Love Is Greater Than All Spiritual Gifts
Prophesies, revelations, dreams and so forth are wonderful gifts of the Spirit to edify and equip the saints. But the apostle Paul says LOVE is greater than all spiritual gifts. We may see all dreams and know all mysteries and speak in tongues, but without love, we are nothing and heading nowhere.
Christian love is the true sign of a mature Christian, not the dreams we dream or visions we see. It is possible to have spiritual gifts and have NO love and no fruit of the Spirit.
Spiritual gifts are not the foundation of our faith; God’s love is. Jesus is. His word is. If your faith is only rooted in the latest prophecy or revelation, you will soon be deceived and cast Jesus aside. It’s inevitable.
Jesus so LOVED the world that he died for it. That is the height of perfection. He did not dream a dream or prophesy to save us; he did something: he died for us.
After we see dreams and visions and finish speaking in tongues, how do we treat others? What is our character? Do we help others? Are we kind? Are we humble? Or are we puffed up, conceited, arrogant, high-minded, and self-important? Though we must never despise prophecies, we must never exalt them above Christ and his love.
Satan can give and corrupt spiritual gifts, but he cannot love
Satan can corrupt and fake all spiritual gifts, but he cannot fake LOVE because God is love and he has no love in him. Love is the one thing he cannot manufacture. Satan can give prophecies, dreams, and tongues, but he cannot love or give love. That’s why we are not asked to test love but to test all spirits and judge prophesies.
Jesus loved Paul, and to keep him from getting conceited because of his many revelations, he gave him a messenger of Satan to torment him because he knew pride would be a real temptation.
Prophesies can be manipulated and can also be tainted by a prophet’s emotions, feelings, opinions, biases, pride, immaturity, lifestyles, sins, and even by Satan himself, but the LOVE of God is perfect. He who loves is born of God.
Those who are rejected by Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23 had great spiritual gifts but no love. Because when we have love for God and our neighbors, we fulfill the law; no room for iniquity is left. Spiritual gifts don’t make anyone holy, but love does.
Pursue love above all, as that is the greatest commandment.
“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.” 2 Corinthians 12:7
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:22-23
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40
1 Corinthians 13 – LOVE:
1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
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