There is no better way to conclude our study on the gifts of the Spirit than with a word on the supremacy of love. As important as the gifts are, Paul says that if they are not exercised in love, they are meaningless.
Jesus At the Forefront
There is always the danger of putting the emphasis in the wrong place, and there are certainly times when this has happened with the gifts. We can become so obsessed in the gifts that we lose sight of the Giver of the gifts. It is then that we are liable to become as “sounding brass or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1). Unless we keep Jesus at the forefront, pride will gradually take over; we will think we are more important than we really are, and people will get hurt.
God Is Love
Jesus said, “By this all will know that you are My disciples [not by your wisdom, knowledge, faith, prophesying, miracles, or tongues, but] if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8).
May we, as God’s people, receive this gift of love given to us by the Holy Spirit. For we Christians want to be known first and foremost by our love for God expressed in our love for one another and our love for the world around us. Happy New Year!