Growth is for our functioning. When we are functioning together with the saints, then we can see the importance of love as was shared in the last message. Why is love so important? The more we know God, the more we love God. But it is different with us. The more we know the brother or sister who is beside us, less we love them! You love me because you don’t know me! Do you agree with me? You might say, “That brother is so wonderful!” But if you live a little while with him, you might say, “He is not that wonderful.” After a while longer you may say, “People say he is wonderful.” After more time you may say, “He is not wonderful. What are you talking about?”
This is when God’s life comes to us! Then we can see the importance of love. When we touch God’s life, we see that we are imperfect! Then we would tell ourselves, “The brother or the sister beside me is also imperfect. He is the same as me. Christ loved me. Christ also loved my brother and my sister. Christ died for me and for my brother and my sister. If Christ loved and died for my brother and my sister, so Christ’s life within me also loves this brother and this sister. If I don’t love this brother or this sister, something is wrong! Does Christ love? Yes, He does! Do I love? No, I don’t. Something is wrong. So I am not in Christ. If I am in Christ, I love!” This is very simple!
The more we have been perfected, the more we are at risk of thinking we are someone special! That’s why what we read in First Corinthians is very important: “ And moreover I show to you a most excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels ” (12:31-13:1). Regarding speaking in tongues, this is the highest experience. But Paul says, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but do not have love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.”(13:1).
This is one kind of experience. Another kind of experience is in verse 2, “And if I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” Imagine a brother who has the gift of prophecy and knows all mysteries and all knowledge. Wouldn’t we think that he is at the top? Paul also says, “ and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains ” Imagine a brother who has faith to be able to remove mountains. Regarding faith, this brother is at the top. But the verse continues saying, “but do not have love, I am nothing.”
What does it profit to speak in tongues and have the faith to remove mountains? What does it profit to reach the top in all these aspects? What does it profit if you have everything but love? Why do you have all these? For what does it profit? “And if I dole out all my possessions to feed others, and if I deliver up my body that I may boast ” This again is the highest experience regarding the good works towards others. But the verse concludes saying, “ but do not have love, I profit nothing.” (v. 3).
This shows the importance of love. It is better to say, “I hardly know how to prophecy. I don’t know that much, but I love my brothers and sisters.” Why? As we’ve seen in the last message, knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. (1 Cor. 8:1b)
As we are going on in the church life, we will be perfected. This word is a warning to us. One day when you have a strong spiritual experience, remember that if there is no love, your experience means nothing! If it is to build up the Body, it must be for the perfecting in mutuality. If it does not help all of us to arrive, it profits nothing!
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