Show Notes
1 Corinthians 13, Marriage Series
The great need in every time and place has been the same: love; for love acts beyond what any expects. It gives what is needed and more. Without it, all the noblest acts have a hollowness and shallowness. All the knowledge in the world cannot replace love as the most profound need of our lives. As we evaluate the world in which we live, we may state that the church needs to exhibit the supernatural to get our fallen society's attention. Indeed, this will undoubtedly get some of their attention. But the question is, will it make an eternal difference in their lives? For some, it will, but for others, even miracles won't affect change in their hearts. Even the resurrection of Lazarus was not enough to open the hardened hearts of some. There is something that each of us can be involved in that may not attract the attention of the crowds but will certainly impact the lives of individuals we encounter day by day. It allows God's love to flow through our lives. The kind of love that each of us needs can only come from the hand of God. Only He can love us enough. The best that each of us can give to one another falls far short of what each of us needs. We need something that we don't deserve. The problem is that we need it over and over again. God never tires of us in our need.
The apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthian church, a gifted church with much going for it. Despite this, something lacking was undermining their effectiveness of ministry to each other and the world around them. All the giftedness in the world cannot compensate for the lack of this one essential ingredient. In addressing their problems and challenges, Paul zeroes in on the issue's heart. What is motivating their lives? What compels them to do what they are doing? Without the love of God as the compelling force in their lives, the church would continue to struggle and be ineffective. What is true for them is equally true for us. Jonathan Smith, the author of Gulliver's Travels, writes: 'Often we have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.'
