2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
Instead of sharing from my daily devotion, I wanted to share something from my pastor's sermon today. It fits alarmingly well with our KCM theme for this semester: Love. Basically, Paul says that love should be the driving force for everything and anything that you do. If love is not the sole motive, then the act is useless. You can do as many "Christian" deeds as you want such as giving to the poor, but if love is not spurring you, you gain NOTHING in God's eyes. I think many of us, definitely including myself, are guilty of this. What drives you to serve in your church, give to the poor, or even evangelize? Is it satisfaction? Desire to appear holy? Revelation 2 says this:
Revelation 2: 2-5
2 'I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false;
3 and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary.
4 But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
5 Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place - unless you repent.
God tells the church of Ephesus that He knows that they have been doing good deeds, trying to glorify God. However, they have lost grasp of the love that first drew them near to God. Do you remember the first time you accepted Christ and truly understood what He did? How much love filled your heart then? Compare that to how you feel now. God wants us to remember that time and repent if that same love doesn't drive our actions today.
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