Fit for the Master's Use

Because God is Love, everything God touches stems from love. Just as compassion is a hallmark of Christianity, so love permeates through every aspect of our faith. In order to be fit for the Master's use, love for God, others, and, in moderation, ourselves, must be who we are in Christ. Just as we cannot show compassion lest we be compassionate, so we cannot love without the love of Christ ruling in our heart, mind, and soul.

From our text last Sunday we saw the cause, symptoms, and cure for divisions in the church, as well as in life. We see divisions, anger, hatred, animosity, greed, envy, and strife everywhere today. It is easy, especially on Sunday all dressed up, Bible in hand and feeling good, to say what we need is more love. We definitely do need love, but it is often draped in benevolence, charity, kindness or, even worse, mere words. Nothing rings so hollow and shallow as hypocritical language, sermons, speeches, lectures and conversations that have no feeling, no emotion, no concern, no compassion and no love. They are hurtful and insulting. Save your breath, I say.

When we love, we must love them in Christ. We must be real, honest, and consistent. "People have a way of seeing right through us." Perhaps nothing does more damage to Kingdom causes and soul winning than fraudulent do-gooders that will say and do whatever benefits them but then abandon their cause and post when they think no one is looking. A true test is what you do and who you are when no one is looking.

We will be in 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, on Sunday. This chapter is a breath of fresh air in a barnyard. It is an oasis in a desert of problems. The Corinthian Christians were not walking in the Spirit. They were selfish, self-designing, self-motivated, self-willed and doing everything to promote their own interest and welfare. They had a serious deficiency - they lacked "Agape." This chapter is the best definition of "Agape" in Scripture. It is not charity, not brotherly kindness, not erotic or romantic. This love is self-giving. It is the self-sacrificing love that enabled Christ to leave His rightful place in Heaven to come to this vile world to die for wretched sinners while we were still His enemies. This love now resides within us. We can love as He did.

I will outline verses 1-3 as follows:

I. Eloquence without love is nothing (1)

II. Prophecy, Knowledge, and Faith without love are nothing (2)

III. Benevolence and Martyrdom without love are is nothing (3)

We have to test ourselves, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 11:28) to make sure that we have not drifted away into an abyss of fakery.