Spiritual Growth Without Love = Nothing

There is no spiritual growth without love.

None.

Absolutely zero.

We can see this most clearly in I Corinthians 13.

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. 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.

Depending on your background, there are a lot of different things you might expect the mature Christian to look like: disciplined, honorable, full of integrity, does not struggle with fleshly sins, never looks at porn, never loses their temper, well-respected, never divorced, doesn’t associate with “worldly” people, etc…

But what is the fullness of Christian life? What does it really look like to be filled with fullness of God?

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

You can get up at 5am every day to have your quiet time, serve in every ministry at your church, witness in your free time, and have prayer as your only hobby – but if you don’t love, then you have nothing. If you can’t interact warmly with a transgender drag queen and give them a hug, you have nothing. If you can’t serve your Muslim neighbor with no strings attached, you have nothing. If you can’t disagree charitably with someone who holds a different theological view, then you have nothing.

It’s time to re-define spiritual maturity. It is all about receiving Christ’s love for us and giving it away to others.

10 comments:

Nunquam Honorablus says:July 23, 2010 at 9:15 AM

YES YES YES YES YES.

I love this.

Sooooo good. Loooove.

I’ve seen it taught far too often that we’re supposed to “love” those who are “in sin”- yet we aren’t supposed to associate with them? What is this, drive-by love bombing? “Jesus loves you but gtg I don’t wanna get your sin cooties all over me peace out!”.

Thank you RA for speaking out on this issue <3

Renae says:July 23, 2010 at 9:40 AM

YES YES YES!! I struggled with this for SO LONG after the Honor Academy! It’s not just HA though…so many churches don’t encourage (or even actively discourage) interaction with the broken. Christianity on a whole (especially fundamental evangelism) needs a major overhaul.

Anonymous says:July 23, 2010 at 10:46 AM

I really appreciate this post.
Truth
Simply stated
is such a powerful lens to view life with.
The conflict of application makes life worth the living!My hat is off to you
and in the air
Well said.

gc1998 says:July 23, 2010 at 11:03 AM

this is my favorite post on this site so far.