199 - The Law of the Holy Spirit is the Supreme Law#
199 - The Law of the Holy Spirit is the Supreme Law
(JP Text Group - Jia Runqiao Compilation)
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for preparing this time to worship and praise You. A new week has begun, and we believe it will be different. We come before You to receive strength and provision. The Holy Spirit works within us, guiding and renewing us. We commit this time to You, looking solely to You, helping every brother and sister who seeks You to be filled with blessings. You delight in our worship and praise; all glory belongs to You. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen!
Content of Romans 8:1-6
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
Sharing Topic: The Law of the Holy Spirit is the Supreme Law
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we praise You. Thank You for guiding us with love, and thank You for the Holy Spirit leading us to receive provision. Keep this time, for we are in Christ Jesus, and You no longer condemn us. In this new week, may we live out a new style through the Holy Spirit, benefiting ourselves and those around us, just as You blessed Abraham, making him a blessing to others. You will give us strength through Your word, to know the grace of our Lord Jesus, allowing us to receive this grace and then live it out. Thank You and praise You for keeping this time so that everyone can gain something, and all glory belongs to You. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
The topic of sharing is: The Law of the Holy Spirit is the Supreme Law. Many people have accepted the grace of Jesus Christ but have a misunderstanding of it, thinking, "We are not under the law, but under grace." They say, "Grace only speaks of God's love and mercy." Are these grace? These are just parts of grace; you cannot say this is God's grace. In fact, everything that Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross is God's grace. Hallelujah!
Many people say, "They only talk about God's love." Do we need to have a correct understanding of the law while we are under grace? If a person does not understand why they can be under grace, their understanding of grace is superficial. Some say, "No matter who speaks, as long as they talk about God's love and how much God loves us, that is grace." Is this the way of grace? Not entirely; this is a misconception. Many people also think that hearing the message of no condemnation, "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus," is also talking about grace. So, is there a lot of talk about grace?
Paul is someone who understands grace, but did Paul not talk about God's provision? Did he not talk about the law? Did he not address the issues of sin and death? He talked about all of it. We need to understand that grace includes our sins, the removal of sin by Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection, and everything God has done in us. These are all God's grace. Amen!
Do not mistakenly think that just because something is called grace, it is grace. You must listen to the content and see if what is being spoken is about Jesus Christ and what He accomplished for us on the cross. Hallelujah! Everything we have received is what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross. Without Jesus, everyone would only face death. We need to understand through the Bible: What is the grace of Jesus Christ? Under grace, how do we view God?
Romans 8:1 states, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
Why is there no condemnation? Because you are in Jesus Christ; it is precisely because you are in Jesus Christ that God does not condemn you. Amen! You were once under the world, under Adam, under the curse, under the law, under the devil's oppression, and under death. This was the past state and the state of those who have not accepted Jesus Christ; they are outside of Christ, while we are in Christ.
Because you are in Christ, God no longer condemns you. How did you come to be in Christ? By your good deeds? By attending church every week? Or by believing in a certain religion? Did you do enough good deeds? No, it is not based on these; these are all actions. What is it based on? Faith. Faith in what? Faith that Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose again three days later. His resurrection justifies you; the resurrection of Jesus Christ completely brings you into Jesus Christ.
What else do you believe? The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses you from all sin. This is a fact. If Jesus had not gone to the cross and shed His blood for us, how could you be transferred to the kingdom of His beloved Son? Only when you are in Jesus Christ can you be a new creation. This is what we mean when we say: Now we are not under the law, but under grace.
Let’s look at a passage of scripture, Romans 6:12-14,
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to Him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Where are you? You are under grace, not under the law. Under the law, you will be condemned, and it will reveal your problems and curses, leading you to face death. At that time, sin is manifested. You are under grace. Who is revealed? It is Jesus Christ. Do you see the difference? Remaining under the law reveals your corruption and various problems; being under grace reveals not your corruption. This does not mean you no longer sin; what is revealed is Jesus Christ.
In the church, you should hear about what Jesus has done for you, always emphasizing Jesus, not coming to church to count how many bad things you did last week. That is not what we should be doing, and it is not beneficial for your life. What should you do? Turn your gaze to God. Shift your focus from being under the law to being under grace.
Paul tells us, "Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body."
When can your sin be revealed? When you are under the law. When someone constantly points out that you are corrupt, useless, and despicable, what will that person eventually do? "Well, I am just that kind of person; it doesn't matter." That person will give up. But conversely, if you comfort that person, point out their strengths, over time, that person's strengths will continue to increase.
Does Jesus know the problems we have? But did Jesus expose all your problems? No, why? He does not want you to focus on yourself. He does not want you to look at what you have done under the law, degrading yourself, and when you look down on yourself, you will also look down on others.
