Love Walk

Deacon Gaius gave a word of knowledge in church yesterday but he was seen in court on Monday prosecuting Mr Chloe for encroaching on his farmland. Uncle Fortunatus led the church in opening hymn on Sunday morning yet we heard he has been sleeping with his father’s wife (his stepmother) and he does not even feel it’s a sin.
Stephanas gave a beautiful exhortation last Sunday however was seen stirring up strife among the deacons saying, “I have the general overseer’s anointing (I am of Paul’s circle)” while other deacons are operating in the associate’s anointing (I am of Apollos’ circle).

These were common scenarios that operated in the Church of Corinth before Paul wrote his first letter to them.

1 Corinthians 14:1: Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts but especially that you may prophesy.
This is the 14th chapter of Paul’s letter (although it was not written initially in chapters and verses). Paul had addressed some major issues the Church in Corinth had been plagued with: strife, envy, sexual immorality, court cases and so on. All these were traceable to their lack of love walk: they did not walk in love.. These guys had great demonstration of the gifts of the Spirit as recorded in 1 Corinthians 1:5; they were enriched in all spiritual utterance and in knowledge combined.

Spiritual gifts are not evidence of spiritual maturity, love walk is! Paul, in 1 Corinthians 3:1, called the members at the Church of Corinth babes because they walked not in love. Someone might be rich in the knowledge of scriptures and not walk in love. He or she may know so much but applies little practically. No wonder Paul said, pursue love AND desire spiritual gifts.
Don’t be fooled by what people know but be more concerned about the fruits they have produced without knowledge. Knowledge indeed puffs up, it is love that truly edifies.

Love is the fruit of the spirit. As much as you desire to demonstrate the gifts, you must first abound in the fruit. Gifts are charisma, the fruit is the character that will sustain the gifts. Develop character before charisma. John 13:35:By this all will know that you are my disciples, IF YOU HAVE LOVE ONE FOR ANOTHER. Before you look out for gifts in people, first check their love walk. Their love walk is their character gauge.
The best endowment of the Holy Spirit is not His gifts but His Love.

The Kind of Love Paul was talking about in the above scripture was Agape. A new creation in Christ has this love within (Romans 5:5). The love of God was birthed in you at the time of your salvation however the love in you can lay dormant i.e not working through you to reach out to others. Faith likewise can be dormant if it not released to lay hold on all the provisions of grace. This leads to a life filled with insignificant results.
The love in you becomes active through the knowledge of God’s Word. You become love conscious by confessing and acting on God’s word concerning love. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 describes how to express love to others.

Love suffers long and is kind. Love does not envy and does not parade itself. Love is not puffed up. Love does not behave rudely and does not seek its own. Love is not provoked and it thinks no evil. Love does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things.  Which part of love walk are you falling short of, it is time to make adjustment. You probably need to show more kindness, have more patience or start believing the best of others. You have to be intentional about walking in love because walking in love is walking in the spirit.
As much as you are ambitious for spiritual gifts, let love be your greatest pursuit.

I once wrote 6 posts in a series titled LOVE BEING, read at http://wp.me/p8efmv-et