The most important virtue

At the outset let me say that this episode is not for babes in Christ. If you have grown to be a young one in the Lord, you might perhaps be able to grasp the content of what is going to be said here and not misinterpret it. From being a young one to being an adult takes more than having a head full of knowledge. This episode is aimed at the ones who are between being immature and mature.

We are familiar with human love. We rejoice in the love of human parents. We rejoice in the love of our classmates, friends, spouse and relatives, but their love and ours is unstable, and far more inferior to the kind and level of love that the apostle Paul wrote about to the called out ones of the city of Corinth, and to us. In the 1st letter of Paul to the Corinthians chapter 13, is a statement that envisions the love of God. I use the word “envisions” because I have not been able to walk it out as it should. The highest prosperity of any church, with high achievement, is in vain without expressions of true Christian love.

How does the love of God become a part of your life or the most important virtue you express?

I firmly believe that (this) love can be learned, but not to perfection. If it is part of you, you can freely express it according to the level of possession of the spirit of love. According to Apostle Paul, God has given a spirit of love and not a spirit of fear and, that, the love of God is shed abroad in the heart of the one who has the Spirit.

The love of God comes into the possession of a new creature in Christ through the indwelling of the Spirit of God and not by reading the letter of apostle Paul to the Corinthians or any other book on love. Neither will it enter you by listening to the best preached sermon on love. Love is a fruit that is grown on the branch that is connected and remains connected to the main stem. The apostle also wrote that one can be bereft of it, yet be a skilled orator and exercise spiritual gifts. If there is no love, it is plain that there is no relationship or fellowship with the source, who is Jesus the true vine. Belonging to Christ and not growing in love brings with it drawbacks that do not glorify the father in heaven. I have come to believe that without focus and pursuit of the God-kind of love there are many under-developed ones causing disturbance.

What hinders growth in love?

The biggest hindrance to being loving is carnality. Being carnal is being body focused. You can be a believer in Jesus, read your bible daily, pray daily, even exercise the gifts of the Spirit, but if you have not love, you are nothing and have gained nothing. Whilst the demand for love is continual, the supply is running short. The Lord Jesus himself prophesied of the love of many growing cold, meaning that love is decreasing at an alarming rate due to increase of sin. Sin pays you death for service! Will you remain carnal or let sin be your master? Here is an opportunity for you to change and be what God intended as part of the solution. Give Jesus your sin, your old sinful self and your death. Receive from him, forgiveness, renewal and life.