~ The Spiritual Gift of Love ~
Opening Comment ~ “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (James 1:16-18).
Foundational Gifts ~ Life is the foundational for natural abilities. Jesus Christ is the author of life (see Acts 3:15 niv). “The gracious gift of life (1 Peter 3:7 niv).
Love is the foundational spiritual gift. “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). Love is the greatest for many reasons. First “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). Nowhere does the Bible say that God is faith or hope. Second, in heaven the object of our faith will be accomplished, and we will have no more need for faith and all our hopes will be realized so hope will disappear, but love will remain throughout eternity. Third, love requires someone else whereas you can have faith or hope by yourself. Faith and hope are but undercurrents of love.
Source Gifts ~ The first of the Construction Sector gifts is Love! Love is the foundation of all our building. It is the root of all genuine Christian growth.
Scripture ~ “That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19).
“Be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma” (Ephesians 5:1-2).
“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins’” (1 Peter 4:8).
Working Definition of Biblical Love ~ Love takes the initiative and acts sacrificially to meet the needs of others.
Closing Comments ~ “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:12-16).
“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).
“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.
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