By George Slover    |    Visit www.smc

Why is love the greatest?  We need to know why, for love’s greatness is the motivation to practice it.  Why is love greater than faith?  If I lack faith then I will not love God or my brethren.  Why is love greater than hope?  If I lack hope then I cannot endure to reach heaven’s gate.  Faith justifies us (Romans 4); faith and hope preserve the soul (Hebrews 10:32-12:2).  Love may be the greatest in 1 Corinthians 13, but that does not diminish the greatness of faith and hope.

Paul targets the abuses of miraculous gifts among the Corinthians in chapters twelve through fourteen of this letter.  They were using their gifts for showboating and self-aggrandizement.  This was not in harmony with the intended use of miraculous gifts.  These gifts were designed to benefit “the common good” (12:7).  The apostle exhorted the Corinthians to let all things be done for edification (14:26).  Edification demands an outward-looking attitude that seeks to build up others rather than self.

The Bible calls such an attitude love.  When we seek the welfare of others, we love them.  “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).  This is the highest love of all: caring love.  Caring love makes sacrifices for the benefit of others.  It takes ego out of the equation.  It does not want to be lauded for tongue-speaking; it wants tongue-speaking to build up others.  So then if there is no interpreter whereby people can understand what is said and therefore be edified, love keeps one’s trap shut (14:1-28).  An uncaring glory hound will speak anyway, inciting jealousy and resentment (13:4-7).  Love avoids this.  It seeks to build others up in faith and godliness, not knock them down to a carnal level.

Pride in our talents can be dangerous.  It can put the focus exclusively on self.  This is why love is, contextually, the greatest: it causes us to treat others the way we should treat them.  “Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies” (8:1).
Let us “pursue love” (14:1)!

Todd McAdams preaches for the Eastside church of Christ in Palestine, TX.


 

And David said to God, 'Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O LORD my God, be against me and my father's house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.'" (1 Chronicles 21:17)

The first verse of the chapter states: Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. (1 Chronicles 21:1)  Joab, the commander of Israel’s army, tried to dissuade David from bringing guilt upon the nation, but the king overruled him. Thus, God punished Israel.  This led to David’s confession:  "I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing; but now, I pray, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly." (1 Chronicles 21:8)

God gave David three options for punishment: 'either three years of famine, or three months to be defeated by your foes with the sword of your enemies overtaking you, or else for three days the sword of the LORD-the plague in the land, with the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.' (1 Chronicles 21:12)  David’s reply led to the death of 70,000 men in Israel.  Furthermore, David saw an angel ready to destroy Jerusalem.  This is where David intercedes with the words spoken in verse 17.

David takes full and personal responsibility for this tragedy.  He offers no excuses for his transgression and blames only himself.  He submits himself as an object of punishment and wishes to relieve his people from the plague and suffering.

David’s confession is a full acknowledgment of his own offense.  He frankly and freely owns all the sin that is his:  “I am the one who has sinned”; these sheep, what have they done?  “It’s my fault!  Spare the people!”    Like anyone with character, David is willing to take the punishment for his personal sin.

In this confession, David also acknowledges God’s mercy (vs. 13)  It is better to fall into the hands of God than the hands of men.  In all his dealings God is just, but also full of mercy.  David looks upon his sheep as guileless and innocent and pleads for God’s compassion to spare them.

What a pathetic scene!  An angel who has smitten throughout Israel is passing by Jerusalem, his sword drawn!  The king is clad in sackcloth prostrate before the Lord.  When a confession is offered in such a humble, self-renouncing position, it will surely prevail with God!

By George Slover

Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,” (2 Corinthians 1:9)

The remarkable life of Paul was full of trials.  However, Paul always had a positive view of life.  In this section he begins (vs.3) with an ascription of praise: “blessed”.  The basis of his praise is in God who “comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:4)

The affliction had become so intense that Paul compares it to the sentence of death. (See II Corinthians 4:10-12)  God’s children are often afflicted.  It is through much tribulation that we will enter the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22)  Sometimes those trials bring us to the “edge” or “the borderland”.  “What more can happen”? We ask.  With Paul it was to the brink of death!

During these trying moments, we learn a valuable lesson.  We learn to trust God.  It is natural to lean on a parent or some other mentor, or even material wealth, whatever is tangible to get us through the tough times.  However, sometimes all of those crutches are removed.  Our feeling of helplessness must deliver us from self-trust and help us to place full confidence in the grace of God.  These afflictions detach us from the material world and link us to God who works a far more and exceeding, eternal weight of glory. (II Corinthians 4:17)

In whom does Paul trust?  He trusts God who raises the dead!  Abraham had this comfort as well. (Romans 4:17; Hebrews 11:17-19)  He believed in God who is able to bring life to a dead womb and a dead tomb!  Death is man’s greatest fear and most dreaded affliction.  God can deliver us from death and manage all of our troubles.

When one is taken to “the borderland”, and is delivered, he is able to have a much better view of life.  He can look forward to the future and know God’s grace is sufficient everywhere and in all things.

George Slover

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;” (Isaiah 61:1)

Imagine a man walking into a religious assembly, opening the Bible to this passage, reading it, then proclaiming he was the fulfillment of this prophecy. Yet this is what Jesus did in the synagogue in Nazareth 2000 years ago. Luke says those who heard marveled at his gracious words.

Isaiah, 700 years before the time of Christ, spoke about the mission of the Messiah. Under the law, priests and kings were anointed as a sign of the appointment to a high office or commission by God. According to Isaiah, just what was God‘s mission for this Messiah-King?

Jesus did not come into the world to condemn it, but to save it. (John 3:17) The angels announced the birth of Christ proclaiming peace and good tidings. The Messiah’s forerunner declared that “all flesh would see the salvation of God“ (Luke 3:6)  During his earthly ministry, Jesus plainly stated that he came to seek and save the lost. (Luke 19:9) There is no better news than this!

The brokenhearted are the target of the Messiah‘s message. The main thrust of this proclamation is to those broken by the burden of sin. Christ made atonement for sin and secured a means of forgiveness. The Lord’s life, death, and resurrection was a declaration of God‘s mercy.

In addition, the Messiah came to free the captives.  All of Satan’s prisoners are slaves of sin. Christ not only offered freedom from the guilt of sin, but freedom from its bondage. “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:11) Men are slaves of lust and habit. But Christ has opened the prison doors and cast off the fetters.

These marvelous blessings are not offered to the “rich“ and “noble“ – to those who solely pride in human accomplishment. They are offered to the meek and humble; to those so crushed by hopelessness, that their primary longing is the joy only found in fellowship with God. 

By George Slover