The gifts of the Holy Spirit are amazingly spectacular and greatly to be desired. However, as the apostle Paul hastened to point out, without love, these gifts, awesome as they may be, are profitable for nothing.

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NKJV).

Love therefore is the principal thing and the greatest gift of all. If our hearts are not touched or transformed by God’s love, we are nothing and these gifts will not be profitable to us.  Without love and unity within the body of Christ, the gifts of the Holy Spirit will not flow freely among us.

The body of Christ is made up of many members, a diverse group of people having different talents and abilities but all functioning together as one unit. Division within the body of Christ hinders the work of the Holy Spirit.  Love and unity however form the foundation on which the gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit operate optimally.

In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul placed great emphasis on love and unity within the body of Christ. “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:1-6 NIV).

A life worthy of our calling is a life in which our love and care of one another is evident. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV).

True and genuine love is selfless and affectionate one towards the other. It knows no jealousy, and seeks the happiness of others as much as it seeks its own.  True and genuine love does not talk down to another or Lord it over anyone.  It holds no one in bondage by unrealistic expectations but is liberating and gives others the freedom to be their best selves while inspiring them to love God with all their hearts and to love others as they love themselves.  Those who spend time in constant devotion to God have the genuine love and desire to do what is right and pleasing to God and do so naturally.

It is important to treat each member of our local church body with the same love and respect that we have for members of our own individual families.  After all, they are our brothers and sisters in Christ!  We love and care for members of our individual families including the ones who are rebellious and bring us a lot of heartaches.  We suffer along with them when they suffer.  We share their burdens to lighten the load.  We pray with them and for them.  We rejoice with them when they rejoice and we grieve together when we lose a loved one or when everything just plain go wrong.  Can you imagine how happy and healthy our local church body and the larger body of Christ would be if each believer shows this same level of love and compassion one for the other?

Every believer, regardless of denomination, is a member of the same one body of Christ. Each local body of believers is a part of the universal body of Christ.  There is only one gospel and it is built on Jesus Christ, the chief corner stone.  Without Him there is no gospel and no salvation.  Therefore, if we all believe in Jesus for our salvation, and the core of our message to others is “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2 NKJV), then we are all part of the same one body of Christ.  We all serve the same risen Lord, and received the same Holy Spirit by whom we are sealed as sons and daughters of the same one God.

God requires love and humility from each of us. He gave us only two commandments and these are, 1.  Love God and serve Him only, and 2.  Love others as we love ourselves.  It is a great privilege and an honor to be a part of this wonderful body of Christ.  Let us show our gratitude for this great privilege by bowing before God with humble and contrite hearts. Let us also, with love and humility, share this great and liberating gospel with everyone we meet so that they too may share in God’s rich love and enjoy this great and abundant freedom which we have.

We are all the same in Jesus Christ regardless of our gifts, talents, abilities, office or ministry. Jesus regards us equally and each one of us is precious and dearly beloved by Him.  If we could see ourselves and others the way God sees us, it would help us realize how precious and highly treasured by God each one of us is.  This would help us to allow the love of God to flow freely and richly into our hearts and outwards to everyone around us.  Each of us has a duty to show love and respect to the other, esteem the other better that we esteem ourselves, and with love and humility, serve the Lord and minister to the needs of one another.

The apostle Paul used the different parts of the human body to illustrate unity within the body of Christ. “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.  Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. (1 Corinthians 12:12-14 NIV).

The body is made up of many different parts, the head, the hands, the feet, the eyes, the nose, the mouth, etc. All are necessary parts of the whole body.  If one part of the body hurts, the entire body suffers but if the entire body is healthy then the whole body rejoices.  Every part of the human body is necessary and is of equal importance.  The feet take you to where you want to go but the hands, the eyes, the brain and the whole body function together to get the job done.  No one part of the body can separate itself and get the task done all on its own.

So it is within the body of Christ. We are many members but each part of the same one body of Christ.  Each member needs the other.  We function together as a whole.  Let us work together therefore to unify the body of Christ, that is, to build each other up and not tear anyone down.  Let us work together as one team and strengthen one another in love.  Let us patiently and lovingly strengthen and encourage those who are weak among us so that together we may become one strong and mighty army for God.  Together we stand strong but divided we fall.

Each member has a role to play and we should be always eager to find ways to share our talents and abilities with the local body so that all may be richly blessed. “When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up” (1 Corinthians 14:26 NIV).  We each have a job to do and it is God’s will that we do it willingly, as faithful stewards.

More to come next week…