Aug22 Written by:Nathan Williams
Friday, August 22, 2008
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.
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.
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.
There are some "holiness" groups which require their members to speak in tongues, because that is the sign of a true believer. Surely someone who can speak in tongues is going to heaven - he has the power of the Holy Spirit, right? Surely if a woman is able to prophesy, she has her ticket stamped for the Celestial Express ride to the pearly gates. Especially these people who have strong faith in God must be in God's good graces! Paul says we might have all of these things, but if they are not combined with LOVE, they are worthless. They won't get us into heaven.
The last verse is the most shocking. Here is someone who gave everything he had to feed the poor. Isn't that a demonstration of love? Perhaps. The fact is, we can do many "good works" with the wrong attitude. Maybe this person gave up everything for the sole purpose of "earning" his way into heaven. Maybe he did it for the accolades of men. Maybe he did it for a tax break. It must be given with a loving heart or it is a worthless gift.
And what about all those Christian martyrs who died horrible deaths in the name of Christ? Paul says there may be a person who goes so far as to sacrifice his very life and still not do it out of love. There were Japanese kamikazes in World War II who gave their lives for a cause. There are Muslim suicide bombers today who give their lives for one reason or another. The question is WHY? Was it because they were seeking to obtain honor for themselves? Was it to obtain a celestial palace eternally stocked with women and wine? For the Christian, was it because you loved God or was it because you wanted to "guarantee" a place for yourself in God's house?
The bottom line is nothing we can do is going to guarantee a mansion in heaven. We can only live by God's rules and allow Him to save us. There are not short-cuts, not even giving our wealth or our lives for His cause. There is nothing within man that can save him, except the bent of his heart towards God and towards his fellow man.
Love is everything!
Love,
Nathan
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