“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy distraction. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NLT
Here I find myself this morning sitting with the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians. As far as human relations go, this could possibly be the paramount chapter in all of God’s Word. In such a poetic way it describes how we can attempt to fully transfer the love God supplies to us to those He places around us. But it’s easier said than done, yes? You see, James had the right line of logic when He informed all followers of Christ that it’s not just about knowing what God’s Word says…but actually doing it. (James 1:22)
So as we attempt to dissect and “do” this grand chapter, I have a fun (but hard) exercise for you. And seriously, I want you to play along. I mean really do it. Really. Here’s your instructions:
Step One: Go get your Bible and read the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 13. Now don’t start panicking, it’s only 13 verses. And do more than just read, I want you to absorb it. Just as when Ezekiel was prompted to not simply peruse or speed read the scroll of God, but to actually eat it. And do you recall the flavor? As sweet as honey on his tongue. Get ready to truly taste the Word of God and see how good it is as it nourishes and feeds your soul. Go to a quiet place, be still, pray to God to send His Words straight to your heart, and then partake in the wonder of the living Word of God.
Step two: Reread the chapter and everywhere you find the word “love” I want you to substitute Jesus. Folks, Jesus is love. There are four Greek words for love, the one used here in this chapter is “agape.” It is a form of love that transcends all the others. My favorite definition of agape love is “self-denial for the sake of another.” Jesus is the perfect example of agape love.
Jesus is patient. He bears our transgressions against Him, even to the point that He died for us while we were still sinners standing against His very righteousness. Jesus is kind. He offers us far more grace and mercy than we truly deserve. Jesus does not envy or boast. He was the very Son of God but arrived as a helpless babe and slept in an animal’s feeding trough. He lived a life among sinners serving them and was then crucified by the very ones He came to serve. And He did it all as a lamb, silent before His shearers. Jesus is not self-seeking. He came at the will of the Father to save all that call upon His name in the faith that He can do what He came to do…save sinners and offer them an eternal home in Heaven united with Him. Jesus is not easily angered. He offers us grace and mercy that extend beyond the limits of our perceived time. Jesus keeps no record of wrongs. As David so eloquently tells us in Psalm 113, the Lord casts our transgressions against Him as far as the east is from the west. Jesus does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. Even to the point that Jesus calls Himself the truth in John 14:6. Jesus doesn’t just rejoice in the truth, He is the author of the one and only truth this world has ever known and will ever know. And for those that call upon Jesus as Savior, He protects, trusts, hopes, and preserves the sheep that He promises to shepherd with that very agape love. And folks, Jesus never fails. The work of Jesus upon the cross, in the tomb, and even today in heaven at the right hand of the Father interceding for His own, will never falter, cease, end, conclude, or stop. When we think about love, Jesus is the definition we are to adhere to, learn from, and replicate. Which brings us to the next step.
Step Three: I hope you’re ready because here comes the hard part. If you have recognized your own sin as too great for yourself and have called upon Jesus to be the Savior of your life, that is, admitted that you are a sinner, repented of your sin, and then called upon Jesus in faith to redeem you and reunite you with Himself in heaven, then you are a Christian. And as a Christian, you have been called to sanctification, that is, to emulate and adopt the life of Jesus as the model for your life. And so, what I want you to do now is to go back and reread the passage yet again. But this time I want you to substitute your own name in for the word love.
Are you patient and kind to all you encounter no matter how they treat you? Are you envious, boastful, or proud of yourself, your achievements, or your successes? Are you selfish, easily angered, or ready to keep a record of all the wrongs that have been done to you? Are your feet quick to move in the direction of evil and sin? And when it comes to the truth, are you ready to adopt the “new modern truth” of this world or are you ever holding tight to the truth only found in the Words of Jesus Christ? Are you always ready to protect, trust, hope in, and preserve those that God has placed in your life? Friends, I’ll have to be honest with you. After I completed this exercise myself, I can’t say I was very pleased with some of my responses and realizations of how I love.
There’s an old adage, “it’s only a problem if you don’t solve it.” If, like me, the way you love doesn’t come close to the way Jesus loves, make a change today. In the true essence of agape love, realize that to truly love like Jesus, you must be ready to deny yourself and what you think you deserve in order to love like Jesus. But take courage, as a believer in Christ you have one of the biggest miracles that has ever existed residing within your very soul, the Holy Spirit of God. And the job of the Holy Spirit is to reveal Jesus to us. Stop right now and pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you how to really love like Jesus. That is, to deny self, always place others above yourself, and simply follow the beautiful example Jesus left us in the Word of God.
Today, make love look real, make it look like the way Jesus loved. Ricas Bendiciones a ustedes ~ Dan
“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Colossians 3:14
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