This is Monday morning, November the 6th, 1973,
in Richmond, Virginia.
Ministry is being given through Brother Stephen Tong.
Lord, how we praise and thank thee, that
we who are but dust of the earth,
and yet we have such a privilege to
come together to thyself.
Oh, that we may behold the glory of
the Lord with unveiled face.
Oh, how we praise and thank thee for
the grace, the mercy, the love that has
brought us to this place.
Lord, we just open ourselves to thee, for
thy Spirit to transform us according to his
image from glory to glory, that truly we
may be the praise of thy glory.
Oh, Lord, we just commit this time into
thy hand, and we ask thee to bless
us.
We ask thee that thou would build us
up in the holy faith and in thy
love.
We ask in thy precious name.
Amen.
Will you please turn to that most famous
chapter in the Bible, 1 Corinthians chapter 13.
1 Corinthians chapter 13.
If I speak with a tongue of man
and of angels, but have not love, I
am become sounding breath or a clanging cymbal.
And if I have prophecies, 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.
And if I shall do all my good
in food, and if I deliver up my
body that I may be burned, but have
not love, I profit nothing.
Love has long patience, is kind.
Love is not annulus of others.
Love is not insolent and vain, is not
tossed up, does not behave in an unseemly
manner, does not seek what is its own,
is not quickly provoked, does not impute evil,
does not rejoice at iniquity, but rejoices with
the truth, bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
But where there are prophecies, they shall be
gone away.
Our tongues, they shall see.
Our knowledge, it shall be done away.
For we know in part, and we prophesy
in part, and when that which is perfect
has come, that which is in part shall
be done away.
When I was a child, I spoke as
a child.
I felt as a child.
I reasoned as a child.
But when I became a man, I had
gone with what belonged to the child.
For we now see through a dim window,
obscurely, but then face to face.
Now I know partially, for then I shall
know according as I also have been known.
And now about faith, hope, love, these three
things, and the greater of these is love.
We mentioned last night that beginning with chapter
12, Paul is dealing with what the Bible
calls concerning the spiritual.
And the spiritual in the original is told
in numbers.
Concerning the spiritual.
And Campbell Morgan put it into concerning the
spirituality.
By the grace of God, we have now
entered into an entirely different world.
We have entered into a spiritual realm.
And in that spiritual realm, there is a
great reality.
And the reality is because.
You know, when we enter into the spiritual
realm, the one thing that really is basic
and essential is to see the head and
the body.
That is the reality of the spiritual.
All the others are related to that reality.
And unless we see the head, and with
the head, the body, then all the other
things become isolated things.
They may be valuable in themselves, but they
may not be able to be put together
for the building up of the body of
Christ.
So, dear brothers and sisters, there you'll find
in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 what Paul is
trying to explain to the Corinthian believers is
see the head, the Lordship, the headship, and
then see the body.
How we need to put ourselves under the
head and how we need to be rightly
related with all the members of the body
of Christ.
And when this reality is seen, then all
the spiritual manifestations will be tremendous.
Now that is 1 Corinthians chapter 12.
Having seen the body, and it is a
living body, under a living head, naturally, we
will immediately look forward to see this living
body in action.
How this body operates.
We would like to see this body functioning.
And through the functioning of the different members
of the body, we would like to see
this body build up.
Of course we know the building up of
this body is essential to the
return of the bridegroom.
Because you remember in Ephesians chapter 5, today
we have the body of Christ on earth.
And how the Lord by His Spirit is
taking care of this body.
How He cherishes it and nourishes it.
How He sanctifies it.
How He cleanses it with the washing of
the water by the blood.
That this body may be fully grown and
build up a glorious church without spot or
wrinkle of any of such sort.
And then He will come back to claim
that body as His own.
Now of course, having seen the body in
1 Corinthians 12, we will look forward to
this body in operation.
But that is 1 Corinthians 14.
Before Paul enters into the operation of the
body of Christ, he puts another chapter in
between.
And that is the chapter now brothers and
sisters, what is love?
The love here is agape.
This is not the love that we human
beings naturally possess.
There is a love that is inherent in
human beings.
