1 Corinthians 12:31
But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.
I was a Pharisee
Let me tell you all a story...
A year or so ago, I was a member of an email listserv which had a membership of over 3,000 women. I was a Christian then, and I aggressively “contended” for the faith. In my eagerness for sound doctrine and the want to be RIGHT all the time, surely I left many of the women there with hurt feelings and caused offense.
One day I was talking to one of the sisters on that listserv concerning another issue entirely, and suddenly this is what she said to me:
(Paraphrasing): "You know what, more people would be open to what you say if you weren't so mean, rude and downright disrespectful."
I would usually ignore comments like that from the "likes of her." Yes she was a Christian, but I didn't think she “knew” as much as I did concerning the scripture. In my heart I considered her a compromiser, and not exactly someone I would take heed to or should even respect concerning a biblical rebuke.
Back to the conversation... she told me that I could use a LESSON IN LOVE, because in the process of being RIGHT, I lacked love, compassion and sympathy for the women I witnessed to. This time the Holy Spirit was convicting me. I felt this one DEEP in my soul. God was starting to break down my walls. God let me see that I was WRONG! I broke down. Wailed like a little baby. All that fervor, sound doctrine, and ZEAL, but I lacked LOVE.
Don't get me wrong, I believe I was right doctrinally most of the time. I do not apologize for the content of TRUTH in the words I said, but God was showing me that the WHY’s and the HOW’s in delivering his word MATTER.
WHY was I telling them the truth? Was I doing so because I wanted people to be saved? Did I want to be a light in the midst of darkness? HOW did I speak it to them? Did I speak with the motive which LOVE could be clearly seen? Or was it another deep rooted motive that wasn’t apparent to me?
I really examined myself that day, and I discovered that my motives were to obtain some sort of self-satisfaction. In other words, I got a personal KICK out of correcting people. I wanted to have that feeling that I have "one upped" someone. I was RIGHT and you were WRONG, and that was all that mattered to me. I didn't care about hurt feelings, or how you felt. "It was TRUTH" I reasoned in my heart, and "they just can't handle it." That was all that mattered to me in trying to win those debates with those women.
I came to the conclusion that I was a modern day PHARISEE.
Dealing With The Root
As Christians we are not to let the sun go down on our anger, or give the devil a foothold. (Eph 4:26-27) Doing this allows emotional hurts to develop into what the bible calls a root of bitterness.
There was a root of bitterness that I had in my heart against this group of women, and because I hadn't dealt with that root, it grew up, and slowly but surely choked my Christian witness until it was ineffective. The bible speaks on this very thing in Hebrews 12:15 in which a bitter root can produce a bitter fruit of hatred and disdain for others, which if left unchecked can cause trouble and defile many.
God made me see that I had this evil thought in my heart: "Well they are all sinners anyway and they won't receive my message." This root of bitterness shut me off to feeling any sort of sympathy to these women, and made me feel a great level of disdain for them. I often took out my feelings of hurt and pain on them, and used the WORD OF GOD in some instances to do it. I just didn't love them.
Is Love our Motive?
Biblically brothers and sisters, the way we present the gospel and treat others DOES matter. God addressed it many times in the word.
1 Pet 3:15-17
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
Clearly God doesn’t want us treating anyone at any lower level than the level of gentleness and respect of which He requires. How much more concerning the conduct between brothers and sisters? The bible says if it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Rom 12:18, Heb 12:14)
Haven’t you run into Christians who have my issues? They lack love, care and wisdom in how to deal with their brothers and sisters in Christ and everyone else for that matter. It shows up in their prideful spirits, arrogance, and in their UNCANNY ability to never find fault in themselves. Many know their doctrine, some are theological GIANTS, but just like the Pharisees, they forgot the weightiest matter of the law. (Mat 23:23) God hates pride, arrogance, (Prov 8:13) and those who sow discord among brethren, (Prov 6:19) and we must be careful to guard ourselves from selfish ambition and watch our conduct and motives.
Proverbs 16:2
All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.
1 Corinthians 4:5
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
James 4:3
When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
OBVIOUSLY the motives of our actions are important to God, and it is time for us as Christians in a time where the love of most is growing cold, (Mat 24:12) to EXAMINE OURSELVES AND OUR MOTIVES. It is time to seriously consider whether we are putting biblical love FIRST.
There are a LOT of people out there who know the scriptures. The Pharisees knew the word well, but lacked love toward the people, and their CONDUCT was a testimony against them. (Mat 23:1-3, Titus 1:15-16) God tells us in the word that it is not only KNOWLEDGE of the scriptures which are important, but also the CARE we take in delivering them,(Prov 17:27) the WISDOM in rightly dividing them, (Prov 1:7, 2:6, Eccl 2:26, 2 Tim 2:15) The UNDERSTANDING of those scriptures which comes ONLY from the Holy Spirit, (Job 32:8, John 16:5-15) and the DOING of those commands contained therein, (James 1:22-25) and the greatest of these commands is LOVE. (Mat 22:34-40, Mark 12:28-34, Romans 10:13)
2 Peter 1:5-7
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
The scriptures are clear: Love aught to be the motive behind the sharing of our faith with others.
1 Cor 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
The question remains, is LOVE our primary objective when we contend for the faith?
Let's Examine Ourselves
Looking at my own behavior toward the women in my example, I realized my behavior came from pride, arrogance, and contentious spirit. My attitude concerning many of the women on that list was simply this: I felt these women were just "sinners" and out of the will of God, so I could talk to them any ole kind of way. I was often rude, blunt, and curt in my responses to them, and ended many of my diatribes with "and I don't care who was offended."
Where does this come from? The bible identifies one of the sources of this behavior as being puffed up with KNOWLEDGE. When one is intellectual and knows much, or has a great wealth of information on an issue which everyone isn’t privy to, there is the tendency to become puffed up in our knowledge. This is not condemning the use of intellect, obtaining knowledge or learning the word of God for yourself.
1 Corinthians 8:1
Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
We must be very careful because we are still in flesh, and the flesh has prideful desires. Knowledge is always seen in scripture being used when WISDOM and UNDERSTANDING is present, which all come from the tempering of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 2:5-7)
Another biblical reason for pride is going beyond what is written in the scriptures.
1 Corinthians 4:6
Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another.
A love that builds up our brothers and sisters is not only a witness to encourage them, it also gives God glory, for it pleases him. Love never fails, but knowledge will eventually pass away. (1 Cor 13:8) Love ALWAYS supersedes what we know. (Eph 3:16-19) So if Jesus considered loving the Lord, and loving our neighbor to be the greatest of the commands for us as Christians, why is it we are missing the mark?
Conclusion
The bottom line is LOVE is the most excellent way. Not the false love of the world which is tolerant of sin, but the Love of which Jesus showed us through his life’s example. It does matter how you present the truth, it does matter if we do not seek peace with one another as brothers and sisters, and treat everyone like we would like to be treated.
Luke 6:31
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Jesus was harsher with the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes because they had the scriptures, called themselves teachers of the law, put heavy burdens on the people, YET did not practice what they preached.
You must ask yourself today, if you were living during Jesus’ day, would he call you a hypocrite or a whitewashed sepulchre for forgetting the weightier matters of the law which are loving your neighbor, and loving the Lord your God?
Let love show us the way. Peace, Blessings, and most importantly LOVE to each and every one of you.
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