Divine Love

Now shall we read please on 1st Corinthians 13. 1st Corinthians verse 13 verse 1. This time not clean vessels, not empty vessels, but filled vessels. Filled vessels.

1st Corinthians 13 verse 1. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not love, now this is the words, agape all the way through the section, and have not love, I am become, notice it's a progressive thing, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have not love, I am, I am nothing. Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burnt and have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffereth long. Love is kind. Love envieth not.

Love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. Love doth not behave itself unseemly. Love seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.

Love rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in or with the truth. Love beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things, for love never fails. Love never fails.

Now there are at least three reasons I like to point out why we should touch on this lovely theme, the love of God. As far as John the Apostle is concerned, my good brethren, love was a vital, living, sweet experience. Let me put it to you this way.

Tell me, did he ever in your private meditation, did he ever in your pondering of divine love, come to the point when for instance driving along the highway, he had to stop the car, turn off the ignition, and just bow your head being overwhelmed with the love of God? Brethren, the love of God is not theoretical alone. It is a real thing. I do admire men who know the book.

I do respect men who live a Christian life, but I'm irresistible drawn to brethren of believers that show divine love. I can't help it. Then according to Paul, the love of God is eternal.

Faith and hope shall cease. Divine love is forever. And you and I, we're going to bask one day in a full ocean of divine love.

As far as Matthew is concerned, the Savior intimated, and that's the third reason, that we may be lacking in divine love. He projects his prophetic statement to a coming day, and he says, because iniquity shall abound. That is likely the tribulation scene in principle applies now.

Because hardness can set in. And young believers get busy with the failures of others. And someone says something to you you cannot somehow work out, and you feel like giving up.

Says the Savior, because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. Brethren, as you look at the first epistle to the Corinthians, you find, and that's consonant with the Savior's statement in John chapter 13 to 17 inclusive, that the assembly or God's people upon earth are continuation of Christ. Now this is interesting.

God's people upon earth are continuation of Christ, not just to declare divine truth or doctrine. That's true. That's first Corinthians 11.

As Paul develops his theme, he moves into the 12th up to the first epistle to the Corinthians. He says, it's the church's responsibility to manifest life that's seen in the figure of the body. But nor Paul reaches the very zenith of his unfolding of his teaching.

And he says, brethren, we are here to manifest divine love. That's your task. That's mine.

The word throughout is the agape, divine love that loves not seeking any return. The word that is used of the Father's love towards his Son. It's the word that is used of God's love towards the world.

It is the word that is used to show and to teach the love of Christ to you and to me. There's a man by the name of Tregellus, and he spent all his lifetime going into the verbs, grammatical construction of the Holy Scriptures. He came to Revelation 1 and 5, and he considered his crowning findings.

You remember the verse? It's almost a doxology, where John says, Unto him that loved us. And this man found out it's not in the past tense, it's in the present tense. Unto him who loveth us.

O believer, always keep in mind that God loves you. Is it any wonder then that John tells us and the other evangelists that the chief priest delivered the Savior to Pilate, and Pilate recognized it because of envy. Why? Because he realized that the Savior shared and had the undivided heartful affection of his own, and they didn't.

He first of all gave it. Now the little section which we read together falls into two portions. Verse 1 to 3, divine love in relation to service.

Divine love in relation to service. Verse 4 to 7, divine love in relation to character. And the first section consists of these three little verses, and Paul uses a simile or a picture from the world of communication.

Verse 2, he uses a picture from the world of the spiritual or the sphere of the spiritual, and moves on into verse 3, into the sphere of the humanitarian. Now first of all, Paul's usage of the word agape or divine love in relation to the world of communication. Now during the 1970s, the CIA and FBI as well as the Canadian RCMP found out that Russian intelligence boats were anchored offshore on the east and the west coast.

These vessels were brimming with high-tech intelligence detection gear. And North American intelligence found out that the Russian boats were there for a purpose, and that purpose was to monitor as many telephone conversations and business transactions as came over the ether. Now what the Kremlin is deeply interested in is what makes the North American mind think, or rather what is the result of our way of life.

That's the idea. Because by conversation you can read character. That's it.

And that's why they monitored all these telephone conversations. It doesn't take long when a believer opens his mouth and says something that can read him or her character. Now Paul says he transfers this to the world of communication.

Though I speak with the tongues of angels and have not love, the point is simply this. Sunday school teacher, it's good to have a lesson. But what will ultimately count is the outpouring of divine love, and you never fool a child.

A child will recognize the genuine affection that you have. The same goes for ministry. If my word is not accompanied or motivated by divine love, I'd like to put it to the test.

Do you remember what was said last year at the conference in Detroit? Come on now. Now this is a test. Do you remember that which was said? At least 18 messages given.

Come on now. Don't want to be critical. Well, we often forget.

But brother, isn't it that you sometimes remember the kind thought, the kind gesture? A young man came along not too long ago, and he just said one word. His eyes filled with tears, and he says to me, brother, thanks. A specific need has been met.