The parents love their children.
That's natural.
The brothers and sisters in the family love
one another.
That's natural.
We love our friends.
That's natural.
There is a natural love.
But the love here is divine love.
It is something that we do not have
before.
Something that we do not have in ourselves.
You remember John says love is from God.
There is a natural love that is within
every one of us.
But when you enter into the reality of
the body of Christ, natural love simply is
not adequate.
Not only it is not enough, but it
is to be replaced, displaced and replaced by
a divine love.
May I put it in this way.
Natural love has no place in the body
of Christ.
The body of Christ is to be governed
by a divine love.
What is love?
You know in the gospel according to John,
John mentions two things.
John mentions grace and truth.
The word became flesh and tabernacle among men
full of grace.
That's the gospel of John.
But in the first epistle of John he
mentions two other things.
God is love and God is life.
In other words, when you go back to
God, he is love, he is life.
Love and life are God's nature.
But when love comes to man it becomes
grace.
When light shines upon man it becomes truth.
So that's the reason why in the first
epistle of John you'll find God is love.
That is what God is.
But when God loves the world we receive
grace of heavenly appearance.
And God is life.
But when the light shall shine upon man
then it becomes light, it becomes the truth
to us.
So love in the scripture speaks of the
very nature of God, what he is.
In other words, love comes from life.
And when you experience love, you experience grace.
Now that is what love is.
You know here in 1 Corinthians 12 probably
what you notice in that chapter is this.
Here you'll find a body.
And in the body there are many members.
And for the sake of the building up
of the body, the Holy Spirit manifests himself
through the members he gives.
He gives to each of the members.
And with these gifts properly exercised, the body
is to be built up.
Now that's what you'll find in 1 Corinthians
12.
And yes, before these gifts are to be
exercised there is an element that cannot be
missed.
And this is the element of love.
In other words, in 1 Corinthians 12 you
see gifts.
But in 1 Corinthians 13 you see grace.
You see love.
You see life.
These two must be balanced.
Some Christians, they emphasize a great deal on
gifts.
To the extent that life, inner life, grace,
love, is over.
Then there are other Christians who emphasize so
much on life, inner life, on grace, on
love.
But somehow, they neglect gifts.
And for the upbuilding of the body, you
need a balance.
You need that life within.
And you need that.
You see, in 1 Corinthians 12 there is
one verse that we did not explain in
full last night.
And that is verse 13 of chapter 12.
For also in the power of one spirit
we have all been baptized into one body,
whether Jew or Greek, whether Mormon or free,
and have all been given to drink of
one spirit.
Here in this verse you see clearly.
In one spirit we all have been baptized
into one body.
And then we are all given to drink
of one spirit.
That's the second verse.
You know, the work of the Holy Spirit
in the believers is teaching.
There is that which is outward.
And there is that which is baptism.
Baptism is outward in a sense.
Why?
Because when you are baptized you are immersed
in the water.
The water is around you.
The water surrounds you.
You know, but it's outside of you.
But when you drink you drink inside.
You drink in.
So the work of the Holy Spirit in
a believer is teaching.
Let me take the experience of Pentecost as
an example.
The hundred and twenty people, they were together
in that house.
And then suddenly there was a hard breathing.
The sound of a hard breathing.
And this hard breathing filled the house.
Now imagine.
Suppose we are sitting here.
And this breathing filled the house.
It fills the house.
And we are in the house.
What happens to us?
We are literally immersed in that breathing.
That's baptism.
And being immersed, we are immersed into one
body.
And then the Bible continues.
A fire appeared out of time and fall
upon each one of them.
And they were all healed with the Holy
Spirit.
But in the original text, the hard breathing
filled the house.
The word healed.
And they were all filled with the Holy
Spirit.
And if you notice in the Scripture, all
the places where the word healed is used.
Now I do not remember offhand.
But I think it is almost equally divided.
I think it's eight and eight.
You'll find two different words almost similar, but
with variations.
You'll find two different words are used.
And every time the word is used, you
will recognize it.
They were all saying, the hard breathing filled
the house.
If we may for the sake of convenience
invent a word, it is out.
