (no more reward in heaven). Their motive is to be honored by people. Joseph and Barnabas (Act 4:36-37) sold their properties and gave it for the ministry. They were appreciated by the apostles for their generosity. When Ananias and Sapphira saw that they were honored by the apostles they sold their properties and gave a part in it and lied to Peter. Acts 5:1-11 we see how God’s judgment came upon this couple and died instantly. Their motive in giving to the Lord was wrong as well.

If Holy Spirit convicts us today in this way, I don’t know how many of us would go home! Without love there can be a ministry but it will be another job, talents/spiritual gifts/interesting ideas/enthusiasm but all meant nothing in its reality (resounding gong / clanging cymbal). Anything done with love will being great impact in the kingdom of God.

Pastor Van Calous from Buenos Aires had a good church growth of 300 to 1000 believers in short time through his preaching. One fine Sunday he prepared a sermon in the topic of “Love one another.” But the spirit of God prevented him to preach on that day, after the worship he stood on the stage and said, “Today my topic is Love one another” nothing came further from his mouth. He repeated the same for quiet few times. The church started enquiring to the people who sat next to them “is there any way I can love you?” at the end of the day 28 unemployed youth got job through the wealthy people in the church, the need of single parents were met, several people who were absolutely poor got financial help. There was a great reformation in the church. There were 3 continuous weeks the same thing went on in the church – 300 people who were very biblical / doctrine loving left the church for not getting preaching in the church. At the end of this session, several people in the town rang up the church and asked “Is this the church that helps the people?” the church had great impact in that society. There could be a sermon in that topic that would impress the people with various theological words but the people would have left as the way they came in. As the people showed their love towards their neighbors there was great impact in the society.

Are our activities come out of love? Without love anything you do will be a waste of time. Spiritual gifts are good for building up the church –if it is done without love – it is nothing but just a sound.

2.      LOVING ATTITUDES (VV 4-7)

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

 

The above are the best statement on love – great descriptions about true love. Love in itself is so beautiful. Corinthian church followed different leaders with several divisions in the church we read them throughout the first letter. It is apt to identify what a true love can do in the midst of diversities. Paul says love is patient, kind, humble, honor others, others centered, meek, forgiving, rejoice in truth, trust, hope and persevere. 

Paul noted in the last verse of ch.12, “I will show you more excellent way.” This is that excellent way in its attitude. You can replace the word love with Jesus – which suitably fits for Him,

Jesus is patient, Jesus is kind. He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud. ⁵ He does not dishonor others, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Jesus does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸ Jesus never fails…

You can also replace it with your name in there, if you are daring to confess it. Does it make sense of me? Am I worthy to utter those words addressing myself? I wouldn’t dare to read it in my name but these are the most excellent way Paul addresses it. Loving attitudes attract people to taste and experience Christ in their lives.

3.      LOVING ASPIRATIONS (VV 8-12)

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Love NEVER fails / dies – Never is something impossible. Agape love never dies or ends. Conditional love ends when the condition changes. God’s love is not based on conditions so he cannot hate you in spite of your change in character, misbehavior and sins. If He chose to love you, He will love you forever – that is why He loves the sinners.

vv. 8-10 we see about the spiritual gifts that can pass away (Prophecy, tongues, knowledge) so keep them in their perspectives. Love never fails so that must be kept in its perspective. Quit pretending because the one who loves us fully know us (v.11).

Ms. Kate Booth, William Booth’s daughter spelled love in a strange way that is SACRIFICE. It was happened in one of the leaders meeting held in Manila in the year 1951. Most of the times we don’t spell in this way in our homes, working place, marriage, friendship, church ..etc. when Jesus said “As I have loved you” He spelled it in that way (SACRIFICE) by demonstrating his broken body for the sinners. When love doesn’t spell as Sacrifice – it will just be a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

v.13, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Let us show the greatest virtue of Love which is in the form of Sacrifice – Let us glorify the Father who is in Heaven, because the greatest of all these three is LOVE.

May God bless you all!

---

This Sermon is written from Rev. Charles Price’s sermon “All We Need is Love” in Living Truth, Canada. There are slight modifications and my thoughts included . For further references please listen in the YouTube location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM_pmdVd7YI&t=632s