If . . .

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Imagine a church where the people are divided by loyalty to different leaders. They make excuses for their sinful actions and argue over unimportant issues. The people within this church are obsessed with outward displays of faith, but they neglect the deeper struggles in their hearts. They argue over how to gather, and they taint their theology with the world’s teaching. Add all these descriptions up, and you get a glimpse into the church at Corinth—one of the churches the apostle Paul wrote letters to (1 and 2 Corinthians).

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul goes straight to the heart of the matter, saying, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing” (verses 1-3). Paul is basically saying, “If I do good things before people but I’m not fueled by the love of God, my actions are noisy, pointless, and fruitless.”

I can’t help but think about our own obsession with being seen, praised, and esteemed. In this technological era, we are more capable than ever of recording our achievements and good deeds before a wide audience in order to be seen and applauded. God’s Word teaches us another way to sacrifice, love, and serve others—not out of a desire to be seen, but out of an overflow of love (see 1 Corinthians 16:14).

This question provides a good test for our actions: Are we sharing, serving, and doing good out of a love for God or a love for self? Here is my modern paraphrase of Paul’s statements to the Corinthians:

If I share on social media, saying all the right things, but the love of Christ is not fueling my words, I am like a noisy gong and a clanging cymbal.

If I show up to serve at church only to be seen and praised by others, but I am not faithful in my everyday life, I am storing up treasures on earth, not in heaven.

If I judge my neighbor for doing the same things I do behind closed doors without repenting of my own sin, I am not living in the marvelous grace of Jesus.

But if I look to Christ, who embodies true sacrificial love, and if I forgive as I’ve been forgiven, the gospel will be proclaimed and Jesus will be glorified.

With the Holy Spirit’s help, I can show genuine love to others—not because I am able, but because God is.

May we move toward Jesus, looking to his life and example. And may we follow in his footsteps, marked by love, sacrifice, forgiveness, and surrender.

Word before World Love for Christ should fuel our every action (see 2 Corinthians 5:14).

Grow in Grace Meditate on Paul’s description of love in 1 Corinthians 13:3-8. Pray for God’s love to fuel your actions, your sharing, your serving, and your motivation.