ICS Daily Devotions
Walking in Love
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (Amplified) If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love [for others growing out of God’s love for me], then I have become only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal [just an annoying distraction]. And if I have the gift of prophecy [and speak a new message from God to the people], and understand all mysteries, and [possess] all knowledge; and if I have all [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love [reaching out to others], I am nothing. 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 does me no good at all.
We are very blessed to live in this century. We are blessed with an abundance of biblical information and online recorded sermons of renowned speakers across the world. We have read and even experienced spiritual revival during our time. We have seen tremendous manifestation of the work of the Holy Spirit in churches across the world. We have a “buffet” of teachings from Evangelicals to Charismatics.
Unfortunately, the Apostle Paul is very clear in this passage that we will be nothing but a “noisy gong or a clanging cymbal’ if we just have Biblical knowledge and the gifts of the Holy Spirit but not have love. God’s kind of love. Of course, we should use God’s kind of love to serve both the people in the church and outside the church. We will be able to minister to one another better with unconditional love as the foundation in everything that we do.
Spiritual maturity is not measured by knowledge acquired about the Bible nor being a Bible scholar though it is important to know the Bible well. Neither is spiritual maturity measured by our abilities to operate in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual maturity is measured by how we walk in love towards God and people.
The Apostle Paul was dealing with strife and division in the church of Corinth when he taught them about the importance of love. We are nothing if we do not show love even if we have all knowledge, faith and the full manifestation of the gifts. You and I would not have many changes in our lives until we choose to put into practice what we have read, heard and learnt especially in the area of love. We can be hearers of the word but if we are not doers of the word then we are deceiving ourselves.
Ephesians 5:1-2 (NKJV) Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us,
When we choose to imitate Christ, We allow the Agape love to flow out of us. We choose to be a peace maker just like God. We choose to re-establish relationships when there is a strain in the relationship. We choose to accept people and extend grace to them. We show mercy to those who least deserve our love and grace.
Sermon Series – How to Love (Part 4)
