Power – Love pt1
28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way. [1Co 12:28-31 NIV]
1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. … 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. [1Co 13:1, 13 NIV]
Paul gives us an understanding of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians (Please read 1 Cor 12-14). In Chapter 12, he lists the gifts (probably not an exhaustive list) and gives instruction as to how to use them, who should use them, and when. He says that we should all desire the gifts and even the “greater gifts,” implying that there is a level of importance. He lists tongues as one of the most misused and abused gifts, and he lists prophecy as one of the “greatest” gifts. He encourages us all to prophesy because of the utilitarian nature of prophecy. I would say it is the door to the other gifts – for it is through prophecy and hearing God’s voice that we understand and are prompted to use many of the other gifts.
Paul calls them manifestations. It was evident in working with a demon-possessed man that the spiritual realm manifests through humans. In the case of the demonic, it is very destructive and evil. The Holy Spirit is a spirit, and He desires to manifest through God’s children. Through humans. It is not unusual in the spiritual realm to manifest through a human. Satan thrusts himself on people. God’s Spirit (God Himself) comes politely and with our desire. He does not manipulate or come uninvited. He is in control of who He “possesses,” but it’s by desire and invitation. God is a gentleman.
Because of that Spirit who lives in us (Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world), we can overcome the world. Paul encourages us to eagerly desire the spiritual gifts – to ask, seek, practice. It is God’s purpose that He may walk with us as He did in Eden – in the cool of the evening and join with us. That has been His purpose all along – to inhabit us.
The chapter ends with the haunting verse (31) now I will show you a most excellent way. And then he discourses about love in Chapter 13. “If I speak in the tongues of men and angels but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” He is now going to show us a more excellent WAY. This is not negating the gifts by saying love replaces the gifts. He is using the word MORE to mean additional – to give direction, purpose, power to. Without love, the gifts destroy, puff up with pride, confuse. Indeed, that is what He is warning about in these two chapters. Men were going into the church and just speaking in tongues without interpretation. It was interrupting and causing more harm than good. After his discourse on love in Chapter 13, he begins and ends with encouraging the gifts WITH love. In other words, the “more excellent way” is to let love always motivate us in the use of the gifts. Love is our goal, aim, method, and outcome. Within that parameter, we are to ask for, desire, covet the gifts.
I will say love is the only true reason to use the gifts. Love sets people free, builds them up, centers them in Christ. I have seen people interrupt a church service with prophecy through pride (they were rebuked by the pastor). Yes, it was a genuine gifting used outside of love. Then, I have seen the most dramatic transformation in a man’s heart because LOVE ushered, coached, encouraged the use of the gifts to set a man free. Once he was able to walk in that freedom, he started setting others free.
Love is the most excellent path. Paul then picks up in 14:1 and summarizes this most excellent way.
Follow the way of love and eagerly desire the spiritual gifts – especially the way of love. This appears to not be a suggestion but rather direction for the church in Corinth and those churches he cares for. I want to follow Christ, and I want to utilize all of Paul’s instruction for the Lord’s church.
Let’s pray, Father, show me the way of love. Change me, mold me, break me. Let me be living love like you were. Please manifest love through me. Let me overcome the oppression of Satan on this world through love and using the gifts of the Spirit for which you died to give us. It is your gift to others. I wish, desire, plead with you to let me operate in prophecy and the other gifts. I ask for the opportunity to love using those gifts and to give of myself to others.”
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