1 Corinthians 13 Exhortation
Notes
Transcript
Today’s exhortation comes from 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Brothers and sisters, love is the defining factor of us as Christians. Christ himself said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Nor is this a New Testament concept. For as the Lord declares in through the prophet Micah, “He has told you what is good O man, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with Your God.” Love should always be the defining factor that people see when they look at us.
Now is Paul, in 1 Corinthians, is he discounting the speech of men? Or knowledge and understanding, of faith, or charity to the poor? Absolutely not! Nor is God saying that sacrifices under the Old Testament where worthless, but without love the sacrifices of bulls and goats and charity gifts are an affront to God because it betrays an understanding that God can be bought off by actions.
But for us here today, Reformed members of the CREC, one of our more immediate dangers is the use of knowledge without love. We stand on a long history of faithful men who have dug into Scripture and have unearthed a treasure trove of knowledge and understanding of what God has said in His Word. We are the recipients of blessings upon blessings that God has poured out on the Reformed and Presbyterian heritage in the church.
But with much knowledge comes the danger of undue pride taken in that knowledge. Of looking on others around us with something close to contempt that they do not know as we know. We become quick to enter the fray of battle and draw the sword of the knowledge of Calvin, we put the helmet of Rushdoony, strap on by the breastplate of Bavink and shod ourselves with the shoes of Hodge. And we attack and slash and harm others around us because despite our knowledge, we have not love.
(and note, this is not an exhortation to about the dangers of engaging in polemical discussions concerning the faith, but that care and prayer must be used when entering into them) As we rightly do battle for the truth of the Gospel, we would do well to remember the words of Matthew Henry in his commentary on this passage: :
“Should we sacrifice our lives for the faith of the gospel, and be burnt to death in maintenance of its truth, this will stand us in no stead without love, …. Vindicating religion at the cost of our own lives will profit nothing if we feel not the power of it; and true love is the very heart and spirit of religion. If we feel none of its sacred heat in our heats, it will profit nothing, though we be burnt to ashes for the truth.”
Dearly beloved, seek love in all you do. If you would not be a noisy gong, a clanging cymbal and in the end have nothing, seek to love others as the Father has loved us. Let the love of the Son transform the way you think and speak and act. May the sacred heat of the indwelling Spirit animate you to seek and proclaim the truth in love. So that when the double edged sword of the Spirit cuts so deep as to split bones and marrow, they will know that the wound is meant not to for evil, but for healing and regeneration.
Please turn to song 258 as we prepare ourselves for confession.
