13:1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. 13:2I And if I have `the gift of' prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 13:3 And if I bestow all my goods to feed `the poor', and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing. 13:4 Love suffereth long, `and' is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 13:5 doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil; 13:6 rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth; 13:7 beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 13:8 Love never faileth: but whether `there be' prophecies, they shall be done away; whether `there be' tongues, they shall cease; whether `there be' knowledge, it shall be done away. 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; 13:10 but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things. 13:1213:13 But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love. For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known. Today we talked about love. As Christians we must love ourselves as we love our own bodies. Unless one is not in their right mind, they will not commit suicide or harm their own body. In the above text we see the qualities of true love. Jesus also said that if you love me you will keep my commandments. If we truly love our neighbor we are not going to intentionally hurt them. First of all our ministries are worthless if we do not have love. First love is kind. Even when others are not kind, our actions will show kindness. Love is not jealous or envy. If we are truly going to have a spirit of love, we are going to be happy for our neighbors and friends. We are going to rejoice with them when good things come their way. We are going to be saddened when calamity strikes.When we exhibit true love we are going to be able to humble ourselves. We treat others in a higher regard than we do ourselves. We are not going to take in account when someone wrongs us. We are able to forgive and move forward. We will be imitators of Christ, who showed us true love while he died on cross at Calvary. Through Jesus Christ we see the love flowing in Him throughout His ministry. This must be our example. When we love in this manner we will become more and more like God and less and less like the world. We have to decide which path we are going to take, the path that is broad and wide, or the one narrow and hard. One leads to eternal destruction while the other leads to eternal life. The choice is ours! What is your choice? 13:1 If I make use of the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am like sounding brass, or a loud-tongued bell. 13:2 And if I have a prophet's power, and have knowledge of all secret things; and if I have all faith, by which mountains may be moved from their place, but have not love, I am nothing. 13:3 And if I give all my goods to the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it is of no profit to me. 13:4 Love is never tired of waiting; love is kind; love has no envy; love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride; 13:5 Love's ways are ever fair, it takes no thought for itself; it is not quickly made angry, it takes no account of evil; 13:6 It takes no pleasure in wrongdoing, but has joy in what is true; 13:7 Love has the power of undergoing all things, having faith in all things, hoping all things. 13:8 Though the prophet's word may come to an end, tongues come to nothing, and knowledge have no more value, love has no end. 13:9 For our knowledge is only in part, and the prophet's word gives only a part of what is true: 13:10 But when that which is complete is come, then that which is in part will be no longer necessary. 13:11 When I was a child, I made use of a child's language, I had a child's feelings and a child's thoughts: now that I am a man, I have put away the things of a child. 13:12 For now we see things in a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now my knowledge is in part; then it will be complete, even as God's knowledge of me. 13:13 But now we still have faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love. |
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