message 6 (1)

Transcript for Message 6: The Permanence Of Charity (1 Corinthians 13:8-13) by Merlin

Let us open our Bibles once again to 1 Corinthians chapter 13. 1 Corinthians chapter 13. And this morning we shall consider the remaining verses of this chapter. 1 Corinthians chapter 13. We shall begin reading from verse 8 up until verse 13. 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Reading beginning at verse 8 to verse 13. Let us take time to read these verses responsively. Responsive reading. I shall begin reading verse 8, and we all would read together verse 13, the last verse. Verse 8. Charity never faileth, but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail. Whether there be tongues, they shall cease. Whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. For now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then shall I know, even as also I am known. Together. And now abided faith, hope, charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity. Let us look to the Lord in prayer. Our Father in heaven, once again we give thee thanks for yet another opportunity, even another blessing, O Lord, to hear the meditation of your Word. Thank you for seeing us through the days past in this camp. And with eagerness, O Lord, we look forward to hearing the remaining messages for our instruction, for our learning, for our edification, even for our equipping in our service unto thee, and for the building up of the body of believers, the strengthening of the fellowship, even of our bond one with another, to the praise and glory of thy name. Indeed, we are thankful for we are greatly blessed and encouraged by the abundant display of charity among us, even so in the exercise of individual gifts that thou hast bestowed upon these young people, even so the gift of helps that thou hast bestowed upon the older ones in laboring so lovingly, preparing food and meal for everyone. We give thee thanks for their lives and for their labor, and most especially for their labor of love. O Father, have mercy. Bless us now as we once again look into your Word. Just as we have sang, open our eyes that we may see precious and wonderful truth for our learning and for our edification. Grant thy servant a voice to speak, even wisdom and knowledge to expound thy Word in the most simple way that we all can comprehend and understand, and that we all be able to fully grasp for our equipping as we carry on with our service, even with our walk with thee. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. By God's grace, we now have come to this second to the last message of this camp. And I trust that we have been learning and gaining more understanding on the subject on charity and why it is the more excellent way, according to the Apostle Paul. From the previous verses of chapter 13, by God's grace we have considered the preeminence of charity, and thereafter move on to consider in three parts the practice of charity. Today, in this particular message, we shall proceed and consider the remaining verses of chapter 13, and take time to consider the permanence of charity. As we have just read, we notice how the Apostle Paul, in his burden to expound why charity is the more excellent way, more excellent way compared to spiritual gifts. I want us to notice how in this portion of chapter 13, the Apostle Paul makes a contrast between charity on one side and spiritual gifts on the other. I want us to notice how the Apostle Paul highlighted the permanence of charity in contrast to the passing away of spiritual gifts. Come with me to verse 8 and see for yourself how the Apostle Paul established the contrast. Notice what Paul said in verse 8. Charity never fails. Love never fails. While the Corinthian church were so enamored, were so overwhelmed, were so overwhelmed to covet the best of spiritual gifts, Paul here in his burden to show them the more excellent way, which is charity, put much emphasis for obvious reason that he would want the Corinthian believers to see for themselves the truth of the matter that while spiritual gifts are good and that they ought to covet earnestly the best of gifts, but over and above it, Paul would want them to see as he would stress upon them and emphasize how charity is indeed the more excellent way. By simply bringing to their attention this contrast, whereas spiritual gifts, they are good, but the thing is, they will pass away. Whereas charity, it will be permanent. And that is what Paul is trying to bring in verse eight. On one hand, notice how he made it so clear, charity never fail it, never fail it. As compared to the spiritual gifts, what about the spiritual gifts? What will happen to the spiritual gifts? Look at the remaining portion of verse eight, but obviously the word but would give us the impression that there is a change of thought, there is a transition, the exact opposite of the first statement that he has declared. And so when Paul here said charity never fail it, in contrast, what about the spiritual gifts? Look on, notice what Paul here said in regards to spiritual gifts. But whether there be prophecies, what would happen to them? They shall fail. Whether there be tongues, they shall cease. Whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. While there may be a distinction on how Paul describes the faith or the condition of the various spiritual gifts mentioned, but one thing you will notice is that it points us to one thing, that these gifts, they will one day come to an end. As you can see, in regards to prophecies, they shall fail. In other words, there will come a time that there'll be no need of any prophecy. There will come a time that prophecy would be regarded as in a way not of great significance or of use. It shall fail. Then what about tongues? They shall cease. It's like being described as it will just have its natural death. It shall cease. One day it will cease. Then