If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

1 Corinthians 13

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

I continue my study looking at the life of Paul using John Piper's 30 Reasons Why I Love the Apostle Paul.  Today, I move to chapter thirteen - From Logic on Fire to Lyrics of Love.  Here, John Piper highlights Paul's ability to craft not just "demanding intellectual level, but he also could write poetically, beautifully, and with such universal appeal that some of his words are among the most widely quoted in the world, even by non-Christians.*" Piper points to Romans as a "spectacular example of careful argumentation.*"  He then moves to 1 Corinthians 13 as "beautiful in the combination of morally luminous thought combined with aesthetically arresting prose*."  Piper speculates that Paul could have made quite a living in the literary world but instead chose to humbly write this letter to "help ordinary people love each other.*"  He also inquires as to whether Paul could have written such incredible prose without the suffering he endured, and it is this line of inquiry where Piper sees how Paul's incredible letter of 1 Corinthians 13 is an also an example of how "Paul followed the path of suffering as an apostle of Christ. He subordinated great possibilities as a celebrity to the service of Christ’s church.*"  ...Out of love...

*John Piper. 30 Reasons Why I Love the Apostle Paul

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who is able to give us incredible examples of love so we can be encouraged and inspired for us to love others as You call us to.  Thank You for the example of Yourself, of Paul and so many other brothers and sisters in Christ.  I am not deserving of how You encourage and bless.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.

2 Corinthians 8

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 2 Corinthians 8:1-2

I continue my study looking at the life of Paul using John Piper's 30 Reasons Why I Love the Apostle Paul.  Today, I move to chapter seven - Love for People as the Overflow of Joy in God.  Here, John Piper unlocks another unresolved tension related to the one described yesterday in chapter six.  In chapter seven, Piper asks how we can resolve the tension between the desire to be happy in God and the desire to love others. Piper first shares scripture from Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:4-5, 10:24, and Romans 15:1 where this tension is highlighted.  We are commanded both to be happy and rejoice in God AND to love others (see Matthew 22:39, John 13:34.  Piper shares how in 2 Corinthians 8:1-2 how "genuine, Spirit-awakened joy in God does not hinder love for people but in fact overflows with love for people.*"  Piper then emphasizes how "[l]ove is the overflow of joy in God that meets the needs of others*." Text examples provided by Piper that support this claim include Micah 6:8, Romans 12:8, Hebrews 10:34, 2 Corinthians 9:7, 2:3, 1 Peter 5:2, and Hebrews 13:17. Piper's unwinding of the tension continues as he shares how a joy in God is so full that it overflows in sacrificial love to others.  He then explains why it may seem paradoxical that we demonstrate sacrificial love.  He writes: "[t]he reason is that the path of greatest joy in this life is often the path of great suffering. In the age to come, after Jesus returns, all pain will be gone*." Colossians 1:24, 2 Corinthians 7:4, and Romans 5:3 are provided to illustrate sacrificial love.  Believers know what awaits us in Heaven even as we suffer to love others - the temporary suffering we experience is just that - temporary. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for - helping me see how joy in You overflows in love for others.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You love me and give me joy.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.