1Co26 Holy Spirit The Permanence of Agape 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 Pastor Dave Shepardson Calvary Chapel Nuevo / www.wordbymail.com Open your Bibles. Title of the message, Holy Spirit The Permanence of Agape. It s another message in the Holy Spirit mini-series within our Life As The Church series in 1 Corinthians. We are in the second half of 1 Corinthians 13, verses 8-13. Agape love will last forever. God s agape love poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit never gives up, never loses faith is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance. God s agape love in us will last forever. That s what we want to talk about today. Let s pray. Lord would you just bring this home with power. Lord, take it beyond the wedding ceremony. Allow us to see the permanence, the preeminence, the priority of your agape love. Light it afire in our hearts and burn it into our minds that we would seek to live in your agape love all the days of our lives. Do it, Lord, supernaturally, by your Word and the power of your Spirit in your name, amen. Two messages ago we introduced the famous Love Chapter of 1 Corinthians 13. But we didn t do it gooshy romance style. We taught it from the Bible s position that true agape love requires complete self-sacrifice death to self. Our first message in Chapter 13 was called Agape Love but then we followed it with that critical message, How Do I Get To Agape? In these messages we learned not only what God s agape love is but also how we can get there from here. Today we wrap up this section describing the almost indescribable, incredible agape love of God the love that comes from God and IS God s very nature (1 John 4:8). So, let s back up one verse to start. This is the final verse from the poetic section of last week s verses. 1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT) 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. And now, the Holy Spirit is going to take this verse and wrap up the entire section with this never ends always endures quality of God s agape love. 1
Look at it again in verse 7 God s love NEVER Gives Up NEVER Loses Faith Is ALWAYS Hopeful ENDURES through Every Circumstance And by the way, that endures through every circumstance does not mean you stay in a dangerous or abusive environment. In that case you agape love from far away. But now, the Holy Spirit is going to drive home the permanence of God s agape love for the remainder of the Chapter. 1 Corinthians 13:8 (NLT) 8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages (tongues) and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now, I just need to tell you right here There are people who use this vs to say either 1) Tongues ceased when the Bible was compiled (so odd) 2) ALL the gifts ceased when the Bible was compiled (more odd) But if we will simply and correctly read the Bible without any preconceived doctrines to protect both of those positions will fall apart. The saddest (and worst) part of the doctrine that says the gifts have ceased is that they say the reason for it is because now that we have the Bible we don t need the gifts of the Holy Spirit. (Seriously, can you look at the Church and say that)? Unfortunately, this logic (the gifts ceasing) comes from a predetermined doctrinal position (very sad). In contrast to that we say, let s read the Bible correctly and in context believe what it says and live like it says. Then be happy and go to heaven. Alright, let s re-read 1 Corinthians 13:8. 1 Corinthians 13:8 (NLT) 8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! There is a time when prophecy and tongues and the word of knowledge will cease, they will become useless. But they did not become useless when the Bible was finally canonized. 2
So, if the gifts of the Holy Spirit have not ceased, and certainly they have not, when will they cease? I am glad you asked, because (as we just said) if we will simply keep reading the Bible correctly and in context it will become very clear when the gifts will cease. (The answer is in the next verse). 1 Corinthians 13:9-10 (NLT) 9 Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10 But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless. The NIV translates it this way. 1 Corinthians 13:10 (NIV) 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. The word PERFECT means completeness or totality. It has the same root word as the word Jesus cried out on the cross Tetelestai one word FINISHED! When the completeness comes when the finished comes these partial things will become useless. Then Paul continues his explanation in a way that makes this phrase When completeness comes crystal clear. 1 Corinthians 13:11-12 (NLT) 11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. These verses make it very clear, Paul is talking about eternity (heaven) being when the perfect or the complete comes. THEN - we will see everything with perfect clarity THEN - I will know everything completely, just as God knows me Paul is clearly referring to the day when he is glorified in the presence of God. (This may not be an issue for you at all but if it is these verses clarify, seemingly without any question. 3