Isn't it what we are after? To touch the hearts of the saints. This is not what the Spirit of God would impress us with. It's not just the outward.

So Paul says, all right, I can minister the word with angelic tongues, and if love is not my motivating factor, I'm nothing. You know, some folks are won by warning in relation to hell and judgment, rightly so. But in my experiences, I have cases, we call them chronic cases, and I had to probe deep into the very recesses of their hearts' affections.

And with everything I could muster up, and God is my witness, I told quite a number of the unconverted people that I loved them, and this melted them. Oh, look, friend, you can sense it. Before my conversion, I never liked gospel preaching.

It exposed me. And in our evaluation of one another, sometimes we are wrong. But I do recall here and there, there are some brothers and sisters, and I'm going to tell you something.

The first gospel paper ever offered to me on the North American continent was offered by a 40-year-old woman in the downtown park. And she did it with such a winning personality. She did it with such a Christlike smile.

I couldn't help but sit down and listen to what the brethren had to say. The sister doesn't know that. Sometimes it's good to keep things quiet.

But I could sense, here's a person, and I didn't know the difference between gospel and Roman Catholicism. Here's a woman, and she enjoyed what she had. Now Paul moves into the next verse, and here's the sphere of the spiritual.

You know, gifts are God's mind for the church. Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians chapter 4, perfectly in order. But Paul says, if this is all we've got, and if it doesn't accompany, or if love doesn't accompany these gifts, I am nothing.

Then he moves into verse 3, the world or the sphere of the humanitarian. Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned. Now this is not necessarily a literal burning on the stake, for whenever this word is used, for instance, in the gospel of Matthew chapter 5, this word is used in a symbolic way.

The Savior said, let your light so burn or shine before men. Then again in another section, John 5, where the Savior said that John the Baptist was a shining or a burning light. Now the basic idea is, the world of the humanitarian.

I'm going to tell you something. When about 20 years ago, I went into what we have come to know, the full-time service. And I look back over 20 years of God's faithfulness and leading and guidance.

Nothing like being honest. You know what the greatest gift in a material way I ever received was? Now I've got your attention, haven't I? The greatest gift that I ever received was from a widow, and it amounted to three dollars. I remember as though it was yesterday.

I stood outside the tent, and if you knew the economic situation of this woman, you'll recall it was a sacrifice. She came to me, just a few words of encouragement. She pressed a little bit of money in my hands.

That was not only the first, but the greatest gift I ever received, because I sensed it came from the heart. You know when in these difficult years of 1945, 1946, at this particular time we lived in East Germany, and you young folks still know what hunger is, do you? Because in those days, it was the spring of 1945. Now pardon me, 1946.

The economic condition was so poor that our neighbor killed and ate his dog, and it wasn't a hot dog either. That's right, ate his dog. During those years, the Americans were very kind to us, and from time to time they sent us what we've come to know as care parcels.

Now of course we enjoyed receiving such various items of food, but once in a while, they came a food parcel from our own father. Same items, but there's one difference. And that was, there was a letter in it.

And in this letter, our dear dad expressed his fatherly love, and this is what made the difference. So Paul says, all right, transferring this to the mere humanitarian, I can give all my body for this very purpose. And if love isn't the motivating factor, I am nothing.

Now quickly, let's move on to the second section. Love suffereth long. Now primarily I believe this applies to the Savior himself.

Brethren, how do we know divine love? It has to be communicated. And here's the Savior and oppression and persecution and misrepresentation and open violence did not deter him, did it? And brethren, how do you and how do I now, this very moment, enjoy consciously the love of God? It is simply because there was one he endured. We sometimes sing, don't we, "'Twas love that sought Gethsemane, or Judas, never had found thee.

It was love that nailed unto the tree, or iron, had never bound thee." Oh, there was one who endured it all. My, look at the bloodiest lake in the world that's ever known, the Roman Colosseum. Have you ever been there? More blood has flowed in that particular area than in any other area combined.

You know what they used to do? Under Nero, they went down in the catacombs and they singled out a young girl or young man and they'd take him into the midst of the arena. All the potentates of imperial Rome gathered together and there was a public challenge, either recant or else death. I don't want to be gruesome, but they tied each limb to the rear leg of an ox.

And this young person, because of love to the Savior, they did not want to bow down to worship Caesar. They only owned Christ as King. Those young people are torn to pieces.

But this is the heritage on which the Church's perpetuity and continuity was based. Oh, yes, there was one that endured. Divine love has been tried down the centuries.

Brother, they couldn't burn it out with the saints. Then Paul says, and we'll just mention just a few. He says, Agape, our love is kind.

I remember reading a missionary account. I was only saved a few weeks, and this is one thing I remember. I remember books written by able men, up to 2,000 pages, but sometimes just one little phrase that the spur of God uses down the years, and this was the account.

