Love (necessity of love)

Part 1 of 3
I recently been reading a book called Knowing God by J I Packer and came across a chapter about the Love of God. It got me thinking about Paul's letter to the Corinthians and especially Chapter 13 the one we hear so often at weddings. I read this chapter and three things stood out to me the first and the one we are going to look at today is the necessity of Love for the Christian. I also noticed the character of love and the permanence of love which we will look at a later date.

Our Bibles tell us God is Love; not God has love, but is Love. So without God in our lives we cannot truly understand or experience true love. The purpose of the Gospel is about how God has come down to rescue and save unworthy sinners, not how man can earn his way to God. 1 Corinthians 13 points us to the cross just while we read these words remember what God has, done for us. The gospel is what we glory in right now today. So if we are gospel centered people we should use this description of love in 1 Corinthians 13 as a reminder of God love towards us in Jesus. So whenever you read this passage instead of starting with self evaluation, start with thankful praise and worship. love is patient, love is kind hasn’t God been patient with us, hasn’t he been active in his kindness. Jesus our saviour humbled himself even to death on the cross. We could continue through all of what love is and see what incredible graceful, and loving God we have. Jesus took our place, suffering, the anguish, and the pain all for me, and all for you. So we no longer have to live in guilt but live in love. You know when we read this passage we know this is not even a possibility without the gospel of Jesus Christ which has set us free. We can only love like this because God first loved us.

The passage is 1 Corinthians ch12 v31- ch13 v 3.

In verses 1-3 Paul shows the necessity of love and the importance of love in a Christian life. Paul is telling us it is essential, that love is not an optional extra. It goes on to say if my life is not characterised by love then I am just an empty noise I am a pointless symbol. Paul in the first 3 verses is writing about some amazing things, great faith, being able to understand all mysteries, and then he goes on to use exaggerated examples to push home his point. It does not matter how incredible your life has been or what you can do, if you lack love you are nothing. What a statement I am nothing if I do not have love.

What is the most important thing you have to do this week? Many of us have busy lives, with projects, work, university, social lives, and family. The most important thing we are actually going to do this week is breathe. It is kind of a trick question but we all agree that breathing oxygen is right up there as the most important things we have to do. If we forget to breathe it does not matter how important your schedule is you will be dead very soon. In the same sense Paul is saying the same thing, living a life of love is like breathing for a Christian. If you truly know God you are living a life of love, and if you are not living a life of love then you are showing no evidence of truly being alive in Christ.

Consider what the bible teaches about the necessity of love in Mathew 22 when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment is he said "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind and continued to say also; love your neighbour as yourself". In 1 John it also says "anyone who does not love, does not know God because God is love".

I have often found we use our abilities or knowledge, good works to point at and hide the fact we are missing love in our lives. I am not saying these things are not good but we should stop using these things to hide the fact there is a lack of love in our lives. We could say if I attend church every Sunday and read my bible every day, I also give to charity, and once a week I cook for my friend then I feel like I am good. We tell ourselves we are covered I have done enough, you notice all these things are good and right but we cannot participate in these things without examining whether we are living a life of love. Are our good deeds shaped or flowing from a love for God and one another.

So often we differ on our views on the spiritual gifts but what Paul is saying here you cannot be a Christian and not love. This is certainly a challenge in my own life, I hope and pray that it will challenge you also. Lets pray Gods love shines out of each one of us.