The Priority of Love

Explanation: Paul continues to drive home the importance of unity within the body of Christ. He does so by inserting a teaching about the importance of sacrificial love between his discussion of spiritual gifts. While is called the Love chapter and is often treated as a stand alone understanding of sacrificial love, its context between chapters 12 and 14 is of strategic importance.

The Spiritual Elites had been looking down on other believers, trampling Christian liberty, and creating division in the body through their misuse of their spiritual gifts. The Holy Spirit directs Paul to write to them about the Priority of Love over the particular gifts.

Paul accomplishes this teaching through a hypothetical presentation of a person who is capable of doing incredibly wonderful and amazing things (Powerful speaking and amazing teaching, along with faith that moves mountains). Then Paul stuns the Spirituals by telling them these accomplishments would be worthless without the proper motivation of sacrificial love

Illustrate: Pastor stopping for a member whose car had run out of gas on a highly used road in town. The pastor went and got gas, and as he was pouring the gas in the car he was looking around to see if any of his other church members were driving by. He wanted them to see what a great servant he was being to this stranded motorist

Argument: Motive matters. It is not only important what we do, but it is just as important as to why we do things. It is not of Christ to try to accomplish a good thing if we wind up offending some of our brothers and sisters in the process.

This doesn’t mean that we are never to exercise our service through our giftedness in public; Jesus told us to “let our light so shine before men that they may see [our] good works and glorify [our] Father in heaven” (). What it does mean, is that we are to serve and use our gifts out of concern for others instead of trying to build up ourselves (cf )

Application: Check your motives. Why do you help others?

The Priority of Love is Presented through its Particulars ()

Explanation: To make sure the spiritual elites don’t miss his point, Paul now gives a detailed look at the particular dimensions of agape love. Paul knows that they have not been treating other church members with this type of love, so he is going to take them back to God’s standard. Paul clearly shows the believers the many aspects of true love, a type of love that cannot be faked.

He begins by stating that agape is patient - an element they obviously lacked. They had no time to put up with those they considered inferior.

He presses the issue by declaring that agape is not boastful - many of the problems in Corinth were the result of this group living as if they were better than the others.

Paul continues to hammer the spiritual elites by stating that agape is neither arrogant or rude. The elites were being high and mighty with how they observed the Lord’s Table and ate meat from the idol market without regard for their weaker brothers. [This is a particularly convicting aspect of genuine love for me. I am sometimes rude and I am sometimes arrogant. I am not proud of this, and sometimes I am not even aware of sinning in this way. Regardless, it is not good for a believer to act this way, let alone a pastor.]

Love has no let up on bad behavior. Paul declares that this type of genuine sacrificial love is not irritable or resentful which is a difficult reality to deal with. How do you respond when unexpectedly provoked? How do you deal with that person who intrudes on “your time?”

Paul closes his teaching on agape love with the idea that this type of love goes beyond our interactions with others; it even penetrates to our thought life. Paul declares that agape does not rejoice at wrongdoing. You may not have anything to do with another person who is involved with something negative, but how you respond to their situation is still important.

Illustrate: You have a co-worker whom you really don’t know at that well. She was recently selected for a position you wanted as well. She was qualified, and you don’t dislike her in anyway, and you have never had an issue with her. News comes out that she is being terminated for theft. Your reaction to her bad news is joy, because with her gone you can move into the position.

It is a sign of spiritual maturity when we are broken by the misfortunes of our brothers and sisters, instead of rejoicing or being indifferent. Yes, we should rejoice with the truth, but when sin is revealed in the fellowship, the goal should be restoration, with the understanding the restoration process cannot even begin until the truth is revealed.

Argument: There is incredible depth in just these few simple verses. If we could simply get to this level of interaction with each other, our church fellowship would be explosively transformed in a positive way. If we could just somehow develop the mindset of putting the needs of others before ours it would be amazing!

Thankfully, this is just what is expected of us by Jesus. Jesus is the One who gives grace to the undeserving and actually meets the needs of others at His own expense (). This model of sacrificial love for others is to be our goal as well () and we are empowered to live it out because we have been given the Mind of Christ ().

Application: This is a convicting passage, and we are called to respond to it. We dare not ignore the urging of the Holy Spirit if we desire to please Him. If you are not extending this type of love towards others, then quit making excuses and live it out in Christ. Repent from your sin of being unloving, seek forgiveness where necessary, and move forward with Kingdom love.

The Priority of Love is Portrayed by its Permanence ()

Explanation: Paul tells the Corinthians of the Excellence of Agape Love over the spiritual gifts by declaring its permanence. Under the authority of the Holy Spirit, Paul is teaching that the operation of the Spiritual Gifts will one day cease, but Love will never come to and end. This sacrificial love is eternal.

Paul is telling the believers at Corinth they have their priorities in the wrong order. They are focusing on something that is temporal (the Gifts) at the expense of the eternal (agape Love). Paul tells them that the Gifts have been given to meet a particular need that will no longer be in existence when Christ returns. When Jesus (the Perfect) arrives and sets up His Kingdom, there will be no further need for prophecy or for faith or for miracles or healings. Jesus will be physically present and He will meet all needs in Himself as King

Arguments: Just like the Corinthian believers, we live in the times between, this indeterminate period between Jesus’ first and second Advents. He has left us believers in place in order that we might fulfill the mission He left us with, that of making disciples. In our present world, which is fallen and under the control of the evil one, we cannot see clearly or understand fully. The Gifts help us to remove the fog of sin and complete our mission more effectively.

When compared to the virtue of Love, the Gifts will cease. While some have used verses 8-10 to teach the cessation of the sign gifts, this is not the emphasis. The point Paul is making is that Love is more excellent than the Gifts because of its permanent use. Love will never cease or stop, even with the arrival of Jesus.

Application: Since we will be exercising Agape Love for all Eternity, it is a very good idea to be practicing it now.

Close: Can you imagine what our Church could be like if each of us practiced this type of sacrificial love? What a difference it would make if we put aside our personal agendas and focused on the Agenda of Jesus!

Yes, Jesus would have us know our gifts, and He definitely wants us to use them for His glory, but He knows that will not happen unless our hearts are tuned to the theme of sacrificial love. Believer, have you been living for YOUR agenda instead of His? Have you offended a brother or sister by pushing for YOUR way instead of the Master’s?

I also want you to consider the depth of the sacrificial love that Jesus has for us. The opening Scripture this morning stated, “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (). If you are here this morning and do not understand this type of love, you CAN know it today! If the Spirit of Christ has opened your blinded eyes to see His love and sacrifice for you, why don’t you surrender your life and claim Jesus as Lord?

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