1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTERS 13
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1Cor 13,1-13
(110l) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Spirit and the word >> Spiritual substance and
truth >> Spiritual substance follows the truth – Love is not something you can put into
words. Paul made an attempt, saying: “love is patient, love is kind.”
All he could say is that it is associated with the fruits of the spirit,
described in Galatians chapter 5, indicating that all the other fruits are embedded
in this one,
love. So it appears that we cannot experience “Joy” or
any of the fruits of the spirit without love. Being that love seems so difficult to define, it gives rise
to the possibility that love is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, suggesting
that those who live and walk in love have entered a
spiritual state. We
often receive huge responses from the smallest acts of love, why? We are being
like God during those moments, demonstrating the Kingdom of Heaven. We have been taught all our lives that
love is an action. It ultimately is manifested as an action but, "if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have
love,"
then love
is not an action. What is it then? It is a spiritual substance that originates from
heaven! It is one of the few things the world is willing to receive from us. The best
definition of love is that it is the substance of the anointing. This explains
why love is indescribable, because the anointing is indescribable.
God has given us various levers of the anointing in the gifts of the spirit,
but without the fruits of the Spirit, these levers don’t
work.
(233d) Kingdom of God
>>
Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the kingdom >>
Seeking the goals of the kingdom >> Seek the
goal of love –
Love is like a suitcase where inside all the fruits of the Spirit are stored:
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control (Gal 5-22,23). This is not a list of actions as much as they are
spiritual states. For example, when we think of patience, it is not something
we do but something we don’t do, referring to the absence of anger and frustration. Paul said love is patient and
kind; both are found in the suitcase of love. We take this suitcase wherever we go; we
are never without it, being cumbersome at times. We want to set it down as we
fumble for the keys, but without it we would be lost in a world without faith. If we set
down the suitcase, we are no longer able to access its contents and we become
separated from the fruits of the Spirit, and evil desires begin to creep into
our mind with thoughts of greed, lust and pride.
1Cor 13,1-8
(88e) Thy kingdom come
>>
Faith produces works >> The function of works in
faith >> Faith doesn’t move men until it is
manifested in the spiritual realm
– They
say that the English language doesn’t have a word for “love”. Some say that the Greek language is fuller and deeper and uses
other words to distinguish between the various meanings of love. For
example, the word for God's love is “Agape”, but what does agape mean other than the
love of God? That doesn’t exactly expand the meaning. If the English can’t
do the word justice, and if the Greek hasn’t done much better, then maybe
the love of God transcends all human languages. This suggests that love also
transcends all human actions and is better understood as a spiritual substance, like Heb 11-1 says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped
for, the evidence of things not seen” (KJV). This further suggests that
faith and love are the same. Actually, Paul did a better job
of defining "love" in Gal 5-22,23, when he named the nine fruits of the Spirit,
love being one of them, so we can say: love
is joy, love is peace, love is kind, etc. Essentially, love is what we take
from the presence of God.
(230k) Kingdom of God
>>
God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Mystery
of godliness >> Solving the mystery of godliness >> The love of Christ is the mystery of
godliness -- These verses go with verse 13. The world would like to believe they are
free because their government and military say so, but Jesus disagrees if they don’t believe His word. The world abuses their own concept
of freedom, much less possesses the freedom of Christ, spending it on their pleasures like the prodigal son, and
then fall back into slavery to another nation’s rendition of
freedom, perpetuating the cycle of man’s truth, which is twisted beyond
hope. God does not want His people to enter this cycle. He wants us to know
the truth that we may be free indeed and to remain free. If we are going to
be slaves He would rather we become slaves of our freedom in order to avoid
the bondage of man. The world does not know God or His freedom, and for this reason
the world does not know His love. Now we know why it is so
hard to define love. It is like trying to describe the importance of water to
the natural sciences; it is the very cornerstone to all living things! How
much more is love the cornerstone of our faith in God and of our interpersonal
relationships? See also:
Truth will set you
free; Jn 8-32; 6f
1Cor 13,1-3
(63e) Paradox
>>
Anomalies >> Sarcasm >>
Exaggerate the truth to make a point
(160b) Works of the devil
>>
Essential characteristics >> Counterfeit God >>
Counterfeit spirit
(168b) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> Do not conform to the world’s
version of love – The world's version of love is devoid of
substance. I can make the ultimate sacrifice of my life for whatever cause,
whether it be for good or for evil, but if I have not love, my charity ends
when the act is accomplished. For example, I could run into a burning
house and free a child only to be trapped myself and die in the
flames, but if I have not love, I am denied heaven, and the
flames continue. How has my sacrifice profited me? If I were rich I could
donate millions of dollars to a good cause, and that money may benefit others, but without love I will not be able to
enjoy the blessing or internalize what I have done.
