"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away." 1 Corinthians 13:8
I have heard so many sermons on this topic and I have read many articles about this verse but every time I walked away with a gnawing feeling in my stomach as if there was something they were missing. Some denominations even use this verse as a way of denying that the gifts of the Spirit are for today which is ludicrous because prophesies, tongues, and knowledge are necessary, needed,and useful. To say they are not, is to say that the Holy Spirit is of no value and He has no place in the body of Christ. But then again isn't that exactly what we are seeing in many modern day churches today?
There are so many manmade religious traditions, programs, services, and the like that never incorporate the gifts of the Spirit because to them the gifts of the Spirit are not for today. And do you know what has resulted from this kind of thinking? We have an immature body of believers that live their lives no different than people in the world; they do not exercise the power that has been given to them because they have never been weaned off of the breast of the elementary teachings about God. To confirm this is true take the time to read Hebrews 5:12-14 and Hebrews 6:1-3. The body of Christ has to become mature and able to rightly divide the Word of God if we are ever going to see the power ofGod released and do what Jesus said we could in John 14:12-31. (Take the time and read this passage)
With this understanding let's look at what Paul really meant when he wrote this verse of Scripture. The word "fails" in verse eight is derived from the Greek word Ekpipto which means to fall powerless, to fall to the ground, to be without effect. You might say, "Well I have experienced failed love" but that is why it is important to understand that love is not an emotion though we can express love in emotion. Love is not a thought though we can have thoughts of love. Love is not an action though we can express love in an action. Love is God and God is love! (1 John 4:7-8) So what Paul is saying when he says that "love never fails" is that God never fails! And if everything we do is motivated by God (love) we will not fail either!
The devil wants us to believe we can fail and he does everything he can to deceive us; but he is a liar and it is time we stop believing his lies. The reason he has been able to convince us that this lie is truth is because so many Christians have tuned out the voice of the Holy Spirit through false teachings that tell them He is not necessary or needed and that His gifts are not for today. It is time we silence the devil's voice in the church of Jesus Christ! If you have said yes to Jesus Christ and been baptized in the Holy Spirit you cannot fail my friend because God's love in you cannot fail! It is all powerful and eternal! It is in understanding this truth where we are able to understand what Paul means when he says, "But where there are prophesies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."
When Jesus Christ returns and we are reunited with Him to live for eternity in heaven there will be no need for any of these gifts. Think about it. In the Garden of Eden, before sin entered the world, Adam didn't need the gift of prophesy because God communed with him and spoke to him on a daily basis. Adam knew God's will because God made it known to him. He didn't need the gift of tongues because he walked with God and God spoke plainly to him because there was no physical separation between God and man. He didn't need the gift of knowledge because he had the full knowledge of God because God revealed it to him each day. And when we are reunited with Christ at the Second Coming this perfect relationship will be restored and none of us will need the gifts either.
But until that takes place these gifts, given to us by God,are necessary because the devil is still permitted to operate in this world until Christ returns. These gifts are gifts of love for you and me! And when we accept these gifts and walk in them we put to death the works of the devil in our lives. But what Paul really wants us to understand is that even though all the temporal gifts that will one day pass away, edify the body of Christ, love is the more excellent way to live! Because with God's love operating in us and flowing through us we cannot fail in anything we think, say, or do. God's love is perfect and it is what perfects us!
We will investigate this even further tomorrow when we look at verses nine and ten. But for now I want us to meditate on these passages and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal wisdom and knowledge in regards to Paul's words to us today. May you be filled with the fullness of the knowledge that has been given to you by the Holy Spirit and may you grow up into the head of that knowledge, which is Jesus Christ! For it is in coming to understand the depth of His love for you where you will be empowered to allow that love to flow from you into the lives of those around you.
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