They were immersed in the Spirit.
But they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
It is in the Spirit.
They were filled within with the Holy Spirit.
So you'll find the complete work of the
Holy Spirit is twofold.
One is the outfilling and the other is
the infilling.
The outfilling is upon.
The infilling is in.
The Holy Spirit not only is poured out,
the Holy Spirit dwells within.
We are not only to be clothed with
the power from on high.
Now, when you're clothed, it surrounds you.
It's outside.
But when you drink, the
outpoured Spirit is called the power from on
high.
It is for service, for serving the Lord
with skill, with ability.
The infilling is for life.
That we may produce the fruit.
One is work.
One is fruit.
One is power.
One is life.
So brothers and sisters, what you see here
is God will endow us with gift, with
power that we may be able to serve
the Lord and serve one another.
But you need the Holy Spirit himself to
seal you within that you may have the
life to have.
And that is life.
That is life.
So there must be a balance to be
maintained here.
And the Spirit of God manifests himself in
the members of the body by giving gift,
ability, skill to serve.
But before you start using gift and using
skill, one thing must not be absent.
And that is life.
You need to be sealed with the Spirit.
You need to be under the control of
the Holy Spirit.
You need to have the life of Christ
manifested in you and maturing in you.
And with that matured life, you are able
to handle the spirit to the best of
the welfare.
So that is why you find 1 Corinthians
13, standing between the body and the body
in function.
That is life.
So our experience of the Holy Spirit is
not perfect unless there is a feeling to
overflow.
And this is the experience of the early
disciples on the Day of Pentecost.
They will feel to the overflowing.
It is not just something that happens upon
them.
It is also happening in them.
They will feel to the overflowing.
Their life will transcend and they will end
up with power.
Now that is a perfect experience of the
Holy Spirit.
Now whether this feeling to the overflowing begins
from outside or begins from inside, it really
doesn't matter.
You know, some people they experience the flowing
to overflow as if there is rain.
Suddenly there is a downpour of rain.
Probably it is that vessel is quite empty.
And yet there is such a downpour of
rain that it not only fills but overflows.
Now some people experience it that way.
Other people may experience it in just the
opposite way.
As they walk with the Lord, as they
are being dealt by the Lord, what's inside
the vessel begins to rise up and rise
up and rise up until it overflows.
Now brothers and sisters, we don't need to
limit God to do things in only one
way.
God is able to do it either way.
But the point is when a person really
experiences the Holy Spirit in a full way,
it must be healed.
It shouldn't be just one side.
There are people who are very gifted seem
to be endowed with power.
But there isn't that right to use that
power.
And there are other people who really have
a life with the Lord but somehow it's
all sucked in.
There doesn't seem to be that overflowing.
That's with the church in Corinth, of course.
What they do have is the outside thing.
No problem with that.
So Paul does not mean to encourage them
on that area.
But what they are lacking is the inside.
They have lots of gifts but little.
Lots of power but little life.
And because of that you'll find they are
hurting one another.
And the body of Christ is not being
added.
So in 1 Corinthians 13 he mentions this
matter of love.
And love is life.
Love is faith.
Filling of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Now, he begins this chapter with a comparison.
He says this is the more excellent.
By that he means this is the way
to handle the gift.
If you do not know the way to
handle the gift the gift may be wasted.
And the gift may not add itself.
But there is a way to handle, to
use these manifestations and it is the way.
How much, how essential is this love?
You know, in the first three verses, Paul
is telling us how very essential is this
love.
If I speak with a tongue of man
and angel.
What is more attractive than speaking in tongues?
You'll never learn it.
And yet it is given.
The tongues of man and of angel.
But if I do not have love, I'm
just a sounding breath clanging paper.
In other words it is just nothing.
It is just nothing.
I hope you will register with us.
Love.
Life.
The spirit itself.
Lacking of this even speaking with the tongues
of man and of angel.
It's just nothing.
It doesn't accomplish anything.
Not only speaking of tongues but in prophecy.
We think prophecy of course is of a
higher caliber than speaking in tongues.
You get that impression in chapter 14.
