Perhaps the most familiar and practical definition of love is found in 1 Corinthians 13. The context of Paul’s famous and oft-quoted teaching on love is spiritual gifts. In the previous chapter, he instructs the believers that the Holy Spirit gives diverse gifts according to His will, and that each part of the body has equal value to the whole. God expects us to use our gifts to serve and build each other up, until we all are mature in Christ. This happens as we serve one another in love.
Ephesians 3:15-16 – “But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”
After describing the various spiritual gifts, Paul tells us that all of these are only temporary, useful only in this life as we strive to become mature, Christ-like believers. He calls out the superficial desires we might have about things we think are important in the kingdom of God – things that make us good Christians but in reality, tend to inflate our egos and give us a false sense of misplaced value. These things include prophecy (the gift of divine inspiration and declaring of the purposes of God), knowing mysteries (things hidden to the ungodly but revealed to the righteous), general knowledge of the Christian faith, even personal sacrifice – the willingness to give up our possessions and our very lives. All of these are good, but without love, they are meaningless. And all of these will pass away. Love is the only thing that will last into eternity.
The Key to Biblical Love – Sanctification
So, what does biblical love look like? How do we love in tangible, practical ways that please God and reveals our spiritual identity as Christ-followers? In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, Paul lists sixteen distinctions, eight positive (things we should be or do) and eight negative (things we should not be or do).
At its core, love is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). As we walk in the Spirit, having “crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24-25), we learn to put aside the deeds of the flesh (anger, pride, self-centeredness, and ungodliness) and put on the new self which is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of Jesus (Colossians 3). The new life is marked by humility, godliness, faithfulness, and putting the interests of others ahead of our own interests.
That’s the key to practical biblical love – sanctification by the Holy Spirit. Paul’s list is simply a practical description of the contrast between the old life (unsanctified, carnal, or unsaved) and the new life (sanctified, transformed) we have in Christ.
Let’s take a brief look at each of Paul’s descriptions.
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