1 Corinthians 12 :27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. …….. 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.
The greater gifts- faith, hope LOVE. To be had, to be achieved. To be used. To be only through God
13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 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, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. First ,Paul IS NOT saying he does speak in language of angels, nor understand all mysteries or have all knowledge or is able to move mountains with his faith. He has sacrificed his needs for his ministry, but that is not the point. What Paul is saying is if he was the clone of Jesus Christ all he ‘did’ would be worthless if he did not have ‘love’. Love is God. God is love. Then to the ‘works’ of ministry it is all for naught, if it does not come from the Spirit of Love- Christ.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1John 4:16 God is love, and he who abides in love abides inGod, and God in him. 1John 4:8He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 1 Peter 4:11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Man on his own is incapable of having, doing, living, knowing ‘Love’ unless he is possessed with ‘Love’ – God,Jesus Christ-Holy Spirit. We can not be without envy. We are prideful. We are rude. We seek to serve ourselves before others, we are selfish. We react with anger, defensively. We contemplate murder and thievery. We are drawn to the muck of the world, Vegas Baby!. Without Love/God we are incapable of withstanding the death and hurt and illness and attacks from this world. There is no hope, with out God/Love. With Love/God we do endure, beyond human ability.
8 Love never fails. God NEVER fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. Everything MAN does even if the man be a prophet of God, it will eventually fail, or end, because it is at least ‘tainted’ by man. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. Christ has come and someday, all the ‘man’ mistakes will be gone
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. We have no idea how little we know, how far we have to go.As a believer we learn more, get better vision of what we are to be everyday. When we are with God, we will have all understanding. We don’t need to MAKE it happen now, because we can not.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. Abide: stay,continue, dwell, be present, remain, stand- with faith,and hope love– A choice to have.
I'm Not So Petty 