But here he says if I have prophecy
and know all mysteries and all knowledge.
What is prophecy?
Prophecy is God reveals his mind to you.
That you may be able to tell forth
the mind of God.
Now surely that is marvelous.
You know all mysteries.
Things hidden.
And you have all knowledge.
Can anything be better than that?
And not only that but if I have
to remove the mind.
Not only to tell forth the mind of
God but to remove all hindrances to God's
way.
To God's will.
Now certainly these are of tremendous.
If a person has such prophecy and such
faith we will say he must be somebody.
But here you'll find in 1 Corinthians 13
says if I do not have love I
am nothing.
We will think that he certainly is something.
If he is not something how can he
prophesy?
How can he know all the mysteries?
How can he have all the knowledge?
How can he have the faith to remove
the mountains?
He must be something.
Someone most favored by God.
Special person.
But the Bible says without love he is
literally everything more.
The Bible says if I give all my
good to be through to man I sacrifice
everything and even give my body to be
there.
So sacrificial.
Certainly we will say this is even more
commendable because you begin with tongues that is
only speaking and now you continues on with
faith that removes mountains you really have something
done something and now you give yourself.
Not only your money, your possessions but yourself.
So sacrificial it is.
Can anything be higher than this?
And yet the Bible says if I do
not have love I prophesy nothing.
Certainly some people will be prophesied we will
say.
The hungry ones.
They will have the food.
They will be prophesied.
But when they look from God's viewpoint if
there is no love.
So how important it is love?
How essential and basic is this?
Brothers and sisters this eternal life to be
filled with the spirit of life.
To live under the control of the spirit
of life.
This is that which handles all the others.
If something is lacking here all the others
are not able to arrive achieve their purpose.
How we need to ask the Lord to
fill us.
But what is love?
And here you'll find Paul begins to define
what love is.
I have to confess for many years I
cannot understand this fact.
Well as a matter of fact in the
beginning of my Christian life I thought I
knew it all.
I still can recall way back over 40
some years ago when I was first saved.
By the grace of God a few young
men were saved almost at the same time
in the same school.
So after we were saved of course we
went out to witness for the Lord and
we were invited to speak in a church,
Christian Alliance church.
And we were invited to go there and
speak to a group.
And we were given a topic.
And the topic was 1 Corinthians 13.
And four of us were assigned to speak
on that chapter.
So we divided up you know and everyone
take a part and we went there and
spoke.
I thought we spoke well that day.
Because at that time we who were so
young and new you know we found we
knew 1 Corinthians 14 very well.
We were able to instruct people about 1
Corinthians 13.
That was what it was in the beginning.
But after many years the more I meditate
on this chapter the more I was confused.
I just couldn't understand why.
Because to me I feel love.
Love is something that is most aggressive.
Love is something that goes out and conquers.
Love is most active.
Love is overwhelming.
Now that is the concept love within me.
But when I read 1 Corinthians 13 I
do not get that intent.
On the contrary I get a very negative
impression.
Love suffers love of any kind.
Love is not jealous.
Love is not cross out.
Love is not this.
Love is not that.
In other words you will find love seems
to be very weak.
Not so masculine.
Quite feminine.
Not so positive.
It's quite negative.
Not so overwhelming.
Conquering.
But seems to be conquering.
Now that's something I don't understand until one
day the Lord began to say 1 Corinthians
chapter 13 is not what today we call
the definition of love.
Period.
It is not.
As a matter of fact the Bible rarely
if any gives definition.
1 Corinthians 13 stands between chapter 12 and
chapter 14.
In other words if you want to understand
the love that is described in that chapter
you have to see it within its context.
And when you see it within its context
with the proper perspective then you know what
it is that we talk about.
This is not a general description of love.
No.
This is a description of the love in
the body.
Now that is the context.
In other words here you have a body.
And all the bodies the body is made
of many different members.
Now if the body is made up of
one member then the body is made up
of many members.
And furthermore all these members are living.
If only a few are living.
But all the members are living.
And not only all the members are living
but all the members are giving.
The Holy Spirit manifests himself in every member.
To one this gives to the other that
gives but there is none without manifestation.