what about knowledge? It shall vanish away. Yes, they are being described in three distinct manner, but all this description would tell us that these three mentioned will one day come to an end. In contrast to charity, the more excellent way as charity here is described as charity never fails or is unfailing. And to emphasize and stress his point, Paul goes on to expound his subject in verse nine. Look at me in verse nine and notice how Paul says, for we know in part, and we prophesy in part. Now compare it with what Paul said in verse eight. In verse eight, there is a threefold gift, right? There is prophecy, there is knowledge, and there be tongues. But in verse nine, he only mentioned of two. Know in part, knowledge in part, prophesy in part. Now, if you have been familiar and are familiar with the ministry of the prophets in the Old Testament, all that they do is proclaim bit by bit messages from God. It is never complete. It is but partial. In part, never complete. Perhaps you may think of the prophet Isaiah. Yes, the book of Isaiah contained quite a number of prophecies pertaining to the coming of Christ, pertaining to the suffering of the Messiah, even of his birth. Behold, a virgin shall bear a son, and all this. But somehow, no matter how significant their prophecies were, their prophecies came in part, never in full. And so it is with other books of the Old Testament. And so because prophecies come in part, we also know in part. And that is what Paul is trying to impress upon the believers in Corinth. Yes, you think about gift. You have been striving for the best gift, well and good, but let me tell you, you have been striving for the best gift. You have been striving for the best gift. You have been striving for the best gift. striving for the best gift, well and good. But let me tell you, it's not the most excellent way. For the truth of the matter is one day it shall fail. One day it shall vanish away. It will have its natural death. Now as I reflect upon this thought, I'm reminded of back in the days when the in thing in word processing is the typewriter. I wonder if there be any one of you who ever see Joshua or anyone have seen what a typewriter looks like? Then move. I can remember a few brands that are so well-known. Maybe one is Olympia, Brother, and Olevity. These are classic brands of typewriter. Please bear with me. I'm bringing you back to history. But you know in Philippines you do research paper, can't help do that. And we are not gifted in because one mistake you cannot just box space. You do what? Liquid eraser. And if you happen to have a lot of corrections with liquid eraser, surely it can affect your grade when you pass your paper. And so it can be very frustrating. You know you're almost finishing one page and then wrong spelling there. You hit the wrong key. Boom. So dirty. Can be frustrating. Wow. Can just pull off the the bond paper and put again. But can't help. That was the in thing during the time. But you know what? When the early computers come in, word processing comes in. Before Windows, Microsoft Word, there used to be one word processing called WordStar. Wow. And then that was the in thing. Back in the day, in the early days. Then wow. We find it it may not be as user friendly as today's word that you are using. But at least it was not a waste of resources like bond paper, waste of time, waste of liquid eraser. Because you just you have the what? The box space. If the wrong spell, you got it wrong in spelling, you can just box space and put in the right word. So with our computers now coming into the picture, typewriters simply vanish away. It was not in a way abolished in in a sense that business declared, okay, we will stop operation. It just died a natural death. For eventually the people would come to realize, although it was a struggle, because not everyone can so easily be oriented and familiarized with what? Computers. Some for some time, more than just for sentimental reason, because we they have been so used to it, they still would prefer the typewriter. But buy and buy can't help it. Surely they will be convinced that word processing is more comfortable, more efficient, more effective, more time saving than doing your work over the computer. And so what happens? Typewriter just had a natural death. And somehow, as we look at this, that is what Paul is trying to drive up to the believers in Corinne. Yes, there was a time and there used to be a time when knowledge or prophecies were so significant, because that's the only source of truth, knowledge and prophecy. But as all here emphasize, they shall fail. And it shall vanish away. And so if you look closely in verse nine, Paul here speaks and mentions of two, verse eight, he mentions of three prophecies, tongues, knowledge. And as you would, would notice carefully, prophecies, they shall fail. Knowledge, it shall vanish away. Then what about tongues? What happened to tongues? Now, we will not be spending much time, but I would want you to see in here, why we don't practice and when we don't agree in today's modern practices of tongues. Because as according to this verse, yes, tongues, you look at how tongues is described, unlike knowledge and prophecy in part, in part, what about tongues? They shall cease. It will just stop. The word cease means stop. It will never continue. The fact that Paul did not include it in verse nine. We can take it to mean that it will have its natural death as well. It will just die down in a way that there's no need for it. We know for a fact that a great number in Christ, Christendom would insist in the practice of all this gifts, even up until now. The question is for what? When we only know in part, when we only prophesy in part, for what? when we only prophesy in part, when we now have the entire the Old and the New Testament in And as we know very well in our statement of faith, we believe the