UNITY CHRIST EVANGELICAL MINISTRY (UCEM)

LOVE

Part Five

                                          Raphael Oye Taiwo 

 Love is more important than the gifts of the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 12: 31 says, ‘But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.’

Chapter thirteen shows us the ‘more excellent way.’ It is agape - a Greek word for love, used often in the New Testament (John 13:35; 1 Cor. 13:1; 1John 4:7-18).

Verse 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.

Tongue is an unlearned foreign language that the Holy Spirit supernaturally gives a person the ability to speak.

Tongues are languages spoken by tribes of people in the world and a language spoken by angels in heaven as their ‘native’ language.

Some people of God are so blessed with the gifts of tongues that they speak, by the Spirit of God, three, four, five or more languages of men and angels.

ICor 12:28 (NIV).

And in the Church of God has appointed.... those speaking in different kinds of tongues.

But if such people lack genuine love – for God and for their fellow human beings - they should regard themselves as of no spiritual weight and esteem, empty barrels that make futile noises, mere sounding brass and tinkling cymbals with no effectual power.

Verse 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.

Balaam was endowed with the gifts of prophecy and gifts of Revelation in enviable measure.

Num 24:15-16

15 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:

16 He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open

He was also given divine power and authority that were widely recognized and acknowledged - even by Balaak, the proud king of the land. ‘He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor… Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me… for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.’ Numbers 22:5-6.

But in spite of these spiritual gifts, Balaam had no fruit of love in his life.

He was ready to curse a whole nation of fellow human beings, even against the expressed will of God, for worldly honor, riches and glory.

He lost the grace of the Holy Spirit, received another spirit and got destroyed with the wicked. ‘Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them’ Joshua 13:22.

The apostle Paul was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man was not permitted to tell because of its spiritual depth (2Cor. 12:2). In spite of this great spiritual experience, Paul said he would be nothing if he had no love.

The great apostle pointed out the superiority of love over:

Deep spiritual knowledge.

‘Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up’ (NIV) 1 Corinthians 8:1

Religious works.

‘For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love’ Gal 5:6, Mountain-moving faith will fail to move a mole-hill if it is not powered by love.

Spiritual gifts and power.

According to 1 Cor. 134:1-2, the most glorious gifts are nothing, of no spiritual benefit, of no importance in the sight of God, if the receiver is deficient in the love. It is, in fact, dangerous to seek spiritual gifts without the grace of love.

Many are the tragic stories of those who were endowed with great anointing and operated in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but whose lives were deficient in the precious grace of love. These stories should teach us a good lesson.

Love One - SUPREMACY AND IMPORTANCE OF LOVE

Love Two - WHY WE MUST LOVE OUR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS
Love Three - WHAT THE PEOPLE OF GOD SHOULD DO CONCERNING LOVE
Love Four - MANIFESTATIONS OF LOVE

Love Five - WHAT LOVE IS, DOES AND DOES NOT - One

Love Six - WHAT LOVE IS, DOES AND DOES NOT - Two

Love Seven - WHAT LOVE IS, DOES AND DOES NOT - Three

Love Eight - WHAT LOVE IS, DOES AND DOES NOT - Four

Love Nine - WHAT LOVE IS, DOES AND DOES NOT - Five

Love Ten - WHAT LOVE IS, DOES AND DOES NOT - Six