Functioning In Love
DAY 3
Functioning in Love
Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Ephesians 4:11-16.
First Corinthians 13 is one of the most beautiful chapters in the Bible, as well as one of the most famous passages in world literature. In this chapter you read about the greatest of all realities.
Record that reality.
The greatest reality:
Love is the greatest reality in the world. God is that love, and Christ lives in you so that you can let it flow to others.
The body of Christ exists to reveal love.
God called you out from being an unbeliever to be changed by the love of Christ. Each day since that time, His love has been changing you to make you more like Him.
Now take a closer look at 1 Corinthians 13. In the first three verses, which of the following qualities are described as being less important than love? Select each phrase that applies.
Great spiritual knowledge
Marvelous powers of speaking
Being willing to die for truth
Generosity to the poor
Mighty faith
You should have selected all of the phrases. As great and as important as these qualities are, none are as great or as important as love.
Now find in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 the many qualities of love that Paul mentioned. List those qualities here.
Highlight the quality you think is now most evident in your life. Then note the quality you would most like to be evident in your life.
Would you be surprised to know that all of these qualities can and should be yours as a Christian? God is love. These qualities of love become more and more apparent in your life as you yield yourself to the indwelling Christ and as His control over your life becomes more complete.
In verses 8 and 13 Paul listed five ideals in addition to love. Place an X beside those that aren’t as enduring as love. Place a check mark beside those that aren’t as great as love.
Inspired prophecy
Faith
Tongues
Hope
Knowledge
Did you use an X to indicate that inspired prophecy, tongues, and knowledge will pass away? Did you use a check mark to indicate that faith and hope, as great as they are, aren’t as great as love? Love is the greatest thing in the world. That’s why God wants His love to flow through you to others.
God did two things when you became a Christian and Christ became your Lord. He added you to His body as a working member. And He began giving you spiritual abilities called gifts. Think of the gifts of the Spirit as riverbeds through which Christ’s love flows. The faster a river flows, the deeper the riverbed is cut. As God’s love flows through you, your gifts deepen. Their purpose is to let more of Christ’s love flow through you to others. He wants you to be a channel of His love to others. That’s why He has given you gifts.
Read 1 Peter 4:10 and answer the following questions.
Where did your spiritual gift(s) come from?
What should you do with your spiritual gift(s)?
The most important point to remember about gifts is that they’re simply channels to carry Christ’s love. Gifts have value only if you let Christ’s love flow through them.
You need to understand the difference between spiritual gifts and talents. A spiritual gift is a spiritual ability that God has given to you. The Holy Spirit then empowers you to use that ability for the good of the body and for helping the body function as it should to do God’s will. On the other hand, you may have one or more talents—capacities you were born with that you later discovered and developed. Musical ability; computer skills; public speaking; and cooking tasteful, nutritious meals are examples of talents.
The way talents and gifts are used can be both related and different. A spiritual gift can be used only as the Holy Spirit empowers you to use it for the good of the body or for the work of the body. Talents are related to gifts when they become the means by which you express a spiritual gift. Say, for example, you have musical talent. You may use that talent to express a variety of spiritual gifts, such as service, ministry, or teaching. Only Christians have received spiritual gifts, and those gifts can be used only for God’s glory. On the other hand, any person can have any number of talents and can use those talents in any way they choose—even for selfish or evil purposes.
List talents you have that you can use to glorify God.
Your Scripture-memory assignment for this week is Romans 12:4-5. See if you can record it from memory. Then use your Scripture-memory card to check your recall.
Review 1 Corinthians 12:4-6.
You should see that each of these short verses shows a contrast or relationship between something that’s different and something that’s the same. Complete the chart to summarize those three contrasts.
1 Cor. 12 Different Same
Verse 4 Gifts Spirit
Verse 5
Verse 6
You may have used a variety of words, depending on the translation you’re using. The Christian Standard Bible expresses it this way:
• Different kinds of spiritual gifts: “There are different gifts, but the same Spirit” (v. 4).
• Different ways of serving: “There are different ministries, but the same Lord” (v. 5).
• Different abilities to perform service: “There are different activities, but the same God produces each gift in each person” (v. 6).
You’ll continue studying spiritual gifts tomorrow, but let’s review and reinforce what you’ve learned today. Why does the Lord God, through His Spirit, give you spiritual gifts? Meditate on Ephesians 4:11-16 to discover the answer. I hope you’ve been using the suggestions I gave you for meditating. Take time now to follow those steps.
Is there a truth that should influence what I believe, how I feel, or the way I behave?
Is there an example to follow or avoid?
Is there a command to obey?
Is there a promise to claim?
Let’s summarize today’s study by reading verse 16 together:
From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.
EPHESIANS 4:16