Face To FaithSample

I’m giving you a two-for-one deal today. We’re going BOGO on the Bible verses so you feel like you’re getting a really good deal.

But seriously, look at these, especially the verse from Isaiah. “And evil will come upon
you, and you won’t even know where it’s coming from.” Wow. Does anybody want to sign up for that? No way! I want to avoid that. How do you avoid that?

You avoid it by allowing love in your life to overrule your knowledge.

Knowledge matters. Knowledge is important. We should all have this thirst for knowing more about God. But, in that knowledge, love certainly does not go away. No way.

Now, look at the second verse for today. What does that verse mean? It means you don’t really know God until you—what?—until you love God.

“Well, I know a lot about Him.” Yeah, but you really don’t until you love Him.

I think the same thing needs to be said for our relationships with each other, as certainly it is here said about a relationship with God. And that love is what was missing in Corinth.

You see, there was an issue going on regarding food offered to idols. The people with knowledge said, “Ah, it’s no big deal; idols are nothing, really.” And they were right, but the problem was that not everyone was so confident on that particular truth. So some believers were eating food that had been sacrificed to idols with no twinge going on in their conscience, but when other believers saw it, it made them stumble.

Paul says, “Hey, let’s come back to the point. I don’t care what you know; I care about whether you love.” In other words, what you know and the freedom you want is not as impor- tant as your brother or sister in Christ.

What’s at the center of your world today—yourself, or love?

Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for loving me enough to die for me, laying aside all that you had a right to for my sake. As I look to Your example, help me to do the same and show love for the fellow believers around me.
Amen