Jesus wants you to be under grace, focusing on Him. What do you see in Jesus? Perfect, good, lovely, wise, kind, righteous, and holy. When you always look at Jesus, you will also see the people around you change. So here it tells us, sin shall not be your master, precisely because you are under grace; under grace, your focus is on Jesus Christ. Amen! What is grace? Grace is not a doctrine, nor is it a theology, much less a course; grace is a person, and His name is Jesus Christ.**
John 1:17 states, "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
If you mistakenly think, "Grace only speaks of God's love or no condemnation," this is a one-sided understanding of grace. If you only talk about grace, only speak of God not condemning, only talk about God's love, it will indeed lead to indulgence. Do you know?
Let me give you an example. In the Bible, in Luke 15, there is a father with two wayward sons. Do you remember that story? Was the younger son behaving well? Was the younger son once under grace? Was he under his father's love? Did he receive his father's provision every day? Did he know? Did he understand gratitude? No.
When this son received his father's love, he became arrogant and proud. He wanted to leave his father, and his father did not stop him. Brothers and sisters, if you do not understand how this grace comes or think that talking about God's love and no condemnation is enough, this will indeed lead to indulgence, just like the younger son's outcome; eventually, one day, he will go wild.
When this younger son was hurt outside and returned, did his father change? That passage is not about how unwise the two sons were; it is about how much the father loves them. When the younger son squandered all his inheritance and returned, his father still loved him the same. His father would not look at him differently because he squandered all his money; however, the painful process was not arranged by his father. No, it was because he did not understand what grace was, did not understand what love was, and did not understand his father's concern for him, so he acted recklessly.
When he returned, smelling terrible and without a clean garment, his father still loved him as before, proving that his father had not changed, right? The one who changed was the son! When this son saw how his father accepted him, he realized: "You love me so much!" His father's love had always been like that!
Knowing how much his father loved him, let me ask you, would he still run away from home? Would he still say to his father, "You old man, give me my inheritance"? Would he do that again? When one truly understands God's grace, they willingly obey the Father's arrangements and listen to His words. Hallelujah.
We do not only talk about God's love; we do not only talk about no condemnation. This is just part of grace! It will also tell you: The Father has never changed, but we need to recognize Him correctly. We are justified by God because Jesus Christ paid a great price. We indeed squandered everything; in the past, in Adam, we squandered our inheritance and our lives. When we come before God, what do we have?
When we come before Jesus, what can we boast about? "Lord Jesus, look at my clothes, what brand they are, so save me!" Does that work? In front of our Heavenly Father, we have nothing to boast about, yet He still accepts us. We truly have nothing and many flaws, but now that you have returned, the Father is willing to accept you. The painful experiences you lost were not arranged by God. No, we are just like the younger son, having squandered everything, and now we have returned, and the Father still loves you as before. Amen.
You are justified by God and can enjoy God's abundant provision because Jesus paid a great price on the cross to redeem you. He paid a heavy price, offering His life to bring us into this grace! When you understand this, you will say: I do not want sin to reign in my mortal body, making me obey its evil desires. In other words, when a person truly understands God's grace, their behavior changes. Otherwise, they do not understand grace and will be like the younger son, not understanding, and will not change.
Having just spoken about the younger son, what about the elder son? Has he always remained in grace? But does he understand grace? Not at all. When a person does not understand grace but stands in grace, it is more dangerous than being under the law. Because everything is hidden, the elder son's sins are hidden inside, while the younger son is merely outwardly visible.
That passage is not about how the younger son repented; it is about how much the father loves both sons. Amen. Regardless of outward sin or inward sin, God does not look at any of it. Through Jesus Christ on the cross, He shed His precious blood, and your sins are completely forgiven. Amen, this is our true nature! We should have been under death, but Jesus Christ died for us, and now we live for Christ. When Jesus gives us His life, He also freely gives us the Holy Spirit.
Verses 1-2 state, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death."
You are not under the Ten Commandments; then where are you? Many people mistakenly think, "Great! This grace is really wonderful," always talking about how God does not condemn me, so I can do whatever I want! Is this grace? This is simply encouraging sin. The heretical Gnosticism says, "You can sin; God has forgiven all your sins; do whatever you want!" This is not grace; this is false doctrine. Not being under the law means you are not under the Ten Commandments; you are in the law of the Holy Spirit.
In other words, you have come out of the pit and fallen into another pit. Some may say, "Isn't this still a pit?" But this is the pit of life, the pit of peace, the pit of the Holy Spirit, and those who fall into it do not want to come out. Amen!
However, how do many people talk about grace? "Don't worry! Today you are not under the law; you are under grace." This person was originally a criminal, a murderer, and he goes to someone and says, "It's okay; you are innocent and released," and removes all the chains from this person. This guy goes out and starts killing again; this is dangerous. It does not mean that the law is abolished; you cannot say he was guilty and not condemn him so he can do whatever he wants. This is not understanding grace.
