Love is. The original word for love (agapē) is the same word used to describe God in 1 John 4:8. “God is love.” Since God is the source and definition of unconditional love, this wonderful passage about love, can also be read as a picture of God’s true character. God is patient and kind. God is not easily provoked and keeps no account of wrong. God bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. God never fails.

1Jo 4:8

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

1Co 13:1

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charit (LOVE)y, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

We can do a lot of things. Works without love. We can also be motivated by fear. Fear of God. Fear of the Priest and fear of the church or fear of our government. But that is not going to make us grow, We must grow in love and thrive in Love. Gods love first. Then works will natural follow and we will grow to be like God.

Fear is not from God but from the enemy, If we think we can work hard to earn Gods love we are deceived by the enemy. It is a lie. We are loved unconditionally by God because He is love and this chapter of Pauls letter explains what it is.

This is a picture of love and many put it on their refrigerator and forget it.

This was placed where it is for a good reason. The corinthians had lost sight of love and were busy trying to impress GOd and others with their speaking in tongues, spiritual gifts and such. But all is nothing, if it starts out of a heart of fear. All these works mean nothing to God and do not good in reality. All work must stem from Gods love for us or we are nothing. You are just like a tinkling brass.

Not that the works are nothing.Speaking in tongues is not being criticized but lack of love is the problem addressed here. You must first know God and who He is….LOVE./ Otherwise all the good works in the world will not do anything for you or God.

1Co 13:2

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.

1Co 13:3

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.

I will be blessed and become exalted if i give up my life for love. But if I do it only out of fear to save my skin……i doesn’t profit me. I will be nothing and nothing will I receive from God.

Fear and love do not get along. There are like Oil and water or Light and darkness.

1Jo 4:18

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Only when we know and realize the Love that God has for us can we do things for the Kingdom of God. Otherwise all our work is useless. We cannot save ourselves, it is futile. But God already has by Chirst Jesus!!. We can rest in His arms and then we can walk out doing works that God has already planned for His children to do.

1Jo 4:9

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

If we have no understanding of love, we cannot understand God. For He is the definition of Love.

1Jo 4:8

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Only then can our works mean anything

1Jo 4:7

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

1Jo 4:12

No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

Yet Jesus Christ came to be born in this world as a man. A man who totally revealed who GOD is in the body of a man. Since He was Gods own Son as well as a man. Man only had glimpses of the love God and only could begin to see Gods love through dark glasses. The prophets began to reveal the heart of God in small parts. But when the Son of God showed up as a man, The heart of God was revealed to the world fully. HE was the word in the flesh and HE was the one who explained Love by laying down His own life to save us.

No man can see God because man has had only eyes of flesh that could see the material world. When Christ came then they could see God. God is spirit and He is invisible to the physical eye. But when Jesus came they saw God through Him. And now that HE gave His own holy spirit to all men who believed Him, now they to can see God by revelation.

When we walk in this Spirit of Christ we too show God. When men see us they will see God being perfected in us!

But it all started with Love and God is Love. And because He is He gives everything to His beloved creation. Even His own SON. WHen we realize this good news of Grace we can be filled with His spirit of love too. Then our works will means something. Because we are showing God to the world.