Strength through the Epistles

1 Corinthians 13:1-10

We have been walking through the Bible’s major sections so we can see how God reveals His will and strengthens His people.

We started in the Pentateuch and saw foundations for knowing and loving God.

We moved into the Historical Books and watched the cycle of drift and discipline and deliverance.

We listened to the Wisdom Books and learned how God teaches us to live skillfully and trust Him.

We sat under the Prophets and heard God confront sin and call His people home.

Last week we came to the Gospels and saw Jesus as the fulfillment and the center.

Now we step into the Epistles.

Pauline Epistles

Romans

1 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

Galatians

Ephesians

Philippians

Colossians

1 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians

1 Timothy

2 Timothy

Titus

Philemon

General Epistles

Hebrews

James

1 Peter

2 Peter

1 John

2 John

3 John

Jude

The Epistles are letters written to churches and believers after the resurrection.

These letters are where the Lord pastors His people through real problems, real relationships, and real church life.

And when you read the Epistles, one truth comes up again and again.

Truth must be carried by love, or else truth ends up becoming a weapon.

There is an all too common scene, one that could happen in almost any home.

It’s not dramatic.

It’s not loud.

It’s just real.

A husband walks into the kitchen early in the morning.

The house is quiet.

He’s half awake.

He’s trying to get his coffee and get his mind moving.

And then he sees it.

A note on the fridge.

Not a sweet note.

Not a funny note.

Not a “love you” note.

It’s a list.

It says something like, “All the things you forgot again.”

And then it starts naming things.

You didn’t take out the trash.

You didn’t pick up the medicine at the pharmacy.

You didn’t call…

You didn’t listen…

You didn’t help…

And every single line on that paper might be true.

He really did forget.

He really did drop the ball.

But as he stands there reading it, he doesn’t feel helped.

He feels on trial.

He feels like he’s not a husband, he’s a defendant.

He feels like the kitchen just turned into a courtroom, and that paper is Exhibit A.

And if you’ve ever had a moment like that, you know what happens next.

His chest tightens.

His guard goes up.

He stops hearing what is being said, and he starts feeling what is being implied.

And even if he doesn’t say a word, something in him hardens.

Not because he hates the truth.

But because the truth came without tenderness.

Now picture that same wife later in the day.

She’s still burdened and frustrated.

The responsibilities are still real.

The disappointments are still real.

She still needs change.

But instead of a note on a fridge, she comes close.

She puts a hand on his shoulder.

And maybe her voice shakes just a little, not because she’s angry, but because she’s tired but she cares.

And she says, “Can we talk.”

She says, “I’m not trying to attack you.

I’m trying to connect with you.

I need you with me.

I need your help.

I need your leadership.

I need you in this home, not just present, but engaged.”

And suddenly the truth didn’t change, but the atmosphere changed.

The truth didn’t become softer, but the heart became softer.

Because love gave truth a place to land.

That’s a picture of what can happen in any relationship.

It can happen in a marriage.

It can happen between parents and children.

It can happen in a church.

It can even happen in the way we talk to ourselves about our own failures.

Truth without love can be accurate and still be crushing.

Truth without love can be correct and still be cold.

And God, in His mercy, gives us the Epistles to teach us how truth is supposed to travel.

Not like a weapon, like a healing word.

Not like a courtroom, like a family.

Not to win, to restore.

And that is why 1 Corinthians 13 is in the Bible.

Because it is possible to have truth and still lack love.

It is possible to be gifted and still be harsh.

It is possible to be right and still be wrong in spirit.

So let’s look more closely at these verses in 1 Corinthians 13 and lets let the Lord teach us what love looks like when it is real.

I. Love Must Fuel What We Do

It has to be the basis.

It has to be where everything else comes from if it is going to be of any value.

A. Gifts Without Love Are Empty

1 Corinthians 13:1 in essence is saying that impressive speech without love is just noise.

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

Paul is not mocking gifts, or making light of it.

In fact he spends quite a bit of time teaching about the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives the church.

But Paul is warning us that gifts can become a substitute for godliness if we are not careful.

Don’t measure your spirituality by how much you know or how well you can speak.

Measure your spirituality by how well you love the people God put in your life.

To that end, notice secondly…

B. Knowledge Without Love Is Dangerous

2 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, and have not charity, I am nothing.

You can understand mysteries and have great faith and still be useless without love.

That means a person can be doctrinally sharp and relationally harmful.

If people fear you more than they trust you, something is missing, even if your theology is right.

