The Lessons of Love
Dr. Charles Stanley presents a profound teaching on the supremacy and essential nature of love, drawing heavily from 1 Corinthians 13. Stanley stresses that love is the most important emotion a person can experience, surpassing fear and even faith and hope, as it is the only emotion we take with us into heaven.
The central thesis is that to live life without learning to love God and love others is to miss the very point of living.
I. The Supremacy and Incomparable Nature of Love
Stanley draws on the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians, calling it the most incomparable treatise on love written anywhere, noting that no poetry or prose can compare with its simplicity and profound depth.
Love is Essential to all Action: Paul demonstrates that the highest religious, spiritual, or sacrificial acts are meaningless without love. If a person:
- Speaks with the tongues of men and angels but lacks love, they are just a noisy gong or clanging cymbal.
- Has the gift of prophecy, all mysteries, all knowledge, and even all faith (enough to remove mountains) but does not have love, they are nothing.
- Gives away all possessions to the poor or delivers their body to be burned but does not have love, it profits them nothing.
Love is the absolute essential. Life without love is empty, meaningless, worthless, hollow, and profitless.
The Inadequacy of Worldly Love: One of the tragedies of life is that many people go through life thinking they have loved or been loved based on the world’s shallow, empty, meaningless, and hollow concept of love. Ideas of love have been heavily influenced by Hollywood, where people confuse kindness, provision, or good treatment with genuine love. This shallow definition is totally inept.
II. The Two Greatest Commandments (Lesson 1)
Jesus confirmed the preeminence of love in Matthew 22, stating that the most important commandment deals with love.
- Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the great and foremost commandment.
- Love your neighbor as yourself. The second commandment is like the first.
Defining Commitment (Agape Love): While Paul did not try to define love, he showed how it acts. If you genuinely love someone (agape love), you are committing to:
- Their happiness, security, and well-being.
- Helping them build godly characteristics.
- Helping them become the person God wants them to become.
- Helping them achieve the goals God has set for their life.
Agape love is unselfishly pouring yourself into them, willing to serve them, and willing to sacrifice for them. This contrasts with phileo love, which is brotherly, tender affection.
