12:31b And I will show you a still more excellent way. 13:1 If i speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 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. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Perhaps the most difficult thing to do as a man is to love. And perhaps that should be qualified. It is rather easy for a man to fall in love with his own desires and things that gratify his own nature. Selfish "love" abounds in the heart of a man. Now, we put love in quotes because it is not really love, but is rather lust. Self-lust is the exact opposite of love. It should be no wonder to us that the world promotes this brand of love over real love. Self-lust is the pinnacle of human sin and is a commodity all men, in their deadness of heart and soul, seek after with a vengeance.
And obviously self-lust does not go away just because we call ourselves Christians. Paul here describes six different persons exercising real spiritual gifts. The first is a person who can speak in tongues; an early manifestation of the Holy Spirit that was necessary to preach the gospel to the nations. The second is one who utters prophecy. The third is one who is wise in the Divine wisdom of God. The fourth is a person who can exercise great faith. The fifth is someone who is extraordinarily generous, and the sixth is a person who can willingly become a martyr for the faith. Yet in all of these circumstances, Paul suggests it is possible that each person could be doing these things without real love as their motivation. This does not mean that these acts do not produce good things in the Church of God, because in the end God is sovereign and can work all of these things for the good of His people. (Rom 8:28) However, Paul is clearly stating that it will not be for the good of the person exercising the gifts.
Paul is not speaking from obscurity here, as if it is not possible for someone to exercise spiritual gifts, yet not be regenerated by the Spirit. Jesus says that there will be those who claim their own salvation by reminding Him on the Day of Judgment all the good works they did in His name. His response, "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." (Mt 7:22-23) Not only is it possible that men can deceitfully do mighty works in the Church of God, but it is an all too sad reality from the very beginning of the ancient church right up to our own day that men can do great things in the Church, yet be sons of their father, the devil. And should the Lord tarry, we can expect that many will play the part; those who do great works among us motivated by their own self-love.
So you see that everything you do in your service to God as a man of God must be motivated by love of God, not love of self, or even love of any other person. It is not impossible for any man to serve others for man's approval and not God's. (Gal 1:10) This is desiring the love of other men more than the love of God. Rather, our actions must be the result of the love of God shown to us, and His love springing up in us. (1 Joh 2:4-6, 4:8-10)
What does that love look like? We will take that up in the next several weeks of contemplations.
Assignment:
1. Memorize 1 Cor 13:1-3.
2. Journal about the ways in which you believe you love God.
3. Journal about the ways in which you believe you 'love' yourself (self-lust).
4. Write down a prayer of forgiveness for your self-lust, specifically citing all of the things you wrote in your journal about and pray it each day of this week.
