THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE (CHARITY)
By W. G. Guy
1 Corinthians 12:28-31 – And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
1 Corinthians 13:13 – And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
While in prayer and meditation on the Word in the wee hours of the morning the Lord gave me a fresh word to declare. I was meditating on God’s tremendous love for mankind and in what He provided for us all through Jesus Christ.
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world (mankind), that he gave his only begotten Son,
As I realized all that God provided to mankind with and through Christ, He said to me, “Don’t just tell about my love, show them my love!” Immediately He showed me that it was exactly what Jesus did. Jesus healed everyone He came in contact with, including casting out evil spirits and even providing food miraculously. All of His actions were the result of loving compassion for them.
Then He told his twelve disciples to do the exact same thing:
Matthew 10:5, 7-8 – These twelve Jesus sent forth,….And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at
hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
The same event is recorded in the Gospel of Luke:
Luke 9:1-2 – Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
Then again Jesus sent seventy more of His followers with the similar instructions:
Luke 10:1-2, 9 & 17 – After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. …… and heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. ……And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
What the Lord was telling me is that God’s love covers all of mankind’s needs and concerns; and the greatest concern we all become aware of is healing. The message of God’s Kingdom, or that which under His domain, is that there is no disease, no sickness and no evil spirits in His kingdom. God’s love for mankind is not only for salvation but total provision that is available under His dominion.
Does this apply to us as His servants and ministers today? Absolutely as Jesus declared, “The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest”. We are to be about this same work in these last days, even more than ever before.
All people are concerned about healing when they are infirmed, which is why they go to doctors and hospitals. Jesus healed everyone that came to Him which is how the great fame of Him went throughout the land and attracted so many people to follow Him because He had what they needed. Since He met their physical needs they listened to Him teach the Word of God to their spiritual needs.
God is concerned about our physical problems and is well able to address them as well as our spiritual and moral issues through Jesus Christ and His Word. It is all about His love for us that is clearly shown in and through Christ.
Romans 8:31-32 – What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
These are obviously things that pertain to life and godliness.
Going back to the beginning of this article we see that the gifts and ministries that God has ordained are to operate in His church which includes gifts of healings and miracles. These are for today in spite of the denials of many ministers and denominations which teach so in opposition to what was written by the apostle Paul.
1 Corinthians 1:4-8 – I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; that in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore the coming visitation of the Lord upon His true servants will be equipping them with the power and authority of His name to set free those bound by evil spirits and to heal all manner of sickness and disease to the glory of God. Then people will take notice and come to hear the Word of God as it is proclaimed in power and truth. We as the Lords servants will be able to identify with Paul when he declared:
1 Corinthians 2:3-5 – And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Note: God’s true servants are not boastful or arrogant in their anointing but humble knowing the fear of the Lord as Paul did saying he came in weakness and fear that was in his own flesh so as not to be exalted. Then the power of God can be easily seen and demonstrated as the human flesh is out of the way.
Get ready to show and demonstrate the Love of God to others in great power. It will not only be by preaching the Word, but also in demonstration of Holy Ghost power – showing God’s loving care. This will draw people to hear the truth about the savior, Jesus Christ the King of Glory and His approaching Kingdom.
So is healing accomplished; how do we minister such love to those in need?
John 6:28-29 – Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
John 14:12-14 – Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
John 16:23-24 – And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
Mark 16:15-18 – And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
It is time for us to fulfill what God has ordained and show the world how much God love them and has provided for them. Of course not everyone will accept, but it still incumbent on us to obey the command of God to go and tell them and also to show them that “God so loved the world (mankind), that he gave his only begotten Son.