One without gift.
Now brothers and sisters you just imagine a
body made of different members every member is
living and every member has its gift and
they are so varied and different.
No wonder the church in Corinth is in
such confusion.
No wonder.
What holds the body together?
What regulates all the different gifts?
With all the differences what really binds them
together as one body?
Not just one member go one direction the
other member goes another direction.
But all the members are being held together.
Now what holds them together?
What regulates all the various manifestations?
One manifests in one way the other manifests
in another way and yet all the manifestations
are being coordinated and properly channeled.
Now what is it behind it?
Love.
Without love all the members will fly apart.
Without love all the manifestations will be fighting
against and that is love.
How can a body exist?
How can a body be built up?
Love heals every member of the body.
Love is the birth screen and with love
the body is held and all the gifts
are used unselfishly and in coordination.
So 1 Corinthians 13 is not a chapter
on love generally speaking.
1 Corinthians 13 is a chapter on love
in the body.
In relation to and if you look it
with that perspective it is very clear.
The first quality of love is love sustenance.
Think of that.
God has put all of us together.
There is no relationship that is more intimate
and inseparable than the relationship of the members
of one body.
The relationship between brothers and sisters in a
family are very close but when we grow
up we all go our way.
The relationship between the husband and wife is
very close because they are made one flesh
and yet it is because marriage is an
earthly thing.
In resurrection there is no more marriage.
Neither giving to marriage nor to marriage.
There is no relationship that is closer, more
intimate, inseparable than a member and because the
relationship is so close there is bound to
be rubbing against each other because it's so
close.
When you think of the church as a
congregation you do not have this kind of
problem.
In other words you do not really there
is not really a great demand on love.
There is a demand on courtesy that's all.
You know if it is just a congregation
you come together occasionally.
Maybe once a week.
And when you come together you decide to
be courteous to one a healthy
person does not even know he has a
body.
He has no problem.
But because we all have our own peculiarities.
We have our projections.
Something projects from us and these are the
corners that were rubbed.
We rubbed.
These are the corners.
We are living stones being built up together.
A spiritual house.
But no problem with Christ in us.
A lot of problems with us.
Especially our strong points.
Not our weak points.
These are the projections that project and you
rub.
And when this thing happens the demand of
love is tremendous.
Love suffers in the first place it is
not so much as how much you love
your brother and sister.
How much you do things for your brother
and sister.
No.
In the first place is how much you
are able to suffer your brother and sister.
Now that is how much you are able
to take.
To take and to take.
It involves suffering.
Yes.
And it is long You remember Peter.
Oh how Peter came to the Lord and
said, Now Lord my brother sinned against me
seven times and I forgave him seven times.
I have suffered.
Isn't that enough?
I have enough of my brother.
I should have a chance.
But the Lord said no chance.
I do not tell you seven times.
I tell you seventy times seven.
In other words, long suffering.
Long suffering.
Oh brothers and sisters.
You know when we suffer something from our
brother and sister, our first temptation is let
me pack up and go.
But where can you go?
Not only we cannot go away from the
Lord.
Like Peter said, Lord you have the eternal
life.
Where can we go?
We are stuck with you.
This is not only true with our relationship
with the Lord.
This is also true with our relationship with
one another.
If you see that some people think that
the body is a wonderful, beautiful vision.
But once you get into that vision, it
is terrible.
There is nothing that challenges you.
That chastens you more than the life in
the body of Christ.
In the world if you don't agree, you
just say goodbye to that.
But in the body of Christ it's inseparable.
You have to bear with your brother.
You have to suffer.
And suffer long.
There is no end.
And that's the reason why the Bible says
love suffers.
But you say well that's too negative.
Alright.
I will take whatever my brothers and sisters
do to me.
I will bear it.
I suffer long.
But then love is coming.
In other words, it is not only you
are receiving with long suffering, but you must
repay with kindness.
You know, some people they are willing to
endure.
They are willing to bear.
You know.
But after some people have done so much
to you well you think if you don't
revenge, that's good enough.
But for you to be kind to that
person, oh no.
Not to do that.
But look at our Lord Jesus.
