The world does not care how spiritual we are if we don’t have love. God inspired the apostle Paul to address this matter in his epistle to the Corinthians. In chapter 12 of that letter, he taught on various spiritual gifts, nine to be exact. But then he says, “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing” (1 Cor. 13:2, NIV)!
Some may think it is not possible for someone to operate so mightily in spiritual gifts while not showing love. But if it were not possible, Paul would not have made such a statement. Come on; I know you have met someone in church that appears to be a spiritual giant but whose spirit turns you off.
On the other hand, it’s possible for a person to not have any of the spiritual gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, but through showing love toward others, the Lord uses him supernaturally.
Exceptional biblical knowledge does not impress the lost. I saw a church’s sign outside that said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” One mistake Christians sometimes make is that when they meet someone who is an unbeliever, they try shoving the entire Bible down the person’s throat in one conversation. But the person won’t be won or impressed just because we quote a Bible verse between every ten words we speak.
Everybody Responds to Love
Jesus told His disciples that by showing love toward each other, “all men” would know they were His disciples (John 13:35). Love is a universal language. Love is what gives the message of the gospel its power and appeal. “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8, KJV). Everyone responds to the power of love.
Most unbelievers do not understand Christian doctrine. There is no need for them to do so. Furthermore, with our lingo and our many clichés, Christianity is almost a different language understood only by those on the inside. But the world does understand and respond to genuine love.
Christian Love Should Be Making a Bigger Difference
When it comes to impacting this world for the Kingdom, spiritual gifts and our spiritual fervor pale in comparison to showing love to others. We should be a model for the world to follow. Take, for instance, racial tension in America. There seems to be no cure for this social ill. But the truth is that genuine love transcends racial differences.
Marital infidelity is also rampant in America. A different situation should exist, however, among Christian couples because of the love God has placed in our heart. Wouldn’t it be great if politicians and world leaders flocked to the local church to try and figure out why an enduring kind of love exists among Christian couples?
I know; that’s not how it is. But that’s what’s so mystifying about the whole thing. Through an operation of the Holy Spirit, God has put within us a capacity to love that the world does not have. But in the end, it appears to be making so little difference.
Copyright © 2023 by Frank King. All rights reserved.