This person was originally under death, under the law, under the curse, knowing he deserved to die. "Tomorrow I will be executed; are you scared?" He says, "Yes, I am scared," but someone died for you, so you do not have to die." When a person knows they have been redeemed like this, the law has not been trampled upon. After going out, you must live for this person; this is exactly our situation! We have come out of our old selves and are now in the law of the Holy Spirit; you are not under the law of the Ten Commandments.
According to the laws of various countries, the Ten Commandments are the most complete. No country's laws can surpass the Ten Commandments. However, there is a complete law in the Bible, but the problem is that people cannot keep these laws.
Thus, verse 3 states, "For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh."
It is not that the law is weak; the law is strong, holy, and just. We are weak! Compared to the law, the law is strong; you are weak; the law is holy; we are unholy; the law is just; we are corrupt. Therefore, before the law, we are weak. Because God knows you are weak and cannot fulfill the law, and the law cannot help you overcome your sin, this is the problem.
So it goes on to say, "God sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering."
You cannot keep all the Ten Commandments; this is your weakness, and the law cannot help you. God sent someone stronger than the law, so Jesus came. He took your inability and weakness and gave you His strength, which the law cannot provide. We cannot keep all the contents of the Ten Commandments; Jesus kept them for you and then gave you the righteousness and holiness of the law. Can the brothers and sisters understand this?
Verse 4 states, "In order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us." After Jesus fulfilled the law, to whom is the righteousness of the law given? Everyone say with me, "It is fulfilled in me." Let’s read together, "In order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in me." Amen! What kind of people are we? Those who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. In the original text, the meaning of "according to" is "within...," meaning that when Jesus Christ fulfilled the law for you and died for your sins, accomplishing the righteousness of the law, He gave this righteousness to you. What kind of people are you? Not living according to the flesh, referring to "within...," in the past, you were in the flesh, and there was weakness in the flesh. Now you are in the Spirit, through faith, not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit. Hallelujah.
Because those in the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh. If you talk about the Holy Spirit to worldly people, they are unwilling to listen and cannot understand; those in the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. Everything is accomplished by the Spirit of God, and only spiritual people can understand these things.
The mind governed by the flesh is death; the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
What is the end of those in the flesh? Death; in the Spirit, eternal life. All of this is not earned by your efforts; it is given to you because you believe in God, believing that Jesus accomplished what He did on the cross; this is called grace. Because of your belief, God gives you the Holy Spirit, and you are in the Spirit. This is what we mean by "in the Spirit." How did you come to be in the Spirit? Because you believe in Jesus, God allows the Holy Spirit to dwell in your heart, and you are in the Spirit. Hallelujah!
So brothers and sisters, God sent His only beloved Son into the world to fulfill the law, redeem all your sins, and place the Holy Spirit in our hearts. He lets the Holy Spirit guide us to live a victorious life like Jesus. Without the Holy Spirit, can you live a victorious life relying on the law? No way. The Israelites lived under the law for one thousand five hundred years and failed; we cannot do better than them.
But now it is different. Now God, through Jesus Christ, has given you the Holy Spirit. Does the Holy Spirit have the power to guide you to live correctly? Does He have the power to help you overcome your life? You must first believe that the Holy Spirit has this ability. Let me ask you another question: Is the power of sin greater, or is the power of the Holy Spirit greater?
The Holy Spirit can absolutely guide us to live a victorious life. Why do people fail? It is because they do not recognize the work of the Holy Spirit and do not know how to obey the Holy Spirit; they only know that God does not condemn. Just like I mentioned earlier, they were originally under the law, which was better; there was something binding them. Now they are released but do not understand the Holy Spirit, so they do whatever they want. Therefore, when a person is freed from the law, they must understand the work of the Holy Spirit. Those who believe in Jesus all acknowledge that this is the age of the Holy Spirit, the age of grace, but they do not talk about grace or the Holy Spirit. Isn't that a ridiculous thing? They only know to say that no condemnation is grace, which is incorrect.
Those who truly understand the grace of Jesus Christ will bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah! Let me emphasize again: If a person does not understand grace and has no constraints of the Ten Commandments, then that person becomes extremely dangerous and will do whatever they want, acting arbitrarily. Such a person is safer remaining under the law. If the laws of a country are removed, what will happen to that country? It will be chaotic; there may be murder and arson everywhere, and people will do whatever they want. In such a situation, having laws is better, at least to restrain people's behavior! Why must a country have laws? Because not everyone understands the Holy Spirit; those who do not recognize the Holy Spirit are safer under the law.