There was a missionary to the Muslims who lived early in the 14th century, 1311 to be exact. His name was Raymond Law. Raymond Law was martyred for his faith in North Africa.

He poured out his life as a libation for the Master. He recognized that the only way he can reach those Muslims is not by doctrine alone. Because the Muslims to this very day are difficult to reach because they associate the crusaders and their murderous deeds with basic Christianity.

So Raymond Law set out to win them with love, and he made this statement. He said, He that loves not, lives not. And he that lives by love divine, he cannot die.

Ah, that's it. Oh brother, I would have given anything to have moved with the Savior, that small apostolic company as they went through the Judean desert and the little villages of Galilean Judea. I would have loved to have seen the Master at work.

Love is kind. What does it mean? Love thus seeks for opportunities. And the Savior had a keen eye.

And the Savior had a keen eye. I remember there was a section that I never understood when I was a young convert, in the Gospel of Mark. There's a young man, he had great possessions.

And the Savior stood, and we read, beholding him, he loved him. I never understood that. Oh, I would have loved, I would have given anything to have been there with my Savior.

As he looked at this young man, what actually did he do? All the concentrated loves of all heaven showered that very moment upon this young man. Of course, he did not reciprocate. Why not? Because all his affections were held, captivated by things of time and sense.

But oh, just to feel, and you could sense it, I'm sure you could, to feel the Savior's love. Love is kind. And if at all you, and by the way, you carry this love with you, it's not something that gradually arrives.

The Lord has given it to you the very moment that you get saved. And that's sometimes one reason why young converts are good soul winners. Because they move in the conscious enjoyment of their salvation, and the world recognizes it.

And they realize they've got something. Give me 10 percent. Give me 10 percent of God's people are in touch with the Master, and you've got it made.

You've got it made. Nancy will recognize it. So John says, love is kind.

Well, just two more. Love is not provoked. What's it mean? Here's a danger.

You see, anyone who moves in the atmosphere of divine love is not the devil's friend, because you're like him. This is one reason why Apostle Paul, and you know, as I analyze this section, brethren, I want to make a confession. Oh, what a man he must have been.

He says, love envyeth not. Why not? You see, these specific gifts in the epistles he wrote were given for the edification yet building of a church. Interestingly, the Spirit of God makes an interstatement when Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12, in relation to the gift God has set, and God has tempered.

That is, it's the sovereignty of God that puts a local gift in a local assembly. And I have no business to being envious or jealous of either brother or sister, because they function better than I do. Love is past it.

You know why? Because as you move, although limited your capacity might be, but if you move in the constant atmosphere of divine love, you've reached maximum usefulness for God. Maximum! And your life will count, whether it's in the Sunday school, amongst the saints, or amongst the unconverted. You cannot go higher than that.

Never mind gift and ability right now. Therefore, love never envies, because you've got something better. And the world will recognize you're genuine and you're real.

Now, love is not provoked. A danger for anyone who moves consciously in the atmosphere of divine love is not Satan's friend. Look, young believer, you will have to contend with satanic.

You'll have to contend with worldly or carnal influences to knock it down. The ideas in Deuteronomy change your course. Remember, because of the sin of Israel, God would change his attitude and his discipline would come in.

He would change his course. The same word is used in the Acts as Paul sees the idolatry and the paganism in Athens. And his mind was turned into a different action.

And if at all, again I say, you move in the conscious enjoyment of love as John of old. And there is a statement in the Gospel of John that always touches me when I read it, and it's this. The disciple whom Jesus loved.

The disciple whom Jesus loved. Does it mean that the Lord loved John more? No, it doesn't mean that. It simply means that John lived in the conscious enjoyment of divine love.

Do you? Love is not provoked. In other words, it keeps on going. No matter what the devil, the world, and the flesh will throw in that way of yours.

One more. Love endures. Love endures.

Six months ago, I was at the place where supposedly the burning bush was in front of Mount Horeb. I had my own ideas about it. It's a traditional site.

Whatever you take the burning bush to mean, I enjoy that. It's the divine presence, divine testimony, it's the suffering by persecution and oppression of all the successive generations of the saints. But brethren, you cannot destroy, neither can you burn the bush.

Why? Because it's put aflame by the love of God itself. And all the successive centuries, whether the Colosseum or the Romans, or whether the Babylonians and the Persians and the Greeks, and centuries before that, or whether it was the Spanish Inquisition, or the satanic movement through religious systems, whether it was the plight of the Huguenots, or whether it's going to be the awful time of the martyred. Brethren, Christianity can never be destroyed.

Amen to that. Kingdoms come and kingdoms go. Nations, we've seen them rise and governments have come and gone just like the meteor in the night.

But Christianity is here to stay and thank God it's going to into eternity. Why? Unlike the systems of man, unlike the materialistic atheistic philosophies that all round about us, unlike religious movements, Christianity is motivated, or ought to be, by divine love. And you cannot destroy it because agape, divine love, endures.