But Have Not Love!
Pastor Bill Nichols - February 14, 2010All Bible References New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted
Introduction
As we all know, today is Valentine's Day. It is considered to be a day of romantic love with hearts and flowers and cards and candies and gifts that are supposed to express to our dearest and closest loved ones how much we care about them. Wikipedia defines it as "an annual held on February 14 celebrating love affection between intimate companions." The holiday is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. (Wikipedia)
The Scriptures have a lot to say about the topic of love. Of course we are familiar with love God and love your neighbor as yourself. We have all memorized John 3:16, "For God so loved the world. . ."
Romans 5:8
"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
First John is replete with references to love, such as
First John 3:1
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God."
First John 3:18
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us."
First John 3:16
"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."
But some of my favorite verses concerning love come from
First John 4:7-12
7 "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us."
I find this passage of Scripture to be an awesome testimony as to God's love, and a powerful statement as to how we, as Christians are to love one another.
I. But Have Not Love
But the passage I want to focus on this morning comes from
First Corothians 13:1-3
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."
There is one word in this passage that is repeated three times that puts a condition on everything that we do in life. That word is "but"!
Speak in the tongues of men and of angels
First Paul mentions speaking in the tongues of men and angels. In Chapter 14 Paul talks about spiritual gifts. There he states in verse five, "I would like everyone of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy."
Now it is not my intent this morning to get into the topic of speaking in tongues. I simply want to use this verse to point out that Paul is speaking to Christians about worship. The point is that they are believers, Christians, and they were exercising their spiritual gifts. First Corinthians 13:1 tells me that they were hypocrites. They claimed to love God, and as we have seen from verses in First John, if you love God you will also love one another. They claimed to love God, and they were going through the motions of worship by speaking in the tongues of men and angels, but they did not do it out of love.
I wonder how many of us are like that. We claim to be a child of God, and we do all the things we think that we are expected to do, go to church, serve, give of our time and monies, pray, read our Bibles, and so on, but we do it all without the slightest thought of love for God and for one another? If we do this, we are just making a lot of noise before God. God wants true and sincere worship from us. In order for us to worship God like that, we must love God and we must love one another.
Faith without love is useless
Next Paul says "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." In the book of James it talks about faith and works. James says "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds. . . In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." James 2:14-17
But Paul here is talking about someone who has great faith. Faith that can move mountains. This person understands the mysteries of God and is full of knowledge and I would guess wisdom. He even has the ability to prophecy. He is a spiritual giant and a genius humanly speaking. A regular Albert Einstein. But all of these things are of no value at all if they are not exercised with love.
Have you ever heard the term, "Holier than thou?" Uh huh, Uh huh. Have you ever met someone who thinks that they can walk on water. Uh huh, Uh huh. Maybe think they can part the Red Sea? Uh huh, Uh huh. I automatically think of TV evangelists, but that is not really fair. I have seen those TV evangelists who had this mindset, but I have also seen those who appear to have a sincere love for God and for their people.
It is not what you do, it is how you love
Finally Paul says, "If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."
Here Paul seems to be talking about sacrifice. A person can give away everything they have to a good cause and even suffer terrible persecution in the name of God, but if it is done without love, they gain nothing in the eyes of God.
Since it is Valentine's Day, I want to relate this last verse to the lover's relationship. Think about some of the sacrifices that you make in your relationship with one another. Maybe you work long hours at your job in order to provide a good living for your spouse and family. Maybe you work hard to keep the house clean and tidy so there would not be tension in the relationship. Maybe you balance the checkbook and pay the bills. Maybe you do all the grocery shopping and cook the meals. You can make a long list of the things that you do in your relationship, some you enjoy doing, and others you make sacrifices and do for whatever reason. Let me just ask you one question. Do you do these things with love, or do you gripe about them or use them as a weapon in your relationship. If the sacrifices that you are making in your relationship are not done with love, then you gain nothing, with God, or with your husband/wife, significant other.
Conclusion
Let me conclude this morning with a passage written by the Apostle Paul to the church in Philippi, that pretty much sums up how our relationships should be with each other, not only as husband and wife, but as friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc.
Philippians 2:1-4
1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."
The only way that you can follow the example of Jesus and live this kind of life is to have Him at the heart of your life. Jesus loved you so much that He gave His life for your. When you put Jesus first in your life by accepting His love and forgiveness, then you can experience not only the love that God has for you, but the kind of love in your relationships with each other that God intends for you to have. Why not make this Valentines Day the day you surrender to God's love.