How he suffered long from the hands of
man and yet on the cross he said,
Father forgive them for they know not what
they do.
That's kindness.
Kindness.
An eye for an eye is the law.
But the second mile is grace.
Is grace.
Not only to go the first mile as
under obligation but to go the second mile.
In other words, you are not asked to
go the second mile.
You are only obliged forced to go the
first mile.
But after you have gone the first mile,
you are offered to go another mile later.
That's love.
That's kindness.
Love is not emulation of others.
It's not jealousy.
Why mention love as it's not jealous?
You know if you read the other scriptures
you'll find that love is jealous.
It's very jealous.
Love cannot stand to see that it is
divided.
Love guards very carefully that it is single.
But here you shall find love is not
jealous.
Jealous of whom?
Love is not jealous of your brothers and
sisters.
Now in the body you'll find God has
so set the members of the body in
the members in the body that some members
may seem to occupy a more prominent forward
position.
And some may seem to occupy a more
backward and hidden place.
Some members seem to be bigger members.
Some members seem to be smaller members.
Some members seem to be more gifted.
Other members seem to be less gifted.
Now brothers and sisters if the smaller members
the less gifted members began to look at
his bigger and more gifted members and become
jealous what will happen?
The body will be individual.
It's individual.
They cannot be held together.
So love is not jealous.
Oh you thank the Lord.
If you see this brother or that sister
God has used them and God has given
them much gift you thank the Lord.
You're not jealous.
Even if it seems that you are in
a more lower and hidden position and you're
not as gifted well, you thank God.
Because this is God's will.
This is what God has apportioned to you.
And you are satisfied, happy with whatever God
has given you.
Brothers and sisters, love is not jealous.
And how the jealousy among God's people especially
the jealousy among great servants of God do
help to the testimony of Jesus.
Love is not jealous.
Love is not insolent and rash.
Love is not arrogant and proud.
You know, it is not only not jealous.
You are jealous because somebody else seems to
have more than you have.
But you are proud when you think you
have more than they do.
Look, the Lord gives me more gifts.
Look, I'm in a more prominent and forward
position in the body.
Or as the head will say to the
hands, I have no need of you.
And I will say to the feet, I
have no need of you.
I don't need you.
That's pride.
In the body of Christ there is no
place for pride because everything is given by
the Lord.
There is nothing that is not received.
It is received.
How can you be proud?
It is just the Lord.
That's all.
So love is not proud.
It is not proud.
It does not boast of itself.
Not because the Lord has used you to
accomplish something.
Not because the anointing of the Lord seems
to be with you and something is accomplished.
Therefore, you are proud.
As if I have done it.
I have done it.
Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
When anything is puffed up, you know, it's
empty inside.
If it's built up, it's very solid.
Love is not proud.
Love is humble.
It's humble.
After everything is done, you go back to
the Lord and say, I haven't done anything.
If anything is done, you have done it.
Love is humble.
Oh, how we need to bind our...gird our
lawns with humility.
And with humility be in subjection to one
another.
Love does not behave in an unseemly manner.
Now here, love is good.
Not because there is love you can afford
to be rude.
To be frank is good.
But to be rude certainly is not love.
Love is pity.
Give respect to those who need to be
respected.
Honor to those that need to be honored.
And always esteem others as more excellent than
you are.
Love is trivial.
Does not speak what is his own.
Love is unselfish.
Unselfish.
Love does not speak of his own self.
Does not speak anything for himself.
It's unselfish.
Is not quickly provoked.
It's patient.
Why are we so quickly provoked?
Because we are proud of ourselves.
When our pride is being touched we are
provoked.
Does not impute evil.
Love is not quick.
Brothers and sisters, you know, there is a
great difference between judging as criticism and judging
as discernment.
It's very different.
The Bible says do not judge that you
may not be judged.
And the do not judge there is judging
with you criticize.
You judge with an evil intention.
You judge to criticize others to boost up
your self.
That you are superior.
But the law says you are not.
Because if you so judge you will be
judged.
But there is a judging.
It is a judging with discernment.
And discernment is given that you may be
able to judge the situation with the purpose
of ministry.
