VERSE OF THE DAY FOR SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

 

Today's Verse for Meditation and memorization is 1 Corinthians 13:1

though I speak with the tongues of men and of  angels and have not charity,  I am become a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. 

Thoughts on Today's Verse

It is very easy for us to say "I love you" but do we really understand what that word means? This verse is relatively common to the average Christian. But do you ever  wonder if  we really understand its implication? Most often we read it superficially and quickly move to other things without pausing to reflect on it. 1Corinthians 13 is the classical chapter on love. It gives us all the characteristics of love. From Verses 4-7 it describes in detail the fruits of love. Love suffers long and is kind, it does not envy, it is not puffed up, it does not behave unseemly, it does not seek its own, it is not easily provoked, it does not think evil, it does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things. 

In 1John 3:18, we are warned not to love in word, neither in tongue but in deed and in truth. This shows that love can only be expressed in what it can do; in the fruits it bears. John 3:16 for God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. And in Romans 5:8 but God commended his love to us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. In John 15:13 greater love has no man than this that he laid down his life for his friends.  God demonstrated to us through Jesus that love is the culmination of all the law and prophets. Hence  in Romans 10:13 it is the fulfilment of the law because it does no ill to his neighbour.

Love is one of the fruits of the the holy spirit.  Galatians 5;22, but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith. Natural human love is selfish. It can never qualify for the kind of love God demands from us. Verse 3 of 1 Corinthians 13, will tell us that even if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and have not charity, it profits me nothing. So this means that philanthropy is not charity. Alms giving is not necessarily Charity, hospitality is not charity. Charity is far bigger and greater than what our minds can fathom. It is a gift that God gives when we totally yield to the leading of the holy spirit and cease trying to do things according to the flesh.  "For there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit" Romans 8:1

PRAYER: father, if you do not help us, our best efforts at preaching and showing love will remain a mere show..."a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal". In your infinite mercy, make us to bear this fruit for without it we cannot have fulfilled the law. This we ask in Jesus name, Amen!