Now, verse 13 says, there are three things that remain (abide). The NLT translates will last forever but really only one of the three will go unchanged all the way into eternity with us. Here they are in 1 Corinthians 13:13. 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NLT) 13 Three things will last forever (Literally Remain (Abide)) faith, hope, and (agape) love and the greatest of these is love. Three things leading us into eternity. This is like a three-piece bridge from this temporal earth to our eternal glorified home in heaven. FAITH Faith looks to God, and trusts God - IN EVERYTHING, and FOR EVERYTHING Faith leads us to heaven HOPE Hope looks to the future with CONFIDENT EXPECTATION that God has something Good (indescribable) for us in heaven LOVE The agape love of God IS God s Nature - and God s NATURE IN US is what makes a way FOR US - into Heaven But why is LOVE the greatest? Why is LOVE the most permanent? Because faith will turn into sight when we are in the presence of the Lord forever. Hope will turn into reality when we step into the eternity that God has for us. But LOVE agape love remains in heave. Agape love will continue to be on display in heaven. It will be on display in God s character and in our glorified character as we live forever in heaven with the Lord and with each other. Pure agape love is the way of life in the New Heaven and the New Earth. We said two messages ago agape love is the atmosphere we are called to live in as the Body of Christ here. Well, in the New Heaven and the New Earth, agape love will be the atmosphere we live in forever. It will be the sea that we swim in and it will be the air that we soar in. Consider this 4
Just like the Holy Spirit is God s guarantee (his down payment) to us on our new life in Christ (Ephesians 1:14 says), agape love is God s down payment on the pure environment we will live in for eternity in the Presence of the one who is Agape. The Corinthians were proud of their spiritual gifts and to even boast about who had what gift, etc. But these verses say there is a day coming. When 1) There will be NO NEED for Prophecy Because there won t be a need for Speaking Forth God s Word 2) There will be NO NEED for Speaking in Tongues, or ANY unknown language Because we ll understand each other, and God perfectly 3) There will be NO NEED for the Word of KNOWLEDGE Because we will know ALL that we need to know Paul is bringing out the priority of agape love by explaining the permanence of agape love. He is saying to the Corinthians, you are proud of the wrong gifts. You are striving for gifts that may very well be gone tomorrow. But living in God s agape love, that is the gift that will remain. In fact, it is the only gift that will remain. Agape love is the spiritual gift that we will lie in for all eternity and we can begin living in this greatest of all gifts right now!!! God has poured his agape love into our hearts and given us the Holy Spirit to transform us into his agape love so that we can begin living in the only forever spiritual gift today God s agape love. So, the only question left is how do you receive the Holy Spirit? Is that a thing? Receiving the Holy Spirit? YES that is a thing! And the enemy of your soul would love you to not think it is so he can keep you powerless and whipped. I can t teach it now, so get the Word By Mail phone app or go to wordbymail.com and listen to message #20 in the Acts series. Message #20, Acts series, Have You Received The Holy Spirit You need the Holy Spirit. You cannot live for Jesus without the Holy Spirit, You cannot be victorious in this battle without the Holy Spirit. 5
How then do you receive the Holy Spirit? You simply ask and then keep asking and then keep asking. We must be continually asking God to continually fill us with the Holy Spirit. Turn over to Luke Chapter 11. These verses come right on the heels of the Lord s Prayer and they need very little comment. We just need to read them and do them. Luke 11:5 13 (NLT) 5 Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: Suppose you went to a friend s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 6 A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat. 7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, Don t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can t help you. 8 But I tell you this though he won t do it for friendship s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. 9 And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 You fathers if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. Whoa! All of that teaching to encourage us to ask and keep asking for the Holy Spirit. We hear the ask and keep asking part a lot. But do we read to the end and find out this is about asking for the Holy Spirit? We ve go to always be asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit because his presence and his power leak out of our lives. Now, turn to Ephesians Chapter 5. This section (in the NLT) is titled Living by the Spirit s Power Ephesians 5:17 18 (NLT) 17 Don t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 6
