The Love Principle: Building a Blessed Life on a Foundation of Love.

Key Text: 1 Corinthians 13:1–13 “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 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. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come,…”

Introduction.

As we know, this year our theme is around giving ourselves the permission to be blessed. If we think of it, the word “blessed” means to be empowered to succeed. Did you know that God desires for you to have a blessed life? He desire for you to live a life that is a full life. An abundant life. John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Although God desires for us to have a blessed and abundant life, a key part of that is to have the foundation built out of love.

As we all know, February is both black history month and the love month, the month we celebrate Valentine’s Day. Valentine's Day is primarily a celebration of love and affection between intimate partners. It is a day for expressing love and admiration through gestures such as exchanging cards, flowers, chocolates, and gifts. While traditionally focused on romantic love, it has also become a time to celebrate friendship and familial love in various cultures. The day serves as an opportunity to show appreciation for loved ones and to foster connections through meaningful expressions of affection.

Although it is a day ment to celebrate a more romantic type of love, this is a perfect opportunity to speak about the Love Principle: Building a Blessed Life on a Foundation of Love.

Thesis:

Did you know that Love plays a significant role in living a blessed and successful life? Many times we may judge our success or what seems to be a blessed life off of external things. However, we could have those things but if we lack love we are missing the most important ingredient. Love plays a significant role because it sets the foundation for our relationships, keeps us focused on our purpose (or why?), and secures inner peace.

Context:

To better understand the Love principle and how we can have love as a foundation to a blessed life, we are looking at Paul’s letter first letter (Technically) to the Church in Corinth. Here the Apostle Paul highlights how love is the most important virtue there is.

What is a Virtue? A virtue is a moral excellence or a quality of excellence that reflects good character or ethical behavior. From a biblical point of view, a virtue is characteristics that reflects God’s character. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul highlights three of them in Faith, Hope, and Love, but Paul highlights as the most important one is love.

A. Faith.

Q. What is Faith? :”

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

If you desire to live a blessed life, having Faith in God is a virtue we must have. Faith allows us to see beyond the conditions we have been exposed to. Faith requires us putting our trust and our confidence in God and his ability.

The reality is, we are blessed not because of our own doing, we are blessed because of our Faith. In Romans 5, the Apostle Paul speaks about how we are justified with God by faith. It was through this justification that we have access to the blessings God has for us in the Covenant he established to Abraham.

Romans 5:1–2 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

B. Hope.

Colossians 1:26–28 “the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”

Hope is simply a motivating force that can inspire perseverance, resilience and purpose. When we have a relationship with God, we have hope. Because we have hope in him, we can be optimistic, because our hope and confidence is in him.

C. Love.

Love is the most important virtue, and serves as a foundation to a blessed life.

I. Love establishes inner peace.

How does love establish inner peace? Love, let alone the love of God establishes inner peace first of all because it establishes your identity.

Your Identity is defined by the core understanding of who a person is. As believers, we are to be defined by this virtue of love, why? Because our identity is in who Christ is, who is in God. According to 1 John 4:7, 1 John 4:7–8 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

A. We can have inner peace with God, because in Christ we have a relationship with God.

It is by having a relationship with God that we understand that God Loves us.

It is by having a relationship with God that we can have peace with God and have the peace of God.

It is by having a relationship with God that we can have a better understanding of self, and learn to love ourselves and others.

The love of God, simply allows us to love and get to know ourselves.

B. Love Edifies us.

1 Corinthians 8:1–3 “Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.”

To edify means to build up. When we embrace the love of god, it builds us up. It Builds us up regarding our identity and our significance. We begin to understand not only how we are valued, but what God’s purpose and plan for our lives are.

When God created us, he created us with intention. He put us here on earth at this moment in time for a reason. And he loves us so much that he wants us to realize this, understanding we are loved and have a place he has created us for.

C. Love is what knits us together.

Colossians 2:1–3 “For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

IN essence, it is Love and the Love of God that really makes everything come together. It is this love that allows people of all different kinds to come together in one spirit. It is the love of God that unites husbands and wives in marriage becoming the third string in that marriage, and it is the glue that causes the church to come together.

(The Church of God is MUTI CULTURAL!! When we have the love of God as the foundation of our lives, we are able to build bridges and not walls. It is the love of God, that empowers us to fulfill our mission as the Church, which is to preach the Gospel throughout the world.)

II. A foundation of Love is reflected in how we relate to other people.