Thursday, February 26, 2009

Conspicuous Spirituality

Jesus told his disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 ESV)  From the beginning of the Church, love for God and others has been the hallmark of our faith expression.

 

That is why Paul took the issue head on when he wrote the Church at
Corinth, where believers were being led astray from love because of their divisions, immorality, pride, and inconsiderateness.  In 1 Corinthians 13:1-2, Paul writes, “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.”


On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit had come upon the apostles so that they were given the gift of being able to speak in languages that they had never learned so that people from various cultures and languages could understand them. But Paul reminds us that if we are able to speak eloquently in earthly languages or even utter the very language of angels, without love we are nothing.

 

Believe what you will about the miracle or sign gifts (and I’m sure that within the readers of this post we’d have a divergence of opinion), the truth is that life in the Spirit is characterized first and foremost by love, not by charismatic manifestations. By the negative, Paul reminds us that the only exercise of language which profits is that which is done within the context of genuine love.

Paul likens the sound of loveless speech to noisy gongs and clanging cymbals. Cymbals were associated with pagan cults in that day.  When going to a pagan temple, worshippers would bang the cymbals or gongs to awaken the “gods”.  To speak without love is as empty as pagan worship.

 

The Corinthians believed that their eloquence in human language and their ability to speak in unknown tongues had automatically ushered them into a higher plane of spiritual existence.  They enjoyed their “conspicuous spirituality” which ultimately only called attention to themselves.  Going to church, taking communion, marching for life, feeding the poor, visiting the sick or those in prison, singing praise choruses, and doing good deeds minus a genuine love for God and others equals nothing. All of these things done faithfully with love for God and others equals a life well lived and God being glorified!

Posted by Jim at 15:14:56 | Permalink | Comments (1) »

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Love Is A Many Splendored Thing

Love, according to an old song, “is a many splendored thing.” It may be, but it’s also a word that is often used and variously defined. I love my wife, I love chili cheese fries, I love hot dogs, I love the Panthers, I love my car, I love my country, I love my dog, and the list goes on. Further, there are any number of truncated definitions of love floating around out there. Allow me to point out a few

Love equals romance. Consequently, we learn that some celebrity is once again “in love” with a new and more exciting boyfriend.  They have been photographed while vacationing at St. Croix and maybe they’ll marry for a few months or a couple of years until the romance fades.  This view of love is all wrapped up in romantic gifts and get-aways.

Love is a feeling. “I-I-I-I-I’m hooked on a feelin’, high on believin’ that you’re in love with me.” So sang B.J. Thomas, long before most of you were born. His words sum up the idea that love is an emotion which gives us the oosie-goosies or the warm fuzzies. Sadly, many think love equals a feeling like none they’ve ever felt before, but when that feeling fades they move on to greener pasture.

Love means never having to say you’re sorry. Well, this one is even more dated than the B.J. Thomas song. The 1970 classic “Love Story” starring Ali McGraw and Ryan O’Neal included the signature line: “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” The idea being that love never needs to apologize because love forgives all wrongs.

Love means never being critical or negative. Love, so it goes, never takes hard stands; love equals tolerance and understanding. But love devoid of truth is not love at all. One of the most unloving things you can do is allow error to be passed off as truth without lifting a finger to stop it. A loving rebuke that speaks the truth when needed, while hard to do and hard to hear, is the most loving thing you can do for another person.

Genuine love is like a diamond. It has many facets which encompass the totality of life. In Galatians 5:22, we find that love is the very first “fruit” produced in one’s life by the indwelling Spirit of God. That God given love is the soil in which Christian faith, ministry, and community grows.  We have been given the command to “love one another.”  It is only when God’s love has its rule in our life that we can fulfill that command.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35 ESV)

Posted by Jim at 15:05:26 | Permalink | Comments (1) »

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Viva La Difference!

OK, I’m a romantic.  If that tarnishes my image with you, too bad.  I like being married to Becky.  I like holding hands.  I like walking together and talking.  I like watching her watch me.  Life with Becky is better than ever before.

But relationships do have their ups and downs.  Do you remember when you first met that special someone?  Probably all you could see then was how alike you were.  Then after you had lived together a few months it was very apparent how different you are.


 

Maybe one of you is an early riser and the other a night owl. One of you is daring and impulsive and the other is cautious and reserved.  One of you says, “I play by the rules”  and the other says, “What rules?”  One of you loves to talk…the life of the party and the other is silent Sam or Sarah…a bump on the log.  One of you loves to spend money and the other is a tightwad.  One of you is neat, organized and on time while the other is “flexible”, mellow and always late.  The list goes on and on.

As husbands and wives we are different biologically, behaviorally, intellectually, and experientially.  Differences aren’t wrong; they’re just different and maturity allows you to realize that fact.  Differences bring balance to a marriage and we need balance.  Please note that you eat with a knife and a fork; not two knives.  What we need is understanding and appreciation for our differences and grace to see that God allows the differences in our marriages for our growth and good.

By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established. (Proverbs 24:3 ESV)

Posted by Jim at 00:27:06 | Permalink | Comments (1) »