Without love there is no positive emotion; such a condition of the heart belongs
to monsters. There are those who for their own reasons have developed an appreciation for life
apart from love; they are dead
inside. We experience many things, but love is the experience
that makes all other experiences worthwhile. It is not in the
million-dollar gift or in rescuing a child from a burning house or in the gift of prophecy or
in tongues, or the ability to
solve mysteries, or having knowledge and faith as to
remove mountains. We could perform them as one performs on stage, but none of these are the experience.
The experience is in love,
through which we enjoy life, for without love our experiences mean nothing. Paul didn’t say we
cannot do these things without love, he said we cannot assign value to
them. Without love our lives do not belong to us; our daily
activities dance in the darkness for no one.
(171g) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> Outward
appearance >> Decorating the outside to simulate
the inside >> Playing the part to be accepted by
God – Maybe you
are a performer of diverse miracles or an articulator of the oracle of God, and maybe you
are the answer-man and can answer some
of the deepest questions man has ever asked, but without love you are
nothing. If you want your service and ministry to affect people and mean
something to God, you must cultivate love as the basis of your identity
and of all you do, or your life is in vain.
(173h) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> Catholicism >>
Unholy sacrifice
>> Offering sacrifice without
God’s approval >> Sacrifice against the ways of
God
(176h) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> Zeal without
knowledge (Spirit w/o the word) >> Resolution
without relationship
(196i) Denying Christ
>>
Man exercises his will against God >> Spiritual
laziness >> Replacing God’s standard of
excellence with yours >> Lukewarm Christianity
(248h) Priorities
>>
God’ s preeminence >> Values >>
Valuing God >> Knowing God is more important
than serving Him
1Cor 13-1
(85b) Thy kingdom come
>>
Your words can lead to your own demise >> How
can you, being evil, speak what is good? – Paul said that if we have the gift of
tongues, but do not have love, it is nothing. So what is Paul saying, that the
gifts are nothing? No, he is saying that the gifts must flow through love. This suggests that if our
heart is not founded
on love, then the gifts of the spirit will be ineffective and probably
dangerous. Without love the gifts of the spirit will turn from a blessing to a
curse, for where they were once tools to build up the body of Christ, now they
are weapons that cause division.
(95e) Thy kingdom come
>>
Positive attitude >> Speaking in tongues >>
Tongues are a form of prayer -- This verse goes with verse
8
(124d) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Love >>
Acts of love >> Love is one of the fruits of the
Spirit
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1Cor 13-2
(71b) Authority
>>
Believer’s authority >> We have authority in
the wisdom of God
(86f) Thy kingdom come
>>
Belief >> Mental ascent (believing a set of facts)
(124m) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Love is the action of
faith >> Love is the motive of faith --
This verse goes with verses 8-13
(152ia)
Witness >> Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the father
>> Prophets >> The Church holds the position of a prophet >>
Church operates under a prophetic anointing >> Delivering a prophetic
message from God -- This verse goes with
verses 8&9
1Cor 13,3-7
(124b) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Love >>
Acts of love >> Love takes from the rich and
gives to the poor >> love is the act of giving
to the poor
1Cor 13,3-5
(34l) Gift of God
>>
Be generous like your Father >> Give to your
brother
1Cor 13-3
(23e) Sin
>>
Poverty (Oppression) >> Poor are those who are
rich in their own minds –
A three-year-old is content with her dolly, a little food in her tummy, a
pillow, some blankets, a couple toys and a sense of security. For possessions,
what does she need, a car? Her daddy needs that. She lives in a house, but it is deeded to her parents and they
make the mortgage payments. A parent can devote every waking hour being a
provider and ignore their children, yet what their children really need is
their parents. They would rather their parents were home than out making money
to buy the feeling of being better providers. Parents love their children often
without thinking about it, yet over a period of years they can look back
and see the repository of love they had been, especially in contrast to
other children whose parents didn’t love them. When we begin to realize
the value of love, we can’t put a price on it.
