LOVE AND CHRISTIAN – “PROPHESY, KNOWLEDGE AND MIGHTY FAITH”

Love is central to our faith. It is an indication of God’s working in our lives. Love, not as the world portrays, but as God Almighty, demonstrated to us in and through the LORD Jesus Christ. The supremacy of love, as the Bible understands, is something which is unheard of. In a Christian’s life, LOVE STANDS TALL, over and above every other aspect of our faith. Everything related to our faith, is not only intricately connected to love, but also revolves around it. So much so that, without love, anything and everything that one possesses, as a Christian, becomes meaningless, and ultimately, worthless. This is love, as the God of the Bible portrays, and wants to see in us.

Let us continue our study of 1 Corinthians 13 – the chapter in love. For our meditation this morning, let us read verse two.
– “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.” – 1 Corinthians 13:2

Paul draws a contrast between love and, three important outworking of the prophetic office.
– The office of a prophet of YAHWEH is one of the key offices to hold. God worked in times past, very powerfully through His prophets. A prophet is God’s chosen agent to communicate God’s will, and His wrath. A few to name are, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel.
– A prophet, by the gift bestowed upon him, by God, understands all mysteries. Joseph and Daniel are on the same lines.
– A prophet, through his faith in YAHWEH, is given the power and the authority, to remove, even the mountains, if so required by God, in the discharge of his responsibilities. A prophet is the mighty man of faith, that wields demonstrable power of God. Moses, Elijah and Elisha are a few to name.

Now, such an esteemed office, with such power and position is, compared to almost an “insignificant” and “powerless” love. Not just that, love is placed over and above the prophetic office, and given the supreme position, without which, everything else becomes of no value at all. Berean Bible Study Notes, commenting on 1 Corinthians 13:2, says…
– “This stark conclusion [“without love, I am nothing”] emphasizes the futility of spiritual gifts and accomplishments without love. In the eyes of God, love is the measure of true worth and significance. The absence of love renders even the most extraordinary spiritual feats void and empty. This echoes Jesus’ teaching in John 15:5, where He states that apart from Him, believers can do nothing. Love is the defining characteristic of a true disciple of Christ (John 13:35).”

All that one possesses is accounted to be a zero – absolutely nothing worthwhile, if we do have love. Can we smell the words of Jesus from Matthew 7:21-23?
– “21 “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” – Matthew 7:21-23

Let us look at few more Scripture portions, to gain a deeper understanding of the point, that is being made about love.
– “6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.” – Galatians 5:6
– “10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother…” – 1 John 3:10 
– “7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” – 1 John 4:7-8
– “14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” – 1 John 3:14-15

What about us this morning? What kind of love is driving our faith? The love that we have, is it the same that our LORD talks about? Or, the love that we have, is like that of the Pharisees and the Sadducees? They too have love…but to sit in significant places… – Like 11:37-44. May the LORD help us to possess the love, which the LORD speaks about, and not that of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Even so the LORD help us.