salvation of the Scripture as well as the preservation of the same. We believe that the entire Scripture is inspired, inerrant, infallible, sufficient that there's no more need of any further revelation or extra biblical revelation. For after all, we have the complete and perfect Bible in our hands. And just as you see in here, we know in part and we prophesy in part. Then verse 10, the Apostle Paul goes on, All this shall be done away. And when will it shall be done away? We read in verse 10, But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be what? Done away. Shall be done away. Now, let's look closely at verse 10. And I want us to look at it in relation to verse 9 and verse 8. Paul here simply is saying is that all these gifts are temporal and it shall fail and it shall vanish away and it shall cease when the perfect is come. Obviously, Paul here is referring to the reality that all these gifts, they will be superseded with a clear and certain knowledge that will come upon the completion of the entire Scripture. That instead of going after prophecies and knowledge and revelations, with the complete and perfect Bible in our hands, we would go straight into it and read it and understand what it says. For therein is contained all that God chose to reveal to us. And thus, when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. But then, of course, we need to understand that this perfect that is referred to here may indeed refer to the complete revelation of Scripture, but eventually this would point us even beyond the completion of the Scripture to the ultimate experience when the Lord shall come again where we shall see Him face to face. Why would I say that? Because if you now come down to verse 12, you would find there that Paul is saying for now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face, now I know in part, but then shall I know even also I am known. So notice here how the Apostle Paul explained and even expounded. He explained in contrast, charity is unfailing, charity is permanent, gifts they are passing away. And he goes on to expound on it. Yes, we were blessed and have benefited much through the knowledge, through prophecies, and as far as the New Testament believers were concerned, they have been so blessed by the gift of tongues. But what about these gifts? What would happen to them? In contrast, charity never fails. What about the gifts? They will one day fail. They will one day cease. They will one day vanish away. Just like the typewriter. Although I must say that some of the families in Philippines still do retain typewriters as a display in their homes. Because especially that back in the day there was that small typewriter, a handed, a simple typewriter. And they say, oh, this is our laptop back then. Very small. Although typewriters usually come in huge. You have to pull and push and pull. Like any other instruments back then. They just had their natural death. So it is with these gifts significant as they may be in that particular period of time. But Paul here clearly said that they shall be done away. Verse 11. Notice how Paul goes on. When I was a child, I speak as a child. I understood as a child. As a child, I speak as a child. I understood as a child. I thought as a child. And you know, back in the days when we were in such a stage in our life, somehow, somehow, for whatever reason, we used to think highly of ourselves that we know everything. Only to realize, by God's grace, when we reach maturity, looking back on that particular period of time, you come to realize, and you can only find yourself shaking your head or laughing at yourself, how foolish was I then to think that way. I remember in high school, first year is called what? Freshman. Is it the same also here? It is called freshman. If you are first year, whether in high school or university, you are called freshman. Of course, fresh. And then the second year is called sophomore. Have you heard of the word sophomore? The third, of course, junior. And then the fourth is obviously junior, then the senior. But what I want us to see is, the second year is called as a sophomore. For a very particular reason. On our second year, we seem to think that there's no difference between the second year and the third year and the fourth year. Why? Because the second year, we love to think, and we used to think that what they can do, we also can do. What they can think about, we are also able to think about. And that is why the second year is oftentimes referred to as the sophomore. Because a sophomore actually is a compound word. Soph, S-O-P-H, is from the Greek word sophia. And sophia means wisdom, like philosophy. Then the more actually is moron. Sophomore, yes. That's the meaning behind the word. Sound impressive. Oh, I'm in my sophomore. Now, obviously, I realize because Australia is more on the British side. We are more on the American side. So this is how it is. Freshman, sophomore, junior, senior. And yes, it is but fitting that the second year students, because they love to show off, I know this, I know that. When all along they are simply addressed as what? Sophomore. Wise on the one hand, still moron on the other. But putting it in a very nice way. Sophomore. And this sophomore, oh, they checked. Am I correct? Yes. So they will only come to realize about it when they themselves would reach senior year. Looking down, they can only encourage those who are on the sophomore year. Yeah, I've been there. Just wait. For indeed, it is true. When we were young, we loved to think. And we used to have that level of confidence that, oh, I can do it on my own. I can make it on my own. And that is what Paul is trying to tell us here. When I was a child, yes, I speak as a child. I understood as a child. I thought as a child. But at that point, at that particular point of time, you used to think so highly of yourself that you know almost everything