Now that's different.
Discernment is not for criticizing.
You can discern because you have passed through
this.
The Lord has taught you the lesson.
Why did the Lord teach you the lesson?
That you may discern and with discernment you
may minister.
You may minister.
So here it is said, love does not
incite evil.
It does not criticize.
It is not critical of other people.
Does not rejoice at iniquity but rejoices with
it.
Not because it is love.
Therefore you just embrace everything.
Even evil.
Even iniquity.
No.
Love rejoices if it is love taking
in even iniquity.
That is indulgence.
That is love.
True love is connected with truth.
You love the truth.
You hate falsehood.
That is love.
Now after you have seen all these qualities,
ten of them then Paul concludes them all
and says, love bears often, believes often, hopes
often, and endures often.
Now remember the context.
The context is the body.
In the body all the members in the
body learn to bear and the word bear
means cover.
Love covers a great deal often.
In other words you do not try to
expose your brothers and sisters just for the
fun of it.
On the contrary.
If the Lord should open your eyes to
see something, love covers it.
Love covers it.
Love believes.
How can you believe?
Oh you know brothers and sisters it is
relatively easy to believe in the Lord because
he is so believable.
But to believe your brothers and sisters sometimes
is very hard.
You know in that case if your brother
sinned against you seven times in one day
and he comes back every time and said
I'm sorry.
The Lord says forgive him.
And the disciples say Lord give us more
faith.
They do not say give us more love,
they say give us more faith.
We cannot believe that brother anymore.
How can you believe a brother that he
is sincere if he does one thing seven
times a day and he sometimes says I'm
sorry.
Now you wonder if he is sincere.
You have no faith in your brother anymore.
So the disciples say give us more faith
oh Lord.
We just need faith now.
Believe.
Not because you believe in that brother.
You believe the Lord in that brother.
You hope that the life of the Lord
in that brother may yet work out the
salvation.
And therefore you endure on.
Now look at that.
This is all within the body.
Remember that.
All these descriptions are to be applied in
the body.
And of course we will say Lord you
don't have such love.
Give us the love.
Who is this love?
The Lord in Christ.
You cannot do that.
The demand is too great.
No, no one can do that.
But thank God the spirit of life dwells
within us.
The life of Christ is there.
And if we are under the control of
the Holy Spirit life will come forth in
all these areas.
So again it is not we.
It is Christ.
Oh how necessary that we be filled with
the Holy Spirit.
How necessary that we be under the control
of the Holy Spirit.
Because only then the life of Christ will
be manifested.
And then the body will be held together.
And all the gifts will be properly functioned
to the building of the body of Christ.
And finally Paul says nothing is perfect.
All the gifts are present.
The speaking in tongues will cease one day.
In what sense?
Why does God give tongues?
The Bible says God gives tongues to convict,
convict those who do not believe.
But one day all have believed.
There is no need to use a strange
tongue to speak to God's people.
One day prophets say well then, because it's
all fulfilled.
One day our knowledge will stop.
Because the knowledge we have today is in
part.
But the day will come when we shall
see Him face to face and we will
know Him as we are known by Him.
But only one thing continues.
And never fails.
That is life.
Because it is the life of Christ in
heaven.
That is not only will not be seen,
but it will be in truth.
In truth.
So dear brothers and sisters, as the Lord
leads us into the realm of Israel and
sees the living body of Christ, then it
increases the necessity of our being healed with
the love.
Because without that everything will be in turmoil.
Nothing will be right.
But with that you'll find everything will fall
into its right place.
And then you can go into 1 Corinthians
chapter 14.
Our Heavenly Father, we do praise and thank
You because Thou has put us in the
body of Christ.
Thou has made us members one of another.
Lord, for us even to exist as one
body.
For us to be able to minister to
one another for its building up.
O Lord, how we need to be healed
by Thy Spirit.
It is only Thy Spirit that can reproduce,
bring forth that life of Christ we know.
O that we may truly love one another
and we may truly serve one another.
So Lord, we just open ourselves to Thee
and pray that Thou will heal our hearts
in the name of our Lord Jesus.
Amen.