(34a) Gift of God
>>
God’s generosity >> Believer owns everything >>
Jesus belongs to us –
If we have not love, we have nothing; but if we have love, we have everything.
Nothing we give has value compared to love that has motivated us to give in
the first place. Had Jesus gone to the cross without love, it would have benefited
Him nothing; as it is Jesus is the love of God, and as a result He
gained the Church. When we give people things they don’t need, it is
hard to call that love, since love is about providing for those who cannot
help themselves. Someone who really needs help, for instance a fireman pulls
someone from a burning house, that is love. Accordingly, God saved us from our sins,
and He gave us Jesus whom we needed. The person who
walks in love, everything he does is inspiring, how much more when he gives to
the poor and is kind to his fellow man?
(235c) Kingdom of God
>>
Pursuing the kingdom >> Invest in the kingdom >>
Tithing >> Be faithful in your tithes >>
Unfaithfulness nullifies your tithe
(252j) Trinity
>>
You shall put no other gods before Me >> Worship
God >> Worship God by your lifestyle –
Paul said that apart from love, all my actions of love profit me
nothing. Give to a charity with a grudging attitude, and the charity will
profit as if you gave from a willing heart, but you will not profit from it. This verse resembles what Jesus did with His life; He gave all His possessions
to feed the poor, and He surrendered His body to be crucified, but He did it
in love, and for that reason God gave Him the Church, but had He gone to the cross
outside of love, He would have gained nothing. Jesus died for our sins in love, not in love for us but in love for His Father.
We
need to remember how Jesus taught; He did everything in obedience to His
Father, including the cross. Many believe Jesus came on His own initiative and
went to the cross based on His own volition, but this simply does not stand-up
to Scripture. Everything Jesus
said and did was in obedience to His Father. Jesus didn’t visit
mankind on His own initiative; His Father sent Him. Therefore, the cross
represents the Father’s love, which is even more significant than the love
of Christ. We know Jesus gained the Church through the cross, but what
did the Father gain from the cross? Jesus said that the Father desires
worshippers who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (Jn 4-23). So Jesus
gained the Church while the Father gained worshipers. See also: Father sent the Son;
Heb 5,1-10; 80l
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1Cor 13,4-8
(6g) Responsibility
>>
Being spiritual >> Ministering to God by dying
to self –
In this mortal body we naturally dwell more on selfishness
than on helping others. Therefore, dying to self is an intrinsic part of
loving someone, and we do it for Christ, not for the people we are helping. Our personal interests get in the way of caring for others, so
we must first remove the obstacle of ourselves engrained in our flesh
before we can focus our attention on other people.
(41j) Judgment
>>
Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >>
Be godly toward one another
(42g) Judgment
>>
Satan destroyed >> Transformation >>
Conform to the Love of Christ –
Paul’s definition of love is surprisingly short, suggesting that love is not
complicated. Love is beautiful; love is selfless; it does not get angry, and it
forgives. That is what love does, but what is love? It is patient, and it is
kind. Those are two of the nine fruits of the Spirit; therefore, love is
spiritual at it's core, and its fruit are not actions but spiritual states,
generated by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
(64h) Paradox
>>
Anomalies >> Weaknesses of God >>
God subjects himself to human frailty >> His
weakness is stronger than men
(156da)
Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Evidence of salvation
>> Loving your fellow man is evidence of salvation
>> Love your enemies
(244l) Kingdom of God
>>
Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >>
Literal manifestations >> Literal manifestation
of God’s word >> Love is the manifestation of
truth -- These verses go with verse 13
(250k) Priorities
>>
God’s prerequisites >> Lists >>
Terms of graduating to the next level >> List of
spiritual traits in descending order –
Paul defined love through the fruits of the Spirit and then went on to
explain the opposite of love, and his list is by no means complete.
He mentioned “jealousy”, which incorporates just about every sin
imaginable, defining love by what it is not more than what it is. Love is essentially the
fruit of the Spirit, and since love is
spiritual, what the Holy Spirit does occurs
inside us, like love. His actions don’t cause anything physical to happen but
creates things in us.
1Cor 13,4-7
(123b) Love
(Key
verse)
1Cor 13-4,5
(77d) Thy kingdom come
>>
Humility >> Refusing the glory of man >>
Refusing to exalt yourself –
Love does not seek its own glory but seeks to glorify God and serve others.
Paul mentioned two of the fruits of the Spirit, and they represent the
other seven fruits mentioned in Gal 5-22,23. Then he began numbering things that
love is not: it is not provoked, and it does not take into
account a wrong suffered. How easy is it for us to be provoked? People who
yell at us, or are chronic complainers vex our souls and provoke us to react
against them, returning evil for evil. The very things that
provoke us are the things we want to throw at them, which is how wars start. All these negative things come from our
flesh, but
we must control them and keep them at bay. We who are born of God go into attack
mode at the slightest provocation because we are sinners too, and we live in a
body of sin, and we are not immune to its wickedness. We try to avoid the
pitfalls of our sinful nature, things that pull us into darkness, and we fight
to avoid them, sometimes falling prey to them, so we ask God for help and He forgives
us and provides His strength to overcome our weaknesses.
(124h) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Love your enemies >>
Loving your enemies leaves room for God to Work >>
Leave room for the salvation of God
(126i) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Patience >>
The patience of God >> God is patient
1Cor 13-4
(24h) Sin
>>
Poverty (Forms of fear) >> Being envious of your brother
(84g) Thy kingdom come
>>
Words of your mouth >> Boasting in men is not
needed –
God has accepted those who believe in Him for
eternal life. There is consequently no place for boasting. Therefore by definition, a person who
walks in love is not boastful. It is interesting that Paul mentioned bragging,
since it isn’t often addressed in the Bible, yet it is in the love chapter describing what love
does not do. What would love have to brag about
anyway? Actually, love has more to brag about than anything, for love
produces all good things in the world. For example, a mother’s love is what
produces decent children who become adults and teach their children how to
love. Without a mother’s love, the world would soon lose its capacity for
love and all things would come to an end. "Boasting" and arrogance
are brothers, but a person who
walks in love is neither boastful nor arrogant. We can use these truths to
discern the spiritual state of those who claim to be Christians but don't act
like it. If he is truly a child of God, he will
not arrogantly place himself above others, but will instead look for opportunities for
service.
(127d) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Kindness >>
God is kind
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1Cor 13-5
(89a) Thy kingdom come
>>
Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom >> Being
sensible is always wise –
Love does not act unbecomingly or seek its own. This is a pair that seems
redundant. Seeking our own interest is “unbecoming”, which is a sensitive word, used
also for things far less severe. For example, public intoxication is unbecoming;
smoking in a public facility is unbecoming. “Inappropriate” is the word
that comes closest to unbecoming. Question: ‘Should I practice love in
this case?’ The answer is always a resounding “Yes!” Love is always
appropriate.
(120d) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Forgiveness >>
Forgiving your brother >> As God has forgiven
you
(123d) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Love >>
Spiritual affection >> Compassion >>
Reaching out to those in need
(124f) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Love >>
Acts of love >> Love does not seek its own – Some say that pursuing a reward for
acting in love is
hypocritical; others say it is no different from a dog seeking a treat for
performing a trick, but neither of these are true. Jesus went to the cross,
not hypocritically or like a dog seeking a treat but,
“for the joy [hope/reward] set before Him” (Heb 12-2), He received a people for His own possession who are zealous for
good works. Therefore, we too should expect to
gain something by our selfless acts of love. We should live for the benefit of
others, holding to hope, knowing God has every intension of blessing
us for doing His will. Nobody does anything apart from hope, not even God! If our hope is in heaven, God says
our motives are right. That is, our personal
interest in pursuing a heavenly reward for being kind to others is
divine, but if we hope for an earthly reward, then we are back to selfish
interests with no benefit to ourselves and with nobody else in mind. The love we bestow on
others in this life has an
earthly benefit to those we love, but the reward is stockpiled in heave for
us, and equating these two are like comparing apples to oranges.