If they fear your reaction

If they fear your retaliation

If they fear that you blame rather than build

Augustine once said, “Love God, and do what you will.”

When love for God is real, it governs what we say, how we say it, and what we do next.

Our true and active love for God will control our spirit.

Thirdly, notice…

C. Sacrifice Without Love Can Still Be Selfish

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

You can give everything you have away and still profit nothing without love.

Paul is showing us that even good deeds can be driven by pride, by guilt, or by what we want our image to be.

Ask the Lord to purify your motives, not just your behavior.

When you give —Ask the Lord to help your heart be right

When you serve — Ask the Lord to help you do so humbly.

When you speak — Ask the Lord to temper your truth with love.

A parent can do every chore in the house for their family and still do it with a bitter heart.

Why am I the only one that does anything around here?

Nobody helps me, if it’s going to get done…I have to do it!

The house can be clean while the home feels cold.

God is not only after what we do.

God is after what we are becoming.

And that starts with the heart!

II. Learn What Real Love Looks Like

1 Corinthians 13 is often called the Love Chapter.

It goes through a series of descriptions of what love looks like.

It is really important that we pay attention to this!

A. Love Is Patient And Kind

4a Charity suffereth long, and is kind;

Patience is love that refuses to quit when people are slow to change.

It’s not … “Well, I told you once, if you didn’t listen…that’s on you!”

What is kindness?

Kindness is love that stays gentle when it could be sharp.

If your love has a short fuse, ask God for the kind of love that reflects Christ’s long-suffering.

I often have to be very careful here.

It’s easy to get frustrated with people, especially when you are tired!

But we have to be patient and kind.

Colossians 3:12 KJV

12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

God does not command what He will not empower.

He will always enable you to obey.

B. Love Refuses Pride And Control

1 Corinthians 13:4 says charity “envieth not,” and “vaunteth not itself,” and “is not puffed up.”

Envy resents others.

vaunting your self - is to be boastful.

Pride centers on self, not others.

If you are going to love you can’t be competing for attention.

When you feel jealous or overlooked, bring it to the Lord before it becomes poison in your spirit.

Let God take care of it, but choose to love.

Philippians 2:3 KJV

3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself.

Humility is thinking of yourself less.

C. Love Stays Holy In The Way It Treats People

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

behave unseemly - means to behave unbecomingly

seeking your own - making your wants and needs priority

not easily provoked - not easily irritated

thinketh no evil - does not assume the worst

In other words love has manners.

Love is not selfish.

Love doesn’t explode.

Love does not keep a running file of wrongs.

If you replay offenses in your mind like a playlist, love is calling you to stop and to forgive from the heart.

Ephesians 4:32 KJV

32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

The gospel gives you no reason to hold grudges

The gospel gives you the power to release them.

III. Understand What Love Protects

We’ve seen that love is not a feeling you fall into.

It is a Christlike way of treating people that shows up in patience, humility, and self-control.

But now Paul takes it one step further.

He shows us what love is guarding and preserving in a church and in a home.

Because without love, truth becomes a weapon, relationships become battlegrounds, and people stop growing.

So before we talk about what love endures, we need to start with this.

Real love never celebrates sin.

Real love celebrates what is right.

A. Love Rejoices With Truth

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Love is not blind approval.

Love is not pretending sin is fine.

Love wants what is right because love wants what is best.

If you love someone, you will not help them sin comfortably.

Proverbs 27:6 KJV

6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Faithful love speaks truth with tears, not truth with pride.

Many will refuse to speak the truth, even in love…because they are uncomfortable.

But love seeketh not her own comfort.

B. Love Bears And Believes And Hopes And Endures

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Bears all things - To hold out, forbear, bear with, endure

believes all things- have faith in, trust.

hopes in all things - does not mean love is naïve, ignores patterns, or pretends everything is fine.

It means love has a God-shaped optimism about what the Lord can do, so it refuses to become cynical.

Love keeps hoping for God’s work in a person.

Love doesn’t label someone “hopeless” just because change is slow.

Love keeps praying.

Love keeps speaking truth with patience.

Love keeps leaving room for repentance and growth.

Endures all things - persevere, withstand

That doesn’t mean love ignores wisdom or boundaries.

It means love refuses to become cynical.

Love looks for God’s grace.

Love keeps praying.

Love keeps showing up.

When you feel yourself turning hard, ask God to soften you again.

In 1878, a bridge was built in Scotland called the Tay Bridge.

People were proud of it.

It was long.

It was impressive.

It looked strong.

