Austin Bible Church
In Mark 12:30, our Lord gives us a command to love Him. Through the filling of the Holy Spirit and growing spiritually, this becomes more and more a reality in the believer.
"AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.'" (Mark 12:30, NASB)
The filling of the Spirit is the “more excellent way” of 1 Corinthians 12:31. Love here is the production of the believer when in fellowship. Gal. 5:22-23.
"But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way." (1 Corinthians 12:31, NASB)
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23, NASB)
The book of 1 Corinthians 13 shows the importance of love and being in fellowship in the Christian life. In 1 Corinthians 13:1, a believer speaking out of fellowship is just like a “noisy gong.” This is used by peddlers to attract attention to their wares. A believer who exercises a spiritual gift apart from the filling of the Holy Spirit is like a peddler calling attention to themselves.
"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." (1 Corinthians 13:1, NASB)
A believer speaking out of fellowship is just like a “clanging cymbal.” This is the noise made by professional mourners. The believer out of fellowship using the gift of tongues when bona fide (prior to 70 AD) and anytime now is like a professional wailer calling attention to himself and not communicating anything. The exercise of any spiritual gift apart from the filling of the Spirit is nothingness and uselessness!
Spiritual gifts apart from the filling of the Spirit cannot function. 1 Corinthians 13:2 refers to the function of four of the temporary spiritual gifts that were being misused in the Corinthian church. None of these temporary spiritual gifts are functional today.
"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." (1 Corinthians 13:2, NASB)
When you are carnal, your status quo is zero! The principle here is that when the believer is controlled by the old sin nature, they are batting 00.00 (human good or sin). When the believer is filled with the Spirit, they are batting 1000.
There is nothingness of spiritual production while out of fellowship. “If I give all my possessions to feed the poor” refers to sacrificial giving. “If I surrender my body to be burned” is a martyrdom illustration. “It profits me nothing” means this is maximum energy in the flesh and is wood, hay and stubble. 1 Cor. 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." (1 Corinthians 13:3, NASB)
The principle is that unbelievers can produce a lot of things. When you operate in the energy of the flesh (old sin nature controlling the soul) you are just competing with the unbeliever on their scale and probably won’t do nearly as well.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 describes the characteristics of unconditional love for others that can only be realized when filled with the holy Spirit.
"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NASB)
Positives. “Patient” is patience under pressure, relaxed mental attitude, mental attitude love - attitude of grace towards others. “Is kind” is a gracious attitude towards others, giving the other the benefit of the doubt. “Rejoices with the truth” refers to being positive toward Bible doctrine. The filling of the Spirit produces a hunger for the Word. “Bears all things” means you will not betray a confidence. “Believes all things” means the believer uses faith-rest in all things. “Hopes all things” refers to the believer’s expectation of the future, dying grace and eternity.
Negatives. “Is not jealous” is a mental attitude minus jealousy, a mental attitude minus spitefulness. “Does not brag” means not trying to impress others. “Is not arrogant” means to not be stuck on yourself, self-centered. This is the Greek word for a puffed up frog. “Does not act unbecomingly” means the believer does not behave dishonorable or indecently and does not embarrass or belittle others. “Does not seek its own” is a reference to lusts of the old sin nature, emotional revolt, being selfish, and wanting your own way or else. “Is not provoked” means you do not go into a tantrum. “Does not take into account a wrong suffered” means they have unconditional love toward those who have done something wrong toward you. “Does not rejoice in unrighteousness” means they do not rejoice over failure of others, are not happy when others are in trouble, and have no expression of jealousy.
During communion, we are to have personal love in the right lobe of the soul for Christ. This is a rapport love based on the Bible doctrine in your soul. This love relationship is appreciated in the emotions. You realize the tremendous love you have for Him because of what He has done for you.