1 Corinthians 13:3: And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
This love is an act of the will. Love involves the heart (v. 1), the mind (v. 2), and the will (v. 3). Love is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Although we are to covet earnestly the best gifts, they are to be exercised in love—and only the Spirit of God can do that.
Look at it this way: Write down a string of zeros—eloquence alone is zero, prophecy alone is zero, knowledge alone is zero, faith alone is zero, sacrifice alone is zero, martyrdom alone is zero. Six zeros still add up to nothing. But you put the numeral 1 to the left of that string of zeros, and every zero amounts to something. And, friend, love is the thing that needs to be added to every gift of the Spirit. Without love your gift is worthless. 1
Application
- Read John 13:1. According to this verse, will Jesus ever stop loving you?
- Read John 13:35. What is the true “birth mark” of a Christian?
Thought to Share
The ID of a Christian is visible to anyone who is looking for love. – TWEET IT
Prayer
Lord, may my motivation to serve be from the love of God, and for the love of God.
1. McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible Commentary: The Prophecy (Revelation 1-5) (electronic ed., Vol. 58). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