But in 1879, just one year later, a violent storm came through while a train was crossing.

And the whole bridge collapsed.

It wasn’t that it never faced weight.

It was that it was not built to carry that kind of weight when the wind and the strain hit at the same time.

And the tragedy was this.

From the outside it looked fine, until the pressure proved what it really was.

That’s a picture of what happens in relationships and in churches.

Some connections look fine when life is easy.

But then comes stress.

A misunderstanding.

A harsh season.

A disappointment.

A conflict.

And suddenly what was holding it together gets tested.

If it was built on pride, control, and keeping score, it starts to crack.

If it was built on love, it can carry the strain without collapsing into bitterness.

Charity “beareth all things…hopeth all things…endureth all things.”

Love is what God uses to build a bridge strong enough to carry the weight of real life without falling apart.

God builds love in us so relationships can carry strain without breaking into bitterness.

C. Love Stabilizes Spiritual Gifts And Service

The Epistles teach us that gifts are given to build up the body, not inflate the ego.

1 Corinthians 12 teaches one body with many members many gifts.

1 Corinthians 13 teaches us the one motive that must govern them all.

If your service is making you harsh, your service has drifted from love.

1 Peter 4:10 KJV

10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Your gift is a stewardship.

Given to you by a loving God, who will supply the strength you need in order to do what he wants you to do.

So then,

IV. Choose The Only Strength That Lasts

We’ve seen what love is, what love does, and what love protects in a church and in a home.

But Paul isn’t finished.

He lifts our eyes beyond the moment we’re living in and reminds us what will still be standing when everything else is gone.

Because if you want strength for the journey, you don’t build your life on what is temporary.

You build your life on what lasts.

So now let’s come to this final truth and start here…

A. Love Outlasts Everything Else

1 Corinthians 13:8 says, “Charity never faileth.”

Paul says some gifts will cease.

8 …whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

Paul says knowledge will pass.

prophecies, tongues…they are going to stop ( and we believe that they have…we will see why in a moment).

But love, that endures.

If you want to invest in something that lasts, invest in becoming a loving Christian.

Notice secondly,

B. Love Is The Mark Of Spiritual Maturity

1 Corinthians 13:9–10 teaches that right now we know in part now.

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

Theologically this is looking back at the gifts of prophecy and tongues, these special gifts of knowledge…they shall be done away.

Why? Because when that which is perfect is come…

What is that?

It is the perfectly revealed Word of God.

We have in our hands the canon of Scripture.

We no longer need special gifts of knowledge.

But what is the application?

These gifts are not as important as the love we show each other!

I don’t care how good you sing,

or how wonderful of a teacher you are,

or how much money you give in the offering…or to others…

If you do not have a love that looks like this…those other things are useless.

But there is good news…

We are growing.

We are learning.

We are maturing.

And one of the clearest signs of maturity is not volume of talents.

One of the clearest signs of maturity is love.

A mature Christian is not the one who wins every argument because of their vast biblical knowledge.

A mature Christian is the one who looks most like Jesus in the way they treat people.

John Stott said, “We must not think of love as being something separate from truth.”

Truth without love becomes harsh.

Love without truth becomes hollow.

God calls us to both.

Notice with me lastly, that…

C. Love Starts At The Cross

You cannot manufacture 1 Corinthians 13 love in your flesh.

Real love grows where the gospel is believed and obeyed.

1 John 4:19 KJV

19 We love him, because he first loved us.

Sometimes I think people think the gospel is through once they get saved.

No believing in the gospel is more than just salvation…it is for sanctification too.

It is for becoming more like Christ.

If you are struggling to love, return to the place where God loved you when you were unlovely.

Conclusion

Tonight or tomorrow you may be around someone who is difficult.

This week you may be tempted to be sharp, impatient, proud, or self-protective.

And God is going to give you a choice.

You can even be right in tone and wrong in spirit.

Or you can be faithful in truth and full of love.

So here is the decision.

Will you ask the Lord to make you a loving Christian, not just a knowledgeable one.

Will you repent of the ways you have used truth as a weapon.

Will you choose one specific relationship that the Lord lays on your heart…where you will practice patience, kindness, forgiveness, and truth this week.

If you have never come to Christ, your first need is salvation, because you cannot live the Christian life without the Christ.

If you are saved, your next step is surrender, because love is not a personality trait, it is a Spirit-produced fruit.

Galatians 5:22 tells us, “the fruit of the Spirit is love.”

Ask the Lord for strength for the journey.

Then prove it by loving the people right in front of you.