T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
1013
for it is love, and all understand th a t language,— and “ of angels,”—for love is the native speech of heaven. It has but two rivals in literatu re , viz: ' th e seventeenth chapter of John and th e tw enty-third Psalm , though the essence of all th ree is John 3:16. If th a t is th e “ h ea rt of th e Gospel” as it has been so aptly called, then th is th irte en th chapter of 1 Corinthians is the “ Gospel of th e h e a rt.” Outline: (1) The A uthor of Love. (2 ) The Apostle of Love. (3 ) The Absence of Love. (4 ) The A ttribu tes of Love. (5) The Personification of Love. (6) The Catechism of Love. (1 ) The A uthor of Love. The au th o r of love is th e Holy Spirit. He is th e real A uthor of our lesson for “ all Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Tim. 3 :1 6 ). In Rom. 15: 30 we read of “ the love of the Spirit” and He it is who sheds abroad the love of God in our h earts (Rom. .5 :5 ). “Everyone th a t loveth is born of God” (1 John 4 :7 ) and love for the b reth ren is a sign of the new b irth (1 John 3: 14). The Bible is “God’s love le tte r.” It is the “ Good Message” because it is a love message. In one or another form th e word “love” occurs more than four hundred times in relation to the John is called the “Apostle of Love.” He was “ th a t disciple whom Jesus loved.” But P aul was no t in th a t group of twelve. John said much of love. He uses the word a hundred and fourteen times, and he w rote “ For God so loved th e world” (John 3 :1 6 ). But Paul must divide the honors w ith him for he wrote th e th irte en th chapter of 1st Corinthians, and he uses th e word “ love” ninety seven times in his epis tles. He is the au tho r of such words as Phil. 4 :1 : love between God and man. (2) The Apostle of Love.
“ Therefore, m y brethren, d early beloved and longed fo r, m y jo y and m y crown.” (Eph. 5:1, 2) “ B e y e therefore fo llow ers of God, as dear children; And w a lk in love, as Christ also hath loved ns.” * * * Fo r him to live was Christ (Gal. 2: 20), and he would have died for his b reth ren according to th e flesh. (Rom. 9 :3 ) Beloved Paul! (3 ) The Absence of Love. The th ree opening verses show th a t th e gifts of power named in th e p re ceding chapter, and which were held in such high esteem a t Corinth, are not only inferior to love, b u t worthless w ithout it. The Corinthians disputed about th e ir favorites,— Paul, Cephas, Apollos,— as to which of them was most gifted and powerful. P aul makes love th e chief of all gifts, th e very crown of crowns. Not healing, not m iracle working, or even good works, compare w ith it. The Spirit who “ divides to every man severally as He will’ is su re ly ready to give th e best to everyone who covets it. (1 Cor. 12:31) W ithout love,— eloquence, prophetic foresight, mystic insight, lim itless learning, open coffers and even fearless martyrdom for opinion,-—are vahity of vanities. How little of the applause sounding in the ears of e a rth ’s mighty, or noble, or wise, or even charitable wakes even a tw inkling echo in heaven! Search your h eart! And yet a h eart th a t must be searched and tried in this m atter has not much love. W hat tru e wife would care for lavish gifts from a husband who kept back his h eart? Christ preferred Mary’s devotion to M artha’s attention. He more desires obedience to th e first commandment and th a t second which is like unto it (Matt. 22:37-39) th a n all sacrifice and burnt-offering. (Isa. 1:11-13) He has no pleasure in them who honor Him w ith th e ir lips while th e ir h earts are far from Him. (Matt. 1 5 :8 ). “ T h is people d raw eth nigh to me w ith their month and hononreth me w ith their lip s; but their h eart is ta r from me.”
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker