“If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe,
and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.”
I Corinthians 13:3 (Message)
“If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,
but do not have love, I gain nothing.”
I Corinthians 13:3 (NIV)
Without love, all that I give is insignificant.
If I had the wherewithal to donate millions to charity but do not have love I am told in verse 3 of the 13th chapter of First Corinthians that I gain nothing.
As Pastor Tim shared last Sunday:
Without love, ‘giving’ is just showing off.
If all I do is ‘give to get’, whether it is getting my name on a building, writing a blog for recognition, a roomful of awards or accolades then it is all done for naught.
Paul hits it even harder as he identifies some
things we all might consider ‘good’ deeds, i.e.
“giving all I possess to the poor…” or “…giving my body over to hardship…”
You see, even all of our good deeds done without love will not abound back to us in the way that one ‘small act’ done in genuine love can.
Robert Louis Stevenson is credited with the following words:
“You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving.”
You see, giving will flow out of a heart filled with love. We looked at this verse last week but it bears repeating here – “For God so loved the world that He gave…”
There it is – giving follows love.
Who set the precedent for us?
God Himself!
As a matter of fact we are told in 2 Corinthians 9:7 that God loves a cheerful giver. Why? Because the one who is joyful in their giving is giving out of
love and not simply out of obligation.
Don’t be bankrupt, as the Message translation expressed it, but in love with God others.
Don’t waste your giving by giving without love!
and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.”
I Corinthians 13:3 (Message)
“If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,
but do not have love, I gain nothing.”
I Corinthians 13:3 (NIV)
Without love, all that I give is insignificant.
If I had the wherewithal to donate millions to charity but do not have love I am told in verse 3 of the 13th chapter of First Corinthians that I gain nothing.
As Pastor Tim shared last Sunday:
Without love, ‘giving’ is just showing off.
If all I do is ‘give to get’, whether it is getting my name on a building, writing a blog for recognition, a roomful of awards or accolades then it is all done for naught.
Paul hits it even harder as he identifies some
things we all might consider ‘good’ deeds, i.e.
“giving all I possess to the poor…” or “…giving my body over to hardship…”
You see, even all of our good deeds done without love will not abound back to us in the way that one ‘small act’ done in genuine love can.
Robert Louis Stevenson is credited with the following words:
“You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving.”
You see, giving will flow out of a heart filled with love. We looked at this verse last week but it bears repeating here – “For God so loved the world that He gave…”
There it is – giving follows love.
Who set the precedent for us?
God Himself!
As a matter of fact we are told in 2 Corinthians 9:7 that God loves a cheerful giver. Why? Because the one who is joyful in their giving is giving out of
love and not simply out of obligation.
Don’t be bankrupt, as the Message translation expressed it, but in love with God others.
Don’t waste your giving by giving without love!
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