The words be filled in Greek are in the present, passive, imperative form. PRESENT = Always Be Being Filled if it is The Present then be doing it Always Be Being Filled PASSIVE = This is something that is DONE TO YOU You Don t Do it you only RECEIVE it IMPERATIVE = It is written as a COMMAND Not a Suggestion This is a command Always be receiving the Holy Spirit. Always be being filled with the Holy Spirit. And why is us being filled with the Holy Spirit compared to us being drunk? Because if you are continually being filled with alcohol, what percentage of your life is being affected? 100%, right? The way you THINK ACT REACT RESPOND it is all actually under the control of the alcohol that you are continually pouring into your body. And so, in a similar but opposite way, continually being filled with the Holy Spirit is going to affect every area of your life. The Holy Spirit is going to affect 100% of the way you THINK ACT REACT RESPOND. So, first, you ve got to watch or listen to last week s message, How Do I Get To Agape? which is all about your role, how you join God in the transformation of your life. And then you ve got to continually be asking God to continually be filling you with the Person and the power of the Holy Spirit. Always Be-Being-Filled with the Holy Spirit. And as you are transformed more and more into the image of Jesus Christ, you will exhibit more and more fruit (evidence) of the Holy Spirit in your life. Isn t that the final goal here in this life? Being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ and exhibiting the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Turn over to Galatians Chapter 5. Do you remember what the section heading over Ephesians 5:18 was that we just read (Be Being Filled)? It was Living by the Spirit s Power If you have an NLT you ll see the section heading over Galatians 5:16 is Living by the Spirit s Power. (Parallel passages). This is the section we started our VBS volunteer meeting with yesterday and down in Galatians 5:22 we have the great summary of what it 7
looks like when you are filled with the Holy Spirit. This is the great litmus test, the great proof. The great evidence that we are being filled with the Holy Spirit. If you want to know if you are truly being transformed and truly being filled with the Holy Spirit, take the Galatians 5:22-23 test, and take it often. Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT) 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, (God s Agape Love, 1 st and over-riding fruit) (some feel Agape Love is the single fruit, and everything else comes from Agape) joy, (great pleasure with life, that comes from within, not without) peace, (harmony and lack of conflict in your heart) patience, (longsuffering, able to put up with difficulty) kindness, (considerate, gentle, sympathetic) goodness, (doing what is right and good) faithfulness, (having complete confidence & trust in God) gentleness, (twin of kindness mild and even-tempered) self-control. (ability to crucify self) This is the fruit of being filled with the Holy Spirit. This is what it looks like when you are being transformed by the Holy Spirit. We can take this test and we can know just how badly we need to beg God to continually fill us with the Holy Spirit. Guys, it is the Holy Spirit s role to FILL US With the Life and Power of God to TRANSFORM us to PLACE US in the Body and to USE US for the Good of the Body But if we don t continually desire to be being filled with the Holy Spirit every single day. We will continue following Jesus in the flesh! And that can get really ugly. So, to close, let me give you a chance to ask God to continually fill you with the Holy Spirit. Let s pray. Lord, we re pierced through. Lord we are laid open on the altar. Lord we are convicted and we understand that we can t have this perfection until we re perfected in your presence, but Lord, we need more than we have. Lord we haven t put agape love at the top priority of our lives. We haven t put agape love as the permanent gift, the most permanent gift. We ve sought after gifts that are going to vaporize. We confess we ve 8
served you in the flesh. We ve reacted and responded. We ve acted and thought in the flesh. Lord we repent. We repent of that, Lord. We confess, Lord, that we are so inclined to hold on to the flesh and to respond in the flesh Lord, help us die. Help us die to self, to our own opinions, our own thoughts, our own expectations, our own emotions. Lord we desire to crucify them. Crucify them in us, Lord. Go one on one with God. Where is it in your life that you re grieving the Holy Spirit? That you re being separated from the Holy Spirit by this action? Is it agape love or the lack of it? Is it joy? Is there no peace in your life, no patience? Are you lacking kindness? Goodness? Are you faithless today? Are you anything but gentle? Do you lack any selfcontrol? If so, you need more of the Holy Spirit and you need to develop a lifestyle of continually pleading for him. He is your power. You can t do this in the flesh. Would you please, just confess what it is right now to the Lord. You are alone at the throne of God. What is it that you need to have him make right in your life, to restore the joy of your salvation, to restore the presence of the Holy Spirit? Lord, we confess it. We repent. We pray you would forgive us and fill us with your Holy Spirit. In your holy name we pray, amen. 9