Emphasizing The Things God Emphasizes Without Neglecting The Others

Posted by Rev. Mark Slay

I Corinthians 13:1 - If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

When Christians operate in the gifts but absolutely refuse to love people it is not a source of comfort to Him; it is a source of irritation. Not that He dislikes you, but what you are doing is irritating to Him.

I Corinthians 13:2 - 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 do not have love, I am nothing.

Notice he says, "I am nothing." You're not even a little something. It is way more important to Him that Full-Gospel people make sure that they first love people, be kind to people, forgive people.

I Corinthians 13:3 - And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

Philanthropy, doing good deeds for humanity, is a far cry from Christianity.

I Corinthians 14:1 - Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

He puts priority on love, but He wants you to do both. I have been at this for 35 years and I've seen people go to either extreme because they can't seem to remember that they can do both. Some will ignore the gifts of the Spirit for some reason; maybe they get turned off by the way that it looks when someone ministers in the Spirit and they just completely focus on loving people. They become humanitarian churches that hand out blankets and hot dogs and water. Thank God for that; I'm not against any of that. But what they end up doing is focusing on that and leave the gifts of the Spirit off totally.

Then you have the groups that are on the other side. The gifts are everywhere and it doesn't matter how you treat people; all that matters is that you flow in the gifts.

Paul made it clear to pursue love but desire earnestly spiritual gifts. Paul is saying you can have both and you should have both.

There is a middle of the road. Like I've said on any road, you can drive right down the middle or you can go in the ditch on one side or you can go in the ditch on the other side. I don't know why churches can't seem to understand this.

Jesus would say everywhere He went, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear" knowing that most don't. But He says for you that do hear me; for you who do listen to me, this is what I have to say to you. Then He would proceed to teach us something.

Matthew 23:23 - 23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.

He talks about them tithing and giving down to the penny but neglecting something greater; and giving is a Christian discipline that is correct for all Christians. He is not saying in this verse that giving is not good or right, He simply saying they are overlooking something that is more important. He said that you better make sure that you are loving people, that you're merciful to people — first.

James 2:13 - 13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

Love is the most important thing to God - above the gifts.