(124k) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Love your enemies >>
Love your enemies that you may not become like them –
Love “does not take into account a wrong suffered.” When someone does
something malicious to us, love does not take it into account. We pass over their
sins. This is not an easy thing to do, and the world would say it was just
plain wrong, but the Bible says this is what it means to be like God, for He
passed over our sins.
(135f) Temple
>>
Your body is the temple of God >> Sins of the
body >> Abortion >>
Consequences of abortion >> Abortion is the
result of a selfish life-style
(159h) Works of the devil
>>
Essential characteristics >> Counterfeit >>
Counterfeit godliness >> Counterfeit fruit –
Paul did not say that love is not easily provoked; he said that love is
not provoked at all, that if it is provoked, then it is no longer love. When
looking at the Old Testament, God was regularly provoked to anger; therefore,
could we say that God was not acting in love at those times? His patience grew
thin and He sought justice against the Israelites and the neighboring
countries. What many don’t understand about God in the Old Testament is
the amount of patience He demonstrated before He got angry. We are talking
about thousands of people disobeying Him for years until He couldn’t stand
it anymore. His patience wore thin and He was provoked to anger. Our
provocation and search for justice are usually way too early; we rarely show
enough patience before we get angry. Paul is saying that while we are being
patient and showing forbearance toward one another, we are walking in love,
but the moment we become angry, it is like a switch that has been turned, and
now we are walking by a completely different set of principles. In an instant
we go from walking in the Spirit to walking in the flesh, and it is often
difficult to return to faith.
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1Cor 13-6
(86n) Thy kingdom come
>>
Obedience >> Be doers of the word from the heart >> Love the truth
(127i) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Goodness >>
Rewards for doing good >> Doing good teaches you
about the truth – Paul has linked love with the truth, implying that love
without the truth is not godly love, but is a sickening-sweet form of
self-righteousness. God’s love is very different from the world’s version
of love, which is not in any way related to the truth, but is something people
do to promote themselves. In contrast, the biblical version of love is
directly associated with the truth, according to Jn 3-21, “He who practices
the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having
been wrought in God.” In other words, the one who walks in God’s love
gives Him the credit, since God has given him the ability to walk in love.
Love and truth are closely related, whereas apart from the truth love becomes
quiet and unresponsive.
(194g) Die to self (Process of substitution)
>>
Turn from sin to God >> Hate evil >>
Victory over sin >> Hate evil by loving good
1Cor 13-7,8
(112d) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Light >> Jesus light in us overcomes darkness >>
The light of His power
1Cor 13-7
(86c) Thy kingdom come
>>
Belief >> Treating the knowledge of God as fact >>
Repentance is the result of the resurrection
(99g) Thy kingdom come
>>
Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> Enduring circumstances >> Enduring hardship –
The best thing a person can do who is persecuted is to keep the faith, for it
increases his confidence to endure all things and thus increases his capacity
for love, which believes all things and bears
all things regarding the truth. Love never fails the truth, just as truth
never fails love. They are dance partners in a symbiotic relationship that
performs on stage in front of the world in a syncopated choreography called
the Two-Step, consisting of faith and love. Love does not believe in anything except the truth. How many
people do we know picks and chooses the doctrines they believe, but truth,
where is it? Any belief system that does not incorporate the truth is incapable of walking in love! Their
rendition of love does not
believe the truth, and we know that those with a
selective belief system also deselect the truth when it confronts their sinful
nature. A person with a selective belief system is also selective in what they
obey and who they love, and so we who are of the truth should beware of them, for
false brethren are incompatible with those who love the truth. See also: Faith and love of
the truth; 1Cor 13,8-13; 124m /
Faith in the truth; 1Tim 2-7;
78b
(121k) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Hope Based On
Faithfulness >> Hope based on character
-- This verse goes with verse 13
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1Cor 13,8-13
(124m) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Love is the action of
faith >> Love is the motive of faith --
These verses go with verse 2. Love is difficult to define. As we scan the New Testament we see the terms
faith and
love frequently appearing together. There is a reason for this; faith and love
are one and the same. Hence, if love is the substance of the anointing, then so is
faith. This bears out in Heb 11-1, “Faith is the substance of things hoped
for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is a “heavenly” substance, just like love.