under the sun. And that is what Paul, he said. But when I became a man, what? He came to realize, oh. How foolish, how funny was I then to think so highly of myself. How foolish, how funny was I then to think so highly of myself. From infancy, in such a level of immaturity. For after all, we know in part. We prophesy in part. There isn't a complete and sufficient knowledge of truth. Only when we grow and mature, if I may use the word, be perfected in our understanding that we come to realize how immature we were back then. But as you can see, when he grew and mature, what did Paul do? I put away childish things. He goes on from immaturity to maturity. He goes on to expound on this truth in verse 12. From imperfection to perfection. Look with me in verse 12 now. For now, we see through a glass. Darkly. Obviously, back in the day, they don't have mirrors or glasses like what we have today. Back in ancient times, they only have some kind of, not so clear, but they can look into it. In fact, talking about mirror, the mirror that they do have there are pieces of metal. Well polished. Well polished enough that they can see themselves. And that is how it was then, speaking about mirror, or perhaps glasses in which they look on. They may be able to see. and speaking about mirror, or perhaps glasses in which they look on. They may be able to see, but not so clear in the same way that we see things in our time. So Paul, he said, now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face, now I know in part, but then shall I know even as I also am known. There will come a time that our imperfect knowledge would be perfected when we get to hold the complete scripture and ultimately at the coming of the Lord, where we shall see him face to face. And in the words of John in 1 John chapter three, verse two, we shall see him as he is, for we shall be like him. Yes, charity never fails, while the rest of the gift will fail. They shall cease, they shall vanish away. And yet there are certain groups within Christianity today that would insist that they're still what all this gives. And they would even argue and argue that gift of tongues is still operational. As I have said, we will not be dealing more on this, but I would want to bring to you some for our instruction that we also be established. It is just interesting how they would wanted to perpetuate the gift of tongues of all the spiritual gifts. And the Bible says, they shall fail, they shall cease. And what? It shall vanish away. That which is in part, verse 10 says, shall be done away. Now, what is it about the gift of tongues? What is it about the gift of tongues? When in reality, this gift of tongue is designed and purpose to witness to unbelievers and not unto believers. They are meant to witness to the unbelieving. Remember during the Pentecost, for what purpose were the disciples, the apostles then were empowered to speak in different tongues? It was meant to witness to the unbelieving in order for them to hear the truth of the gospel, in order for them to come to the saving knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And for what would we continue to hold on to gift of tongues when we have in our hands the entire, the complete, even the perfect Bible? Charity is permanent, gift and spiritual. Permanent, gift and spiritual gifts, they shall vanish away. Coming down to verse 13, I want us to see in here how the apostle Paul emphasize. Now abided faith, hope, charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity. So charity never fails. Paul goes on to emphasize even greater in regards to charity, that charity not only abides, but it abides forever. Charity never fails according to verse eight down to verse 13, verse 12. Verse 13 he says, charity not just abide, but it abides forever. Look closely at verse 13, how Paul did mention three cardinal virtues of the Christian faith. Notice how he did mention about faith, hope and charity. These three abides, but of the three cardinal Christian virtue, only one abides forever. Faith, hope and love abides, but of the three that abides, only charity would abide forever. Only charity is permanent. Now, let's spend some time and consider a few verses and observe how these three that Paul mentioned here indeed are the three cardinal virtues of the Christian faith, faith, hope and love. Now let's look at some verses in the scripture where we will find these three virtues mentioned and it occurred at the same time. Turn with me for a while to 1 Thessalonians 1 Thessalonians 1 1 Thessalonians 1 1 Thessalonians 1 1 Thessalonians 1 1 Thessalonians 1 1 Thessalonians 1 1 Thessalonians 1 1 Thessalonians 1 1 Thessalonians 1 1 Thessalonians 1 and verse three, we know this very well, how the church in Thessalonica was commended because of faith, hope, and love. Verse three, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father. There you find the three cardinal virtues. Now, move on to the same book, this time in chapter five, and look at verse eight. But let us who are of the day, who are of the light, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith, and then what? And love, and for unhelmet, the hope of salvation. There you find the three, faith, hope, and love. Now, let's go back to the book of Galatians. Move back to Galatians, looking at verse five. Galatians chapter five, looking at verse five and verse six. For we, through the Spirit, wait for the what? The hope of righteousness. And how do we wait for the hope of righteousness? By faith. For in Jesus Christ, neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith, which worketh, by love. So there you find, again, the three cardinal virtues. Faith, hope, and love. Now, let's turn to look at what Peter said on this subject. First, Peter. Chapter one. Look at verse 21. Looking at verse 21 and 22. Who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God, seeing he hath purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit, and to what? Unfain, love of the brethren. See that you love one another with a pure heart, fervently. There you find again, the cardinal virtues. Faith, hope, and love. One more verse, just to save time. One more verse. Colossians chapter one. And looking at verse four and five. Colossians chapter one, verse four and five. Maybe we start reading at verse three. We give thanks to God that the Father, or Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you. Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which he hath to all the saints, for the hope, for the hope, which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof he heard before the word of truth, before the word of the truth of the gospel. Now by looking at these few verses, I hope you are now able to see that just when you think that spiritual gifts are the more excellent way of serving the Lord, it could not even come to the same level as faith and hope. More so, it could not come to be at par with love. Because as far as faith, hope, and love, they abide. Spiritual gifts, it shall be done away. And what shall abide? Faith, hope, and love. But what is it that shall abide forever? Love. And Paul makes it very clear that while these three abides, faith, hope, and love, ultimately, only charity will abide forever. And just as Paul here emphasized that fact by saying, but the greatest of this is charity. Why would Paul say that the greatest of this is charity? For indeed, there come a time that when we all get to heaven, faith and hope will be fulfilled. It shall fulfill its purpose. Of course, when we get to heaven, we won't be needing the faith when we see God face to face. For after all, what is faith? How is faith defined? Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Now you stand face to face with a person that you hope for. No need of faith. The evidence of things not seen. Now you are standing before God. So faith, by then, would have fulfilled its purpose. We also will not need hope in the coming of the Lord because we already have come and stand before him, seeing him face to face. But when faith and hope will be fulfilled when we get to heaven, there and even for eternity, we will continue to exercise. we will continue to exercise and express our love for God. That explains why Paul, by giving us the three cardinal virtues of faith, hope, and love, goes on to emphasize this one important truth, but the greatest of these is love. Charity or love is also the greatest because of the three cardinal virtues, charity or love is one that speaks much about God. While faith and hope are not part of God's character and personality, love is. God is love, remember? God is love. We cannot say that God needs faith because he never has to trust anyone outside of himself. We cannot say that God needs hope the way that we need hope and we have hope because after all, he is the one that we hope for. But the most interesting thing is God is love and will always be love. And that is another way of understanding why Paul here would emphasize that while these three cardinal virtues abide, the greatest of this is charity. And why that charity is the greatest? Because only charity of the three shall abide forever. The permanence of charity. It is my prayer that looking at this portion of chapter 13, we have been led and brought into a more clearer understanding and be convicted in our hearts that yes, indeed, charity is the more excellent way. While we are thankful for a time whereby spiritual gifts, particularly that spiritual gifts that is mentioned here in the book of Corinthians, have been fulfilled and has fulfilled its purpose. Please know that it is never meant to be perpetuated. It is never meant to be practiced until the Lord return. For Paul is so clear that as far as these gifts were concerned, they shall fail, they shall cease, they shall vanish away. Verse 10, all that we have done in part shall also be done away. But what about charity? It shall endure forever, for it shall abide forever. That while all these spiritual gifts has accomplished what the Lord has purposed for them, please know that the Lord in his grace also has bestowed upon us gifts that is purposed and designed to be of benefit, not for yourself, but for the entire body. And one thing is needful, that in the exercise of these gifts that he bestowed upon us, remember those words, diversities, differences in operation, diversities in administration, diversities of gifts, but of one and self, same spirit, one of self, same Lord, and of one body in Christ. And the best way to exercise all these gifts and make good use in these gifts, is to exercise it with charity. Learning from this series of messages, pray in your heart, that with all the gifts that he has bestowed, may we learn to make good use of it by exercising, working, striving to do it with charity. To do it out of love. Love for God, love for his word, love for his work, and love for his people. Let nothing be done through strife and vain glory, but let everything be done in charity. Let us pray. Lord, we thank you for thou has taught us once again, allowing us to go through this portion of Paul's letter to the Corinthians, whereby you have brought to our attention the permanence of charity and how we ought to work towards it, cultivating it in our lives and expressing and exemplifying them, O Lord, in the way we relate to one another, in the way we serve with one another, and in the way we witness to the world around us. Thank you, Lord, for bringing us to the second to the last message. We look forward to hearing and learning from the last and final message that would shortly follow hereafter. Continue to sustain us, O Lord, in everything that we will be doing in the remaining hours and in the last day of this camp. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.