Spiritual Gifts Part 4

Title: II – The Supremacy of Love

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Thesis: The challenge to speak about love (agape) in our times is that “love” has been stripped from its Biblical meaning.

To have sex is to “make love”
Burger King invites us to “love it”.

Remember the primary purpose of this section is hortatory

Paul is not musing on the beauties of love, but rebuking the Corinthians covetousness in pursuing the greatest gifts. Ex: remember Simon the magician (Acts 8)

What love are we talking about?

1. Love is patient:

Ex: God is “slow to anger”. Thomas Watson uses the illustration of a bee.

Application: this kind of love is necessary to deal with irritating people, comp. Col 3:13-14.

2. Love is kind:

The word bears the meaning of being “gentle” and “disposed towards doing good”.

The fruit of the Spirit is kindness.

Exercising spiritual gifts under the control of the Spirit in a benign and gentle manner. Illust.: the furious riding of Jehu

Angry Christianity” is oxymoronic.

I am not referring to the righteous anger of sensible people.

Application:
You may serve copiously, teach with the voice an angel, and preside with the wisdom of Solomon, in a sour, hard and unloving spirit.

This kind love reminds us of Jesus’ patience with sinners. “The bruise reed He will not break and the smoking flax, He will not quench.”

3. Love is not jealous:

What is the jealousy described here?

The passion that makes us ardently seek the best portion for us.

Application: John the Baptist, when his disciples felt jealousy because Jesus was starting to gather a larger crowd.