There is another pair of terms in the New Testament that also goes together in the same way. Jesus said in John 8-32, “And ye shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free.” These four: truth and
freedom, faith and love, are closely related—love is to faith as truth is to freedom. Freedom is a product of truth, as love is a product of faith, and
all four are spiritual substances, meaning they are off limits to unbelief. We
must believe in God before we can walk in His love, which opens our eyes
to His truth, which sets us free to serve Him. See
also: Faith and love of the truth; 1Cor 13-7; 99g
1Cor 13,8-12
(170f) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> Outward
appearance >> Temporary >>
Whatever is temporary will perish – Love will continue to the end of
eternity, but gifts of prophecy and tongues will cease;
knowledge will become obsolete, for in heaven how can someone say he knows
something when everyone knows what he knows? There
is value in gold because it is rare, and so is knowledge in this life, but not
in heaven. The streets will be made of gold to mock the greedy man, but that
is where its value will end in heaven. Love will be
just as common, but it will retain its value, because it is the essence of
God. Will we arrive in heaven suddenly knowing everything, or
will we accumulate knowledge throughout eternity? Knowledge will most likely remain a process.
1Cor 13-8,9
(152ia)
Witness >> Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the father
>> Prophets >> The Church holds the position of a prophet >>
Church operates under a prophetic anointing >> Delivering a prophetic
message from God -- These verses go with
verse 2
1Cor 13-8
(39h) Judgment
>>
Jesus defeated death >> Victory >>
Jesus never fails – Paul
promised that through love we will be
able to do anything within the parameters of His will. Love does not
believe in lies, nor does it bear the heart of fools. It does not hope in
stupidity, or endure sin. God gives us his love and expects us to believe in Him no matter what happens. He wants us to remember our
hope of eternal life, while we bear the burdens of others.
(95e) Thy kingdom come
>>
Positive attitude >> Speaking in tongues >>
Tongues are a form of prayer -- This verse goes with verse
1
KJV
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1Cor 13-9,10
(112j) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Light >> Being in the presence of truth -- These verses go with verse 12
(245e) Kingdom of God
>>
Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >>
Literal manifestations >> Literal manifestation
of Jesus Christ >> Manifestation of Jesus’
second coming
1Cor 13-9
(80i) Thy kingdom come
>>
Know the word to minister to God >> Know the word to
know God –
We all have partial knowledge of God. We will always know just the tip of the iceberg of what
there is to know about Him. God gives an eternity to learn about Him, and even then some things
will remain completely in the dark. For example, we can conceptualize eternity
past, but we will never know it by experience, simply because we had a
beginning. Imagine ten thousand years from now after we
have become convinced we know God, He will reveal something about Himself
that will change everything we know about Him. We know this by the way Jesus treated
His disciples; He always had an agenda. Had
Jesus given the teachings of John chapters 14-17 at the beginning of His
ministry, His disciples would have never understood any of it. As it was, they didn’t anyway, but
they knew it meant something, and after Pentecost the anointing enlightened their
minds. Eternity will be similar to the disciples’ 3-year odyssey with Jesus.
God may say things to us during the Millennium that we are not capable of
understanding at the time, because we haven’t yet developed the knowledge base
to fathom it, and then over millions of years our experiences will accumulate to
give us the means to understand Him, but by that time, He will have said many
other things that we will not understand until billions of years later. We will
always be catching-up to God, always striving to understand Him, “until we
all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to
a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of
Christ” (Eph 4-13).
