The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-05-19

LESSON TEXT-ActS lS:l-4s ! Cormtni'
ans 10.
GOLDEN TExr-But now abideth faith.
hope. love. these three; and the greatest Of
these Is love.-I Corinthians 1878.
Who is a Christian? One might
answer in number of ways. He is
one who has been saved by the re-
deeming grace of Jesus Christ. He
Is one who seeks to live life in &C.
cord with the will of God. He is a
witness for God, and so on. But the
answer that the whole world under
stands is a life in which the re-
deeming love of Christ begets true
love for ones fellow man.
1. An Example Of Christian Love
(Acts 1914.
Teaching and preaching are Gods
ordained way for presenting the
truth. They are effective, but only
when done by one whose life ex-
emplifies the truth. In his letter to
the Corinthians Paul gives the great
est discussion of love known to the
world, but before he wrote it he had
lived that truth before them. The
Holy Spirit spoke through him of
love, because He had already lived
the truth out in the preacher.
Two things appear here: Paul
was:
/. Working wv. l-3). The worlds
most distinguished missionary and
preacher had arrived in Corinth.
Where was the welcoming commit
tee of local dignitaries? There was
none. Whose comfortable home
would receive him? None was Of
fered. His was the lot of the pio-
neer for Christ. He had to hunt up
a Jewish fellow craftsman and go
to work to earn his bread.
Paul, like every other Jewish boy,
had learned a trade, something he
could do with his hands. He was a
tent and sail maker, and was not
ashamed to work at his trade. A
more recent follower of Christ put
it thus: "My business is to preach
the gospel, but I pack meat to pay
the expenses"
But notice that Paul did not let
this work become the chief thing.
AS the Lord prospered him he did
not decide to Ego back into bust
ness" No, for his real business was:
2. Witnessing ". ~. He began,
as was his custom, in the synagogue,
presenting Christ to Jews and
Greeks. The Jews opposed him (see
v. g., and then Paul addressed him.
self to the Gentiles.
God prospered that ministry and
encouraged Paul by vision, assur-
ing him that the Lord had much
people" ". 10Y in that wicked city.
The love of Christ in Paul thus shone
forth as light in the darkness of
sin and superstition.
Love was something which the
heather world of Paul's day had so
misrepresented and distorted (even
as it has today that it needed def
milton and exposition. So we have
III. An Explanation of Christian
Love Il Cor. 13).
This is one of the outstanding
chapters of all Scripture. It's mag
nificent discussion of the greatest of
all themes has drawn forth many
choice expositions.
The thought centers around the
emptiness Of the loveless life, the
glory Of the life of love, and the
eternal Interchangeable power Of love.
We gather it up in three words.
1. Indispensable (vv. 1-3). With
out love mans attachments are emp
ty. He may become an orator with
heavenly" gift of speech, but un-
less he truly loves, his elegant and
persuasive talk is just a meaning
less noise. How true!
One may also have marvellous
gifts of prophetic insight and won
der-working faith, and find that it
is all a vain and empty experience
without love. Our world leaders
could well study that verse just now.
Sacrificial interest in the needs of
mankind is fine trait in man, but
it must have the love Of Christ in
it or it too is profitless. AS we
think of feeding the hungry nations
of the earth, let us not forget to
make it worth while by doing it in
Christian love.
2. Incompatible wv. 40. The
standard for the life of Christian
is a very high one; in fact, it is inn
possible of attainment apart from
the grace and power of Christ. Nat
urally, we find ourselves to be i'm
patient, proud, suspicious, resentful,
etc. The new nature in Christ is
just the opposite, for love rules.
Note that phrase ''endureth all
things" We need that in these days
when it is so hard to keep on going,
or as someone said, "to keep on
keeping on" Love endures all
things.
8. Immutable wv. 8-13). All
things in life change and pass away.
Love is eternal and Interchangeable.
Even the spiritual gifts have their
fulfllment and pass from view, but
love shall endure through all eter-
nifty. God, the Eternal One, is love
Il John 4:8, 16).