LOT OF BIBLE, little love

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

In the last few weeks, I have been taking a look at my walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. Am I just hearing the Word? Am I obeying the Word of God? Am I loving the Lord Jesus with all my heart, mind, body, soul and strength? I have noticed I am gaining a lot of knowledge about the scriptures. I am learning biblical exegesis, I am learning ecclesiology, ecclisiology and eschatology, all the other biblical theological terms. Knowledge upon knowledge, and what I ask myself is it doing?

Today, there seems to be an effect of people rushing to learn a lot of bible, so they can show the world how much they know. For example, I see many pastors who take pride that they have studied under John MacArthur at the Master’s Seminary. In talking with them, they have pointed out to me their degrees from the Master’s Seminary. Even myself, I would search out for a pastor who had a great theological degree, if I was going to go to his church. Crazy, yet this is happening more and more in our churches in America. Are we learning so much bible that we have come to show only a little love?

Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. But if any man love God, the same is known of him. (1 Corinthians 8:1-3)

Isn’t it interesting that Paul begins this chapter with such sobering statments. Just before he takes us into how to relate with our brethren on gray areas, he starts out the chapter speaking on knowledge. Today, everybody is encouraged to study, read, and learn the Word (That's great!) We have biblical seminars, conferences, where big time pastors come and share with you the knowledge they have gained. We flock to these things, almost like the world goes to see Lil Wayne in concert. Yet we live in a hurting/dying world (am I starting to sound like T.D Jakes?). I maybe, but this is true, people are seeking the wrong things and I sit back with the Calvinist badge flashing a bible at them. Where’s the love? Where’s the hope that our Lord Jesus Christ has given to us? Look at what the scripture is truly pointing to:

And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things. And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes. And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. And they did all eat, and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men. (Mark 6:34-44)

Look at Jesus Christ in these scriptures. He put the Word of God, Himself, into action. He loved the people by feeding them. If the bum on the street came to us, what should we do? Quote a scripture, tell them they need to do an exegesis? No, you are going to love them. “Hey brother, you hungry, come on by and get something to eat?” Would we love them, or would we give them a whole bunch of bible?

The other day I was talking with a Christian friend of mine, and he asked me a question. The question blew my mind because he is a man into the Word. He asked me what should we do if a homosexual needs help moving, but the homosexual talks about the bible and the word? Do we as Christians help that person, even though their lifestyle is against God’s Word? What????? Man, have we forgotten some of us use to be the homosexual, the drug addict, the alcoholic or that gangbanger? Yes, you help them move and you tell them the truth about Jesus Christ and what the Word truly saws. We have to love them.

We are not doing this today. We are gaining all this knowledge, and showing very little love. Some of us know the bible up and down, but won’t even reach down and help someone get up off the ground that has fallen (literally, we won’t even ask are they okay). I am not playing man. Honestly, I have pounded myself hard with this scripture:

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. (2 Timothy 2:15-16)

I always took this to mean study hard the bible, learn everything I possible can so I won’t fall into the false teachings of the Creflo Dollar’s, Eddie Long’s and Benny Hinn’s of the world. But the sixteenth verse, the Lord’s Word opens the eyes to something. False teaching produces bad behavior. So what does sound teaching produce? LOVE, that’s right. All this sound biblical teaching needs to be lived out in this world. That’s how I will SHOW MYSELF APPROVED. Jesus Christ said;

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

Nothing in that verse said learn all the scripture you can and do nothing with it. NO, learn all the scripture you can so that you can do the good work of love before men.. Knowing John 3:16 is good. Living John 3:16 is the better way.

See the problem comes that with all the knowledge, we become puffed up, so we cannot see how to love the brethren and the world around us. I remember Lionel Woods had a great blog post (click here) about resting in the Lord Jesus. Many times we focus all the knowledge we’ve gained on doing the works ourselves, and don’t rest in God. To allow the Lord Jesus Christ to show love in us, we have to stop gaining knowledge for ourselves. This is the scripture we must rest in Christ in:

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. (Romans 15:1-3)
If we had a lot of bible and a lot of love, what a great thing that would be. Jesus Christ is the Word, and He lived it. Basically, Christ is all bible, all love. He lived the Word before people on this earth. Glory to God! As always, I leave you guys with loving scriptures. Blessed be the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:18)

Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; (1 Thessalonians 1:3)

And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (Colossians 3:14-17)