1Cor 13-10,11
(118m) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Freedom >>
Law of the spirit >> Newness of the spirit
transcends oldness of the letter – Love will continue forever. It will never go
away, just like the law. It will never stop being true that we should not
commit murder or lie. It will never stop being true that we should love the
Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, and love our
neighbor as our self, yet the law has already become obsolete through the
administration of the Holy Spirit, who teaches us about God and His love. The
statements of the law are not obsolete, but the law as an instrument designed
to increase the knowledge of sin has run its course. The Holy Spirit does this
much more effectively, if people would just pay attention to Him in their
hearts "as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts"
(2Pet 1-19).
1Cor 13-10
(43i) Judgment
>>
Satan destroyed >> Perfected by God
–
Some say when we get to heaven we will know all things in that the partial will give way to the infinite,
and
there will be no occasion to learn. However, in some contexts “knowledge”
is another word for faith. The difference between scientific knowledge
and faith is that our faith knows things that are incomprehensible.
That is, we know things in ways that even we don’t understand. In other
words, we have a faith that is greater than ourselves, meaning that it is not
actually our faith but God’s faith we use to believe in Him. Although this
faith goes beyond comprehension, it is incomplete; but when the perfect comes,
the partial will be done away, so our faith will be complete. We will continue learning throughout eternity about God and His
creation, and as we do, we will come to know Him in ways that are beyond our
ability to comprehend in this life. See also: God replaces our belief with His faith;
2Cor 12-8,9; 43k
(44g) Judgment
>>
Satan destroyed >> Transformed >>
Complete >> Lacking in nothing –
That which is perfect is Christ, and that which is partial is our flesh. When
the perfect comes, He will perfect us as He is
perfect. That is, our sinful flesh will be abolished and He will give us new bodies
that cannot sin. Paul made
a comment, “faith working through love” in Gal 5-6; that is what it means
to be complete. Verses like this point to the statement
James made in his epistle, “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing”
(Jm 1-4). That is the goal, though we will never fully reach it in this life. Voyaging on a journey toward
perfection is the closest we will ever get to being perfect in this life. If
we don't seek perfection, we will find corruption. If we are on a genuine
pursuit toward perfection, God doesn’t count our trespasses against us but
sees us as already perfect, even when we fail.
1Cor 13-11
(19f) Sin
>>
Having the mental disease of the world >>
Incorrect thinking
(62l) Paradox
>>
Anomalies >> Being clever >>
Grow up –
We are not to remain babes, for there is a maturity process that requires
sacrifice. If we remain babes, the world will continue to receive us; but if
we allow our faith to mature, and take on our heavenly calling, we will have
abandoned our fleshly impulses and received an anointing from God that makes
us less earthly and more heavenly, so that the world no longer understands
us. There must be a departure from this world, a setting aside of the old
life and putting on the new that we have in Christ (Eph 4,22-24). By this
the world will no longer recognize us as one of its own but as we were
aliens of another planet, a world they have rejected, a world they hate and
despise, being enemies of God. The world hates us because we are not of the
world but are of God (Jn 15-18,19). Those who have remained babes we have
left straddling the fence with a foot in both worlds, who don’t have
acceptance from either world. They strive to be spiritual, but their flesh
keeps getting in their way, and they refuse to remove it through sheer force
of will, considering it an act of self-betrayal, being more fleshly than
spiritual. Then they strive to be worldly and they can’t, because their
other foot is trying to please God. Most immature Christians remain in the
valley of decision their entire lives, never climbing the valley cliff to
the higher plateau, giving them the ability to hear the voice of God telling
them to perfect righteousness in the fear of God, giving them the fortitude
to follow Him wherever He may lead.
(78k) Thy kingdom come
>>
Renewing your mind >> Conform to the word of
God
(85j) Thy kingdom come
>>
Words of your mouth >> Better not to say
anything >> Shut up!
(137g) Temple
>>
Building the temple (with hands) >> Maturing in Jesus is hard work >> Maturity is
the process of growing – When Paul was first saved, his love was
immature, but over time love matured him, and he did away with childish
things. You cannot walk in love and be a fool at the same time. The world
may not respect faith, but it does respect the product of faith, which is
love. Paul is comparing this life to eternity, showing that love bridges the
gap between this life and the next. It is the way to eternal life. Love will
show the way, for when I look in the mirror I see myself dimly, but when I
get to heaven I will see God face to face and myself like Him. In the same
way I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I am fully known.
