"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:1)
Sometimes we take the fact that we have gifts as a sign that we are right with God. Yet the scripture above indicates that we can have many gifts and still be lacking in one vital thing: LOVE.
Paul says that we have nothing to gain from all the gifts of the Holy Spirit if we don't first have love.
Gifts without love are the same as the words of the bible without the Holy Spirit who breathes light and life into them.
I know many people who can speak the word of God, but the delivery, lacking love, leaves a trail of spiritually wounded people behind them. Without love, the Word of God is perceived by those who do not know or trust God's love, as law that brings death, versus Spirit that brings life.
Dr. Charles H. Kraft, in his book, I Give You Authority, speaks of the love that Jesus showed mankind, which he calls "power wrapped in love":
"The model for us to imitate, as always, is Jesus...He used His power only in a context of love. In fact, He used His power specifically to show His love. So the preeminent rule in exercising the authority God has given us is to operate in His authority lovingly. Those with authority are tempted to behave harshly. This is not God's way. Jesus, while working in great authority, also recognized He was under authority, so HIs responsibility was to do His Father's works in His Father's way. Our responsibility is likewise to exhibit the character of Jesus as we assert the authority He gives us. We are to manifest the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) as we operate in the gifts of the Spirit and to wrap all authority in love."
I have seen a preacher stumble over words at times, and yet it is his love that wins the souls of many to Christ. And that love is not of himself, but of that which he has first experienced from God. He does not forget where he came from, where God found him and from which he was saved. And he sees others in that same light, lost and confused as he was, needing someone to tell them about the love of God.
No matter what the gifts are that God, being no respecter of persons, gives us; if they are not utilized in love, they will produce nothing for the kingdom. And make no mistake, we can take anything of God and with pride, instead of love, wreak havoc for ourselves and for others.
An excellent example of this is found in Acts 19:
"And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: so that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were sevens sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded." (Acts 19: 11-16)
In this scene, no one profited. Neither the ones who thought they could use the things of God in a prideful manner, nor the one whom they hoped to set free. The motive behind the works was not love.
It is critical that we check our motives at all times, and deal honestly with ourselves in this regard. If we find any anger or hatred or envy in us, then it is best to stop dead in our tracks, and not proceed with whatever the task is that we set for ourselves, until those things have been fully dealt with. Almost all works done for the Lord involve other people. When we act out of wrong or impure motives, we hurt not only ourselves, but others. Thus, even though the appearance of the work can be said to be "good", instead damage was done, and the work was one of evil instead of good.
"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness." (James 3:13-18)
Pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere, peacemakers who sow in peace… this is what will accompany our works done for the Lord when the works are done in the proper Spirit of love.
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