(196f) Denying Christ
>>
Man exercises his will against God >>
Immaturity >> Not mature enough to seek God >>
Unable to know the mind of Christ
KJV
WEB
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1Cor 13-12
(33j) Gift of God
>>
God is our Father >> God serves His people who
serve Him >> He treats His people with special
care
(34f) Gift of God
>>
Believer owns everything >> True knowledge
belongs to us
(94n) Thy kingdom come
>>
Perspective is your personal reality >> How you
interpret your point of view
(104j) Thy kingdom come
>>
Pure in heart shall see God >> Shall see Jesus >>
We shall see His face
(112j) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Light >> Being in the presence of Truth
-- This verse goes with verses 9&10. So
many professing Christians today have faith in God that consists of doctrines,
and if this is what Paul was saying, then fine; but if we cannot
relate to God based on a set of doctrines, then maybe it’s time to rethink
what we believe. Paul said that he
has come to know God, at least in part, and if he can know God then so can we.
Paul wasn’t talking about knowing the facts of the Bible; he was talking
about knowing the truth by the Spirit; there’s a difference. We study the
Bible in hope of coming to know the truth, but we cannot say that the Bible
itself is the Truth; it is more like a treasure map that leads to the Truth.
If the Bible were the Truth, people would have destroyed themselves with it
long ago. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” (Jn 14-6).
The Bible also affirms that Jesus is the Word of God. People pick up the Bible
and shake it over their heads saying, ‘This is the word of God,’ but
actually the Bible merely represents the word of God. For example, the Bible says that the
Word of God is “living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword”
(Heb 4-12), so the Word of God is alive and active. Open the Bible and the
words are just setting there lifeless, merely organized inkblots on the page.
Therefore, anybody who has a relationship with the Bible instead of with Jesus
has replaced the living God with a set of doctrines, and nobody has ever gone
to heaven believing in a set of doctrines. See also: Bible (Inkblots on a page without the
Holy Spirit);
2Tim 3-7,8; 167g
(132e) Temple
>>
Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit is
in God’s people >> God gives his spirit as a
pledge >> Spirit pledges the presence of God
(208j) Salvation
>>
The salvation of God >> Personal relationship >>
Being married to God >> Knowing God –
God has given us this life in order that we might come to know Him. Some say that the moment we
enter heaven God will endow us with full knowledge, but I say the next life will be
a learning process just like this one. For God to simply endow us with full knowledge would
contradict the way He deals with us in this life. He wants us to learn about
Him experientially by pursuing Him, which takes time and effort building knowledge in our understanding of Him and His creation. Why
would He simply throw it all into our laps without making us seek Him? Just to
see Him face-to-face will answer a myriad questions in the first few seconds, but there are many other
things He will divulge to us throughout eternity.
(212j) Sovereignty
>>
God is infinite >> God is all knowing >>
God knows everything about you
(224f) Kingdom of God
>>
Illustrating the kingdom >> Description of
heaven >> The joyful kingdom >>
We shall always be with the Lord
(245o) Kingdom of God
>>
Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >>
Literal manifestations >> Spirit realm
superimposed upon the natural realm >> The
natural manifesting into the spiritual
1Cor 13-13
(121k) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Hope Based On
Faithfulness >> Hope based on character
-- This verse goes with verse 7
(230k) Kingdom of God
>>
God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Mystery
of godliness >> Solving the mystery of godliness >> The love of Christ is the mystery of
godliness -- This verse goes with verses 1-8
(244l) Kingdom of God
>>
Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >>
Literal manifestation
of God’s word >> Love is the manifestation of
truth -- This verse goes with verses 4-8. Love is the hope of faith. We use
hope to water the garden of our heart, so faith might grow into love. Hope
therefore is the bridge between faith and love, as water is the bridge
between the seed and the plant; it is the catalyst that causes the transformation. Love is
greatest of all because it is the end product.
(248j) Priorities
>>
God’ s preeminence >> Values >>
The Highest Values >> Top Priority
See
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