The Bible does not say that the law is useless; the law is set for the lawless, disobedient, and criminal people. It is not set for the righteous. For those who commit crimes, without the law, the world would become very frightening. Although the law cannot change a person's heart, it can indeed limit a person's external behavior. At that time, the Israelites did not understand what the Holy Spirit was, so God gave them the Ten Commandments, which at least could restrain their external behavior. This is good; thank and praise the Lord.
Is the law good? The law is good. Some people say the law is bad, that the law is evil; they have spoken incorrectly. They cannot be called heretics, but they have spoken wrongly, exceeding the Bible. The Bible never says that the law is bad; it tells us that the law is good; it just cannot solve your sin. But it is good! The law of the Ten Commandments is good. Amen!
1 Timothy 1:8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.
What I want to tell everyone is: The Holy Spirit is the best. For those who do not understand the Holy Spirit, the law is good. For those under grace, the law of the Holy Spirit is the best law; it can help you overcome all laws and surpass the laws of all countries. Therefore, you are blessed. The Holy Spirit is in your hearts; you must use the Holy Spirit. If you do not use the Holy Spirit, you will still be safer returning to the law.
Brothers and sisters, this message is very important. You are in the best law of the Holy Spirit, which the Bible calls the "Supreme Law." The Supreme Law, the law of the Holy Spirit, is called the Law of Love.
Romans 3:31 states, "Do we then nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law."
We receive the grace of Jesus Christ through faith. Because of faith, you are not under the law but under grace. Do we nullify the law by faith? No, absolutely not; we uphold the law even more. What does this mean? The Holy Spirit is better than the law. Amen! Jesus is better than the Ten Commandments. Keeping the Ten Commandments relies on our own efforts, which are too limited. But now God has given you the Holy Spirit; the power of the Holy Spirit is unlimited and immeasurable. Therefore, the New Testament and the Old Testament do not contradict each other; the New Testament upholds the Old Testament, and grace upholds the law. Hallelujah! What is the essence of the law? One word: love. What kind of fruit does the grace of Jesus Christ produce? The fruit of the Holy Spirit. The first is love!
So James 2:8 says, "If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, 'Love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing right."
Here James is not talking about the Ten Commandments; he is talking about the law of the Holy Spirit! When you have the Holy Spirit inside you, let the Holy Spirit help you love your neighbor as yourself. This is the supreme law, so it is good.
Galatians 5:13-14,
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
This one command is to love your neighbor as yourself. Whether it is the past Ten Commandments or the current Holy Spirit, they are guiding you into God's love. We love God; how can we demonstrate that we love God? By loving others, loving your brothers, loving your family, loving your brothers and sisters, loving your neighbors. Through these, you can demonstrate that you love God. Is this very simple?
Romans 13:10 also says, "Love does no harm to a neighbor."
A sister once said, "I am harmless to people and animals." I completely agree with this. A person who has the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ must be harmless to people and animals, without deceit, hatred, or malice. The Holy Spirit residing in them does not allow them to do such things. Having the love of Jesus Christ will guide you to live a different life. Love does no harm to a neighbor, so love fulfills the law. Amen!
Having the love of Jesus Christ, you will not fear traveling the world. You do not need to read what the laws of that country are; as long as your heart is filled with the love of Christ, you can freely go anywhere. Because no country is against love. All laws are aimed at the unjust, the lawless, and the disobedient, but you are different! Wherever you go, you always give without seeking a return; you just like to give.
Which people dislike receiving from others? You cannot find such people anywhere in the world. This is what the Holy Spirit wants to remind you to do. In the past, under the law, you always looked at yourself, always feeling lacking. Like James, what is yours is yours, and what belongs to others is also yours. Isn't that how people in the world are? They try every means to turn others' possessions into their own. But in Christ Jesus, after you have the Holy Spirit, God says everything is yours; you just need to give.
Which is easier? A person filled with love has the whole world in their heart. Hallelujah! This is what the Bible means when it says, "Love does no harm to a neighbor, so love fulfills the law." This sentence sounds very simple, but in reality, it requires the help of the Holy Spirit. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, we cannot achieve this.
Matthew 5:13-18,
13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14 "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." 17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished."
Jesus did not abolish the law, and we cannot abolish the law either. Amen! Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, can we contradict the Ten Commandments? No, absolutely not. If a person says, "I am under the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit guides me to scold you today," is this the guidance of the Holy Spirit? Does it contradict the Ten Commandments? Yes! "I hate you; I want to beat you up," is the Holy Spirit guiding me to hate you? Anyone who speaks like this is definitely a liar because the Holy Spirit does not guide people like this. Amen!
Many people use the banner of the Holy Spirit to deceive others. We need to read the Bible. Whether you read the Old Testament or the New Testament, when you read the Old Testament, you should at least know, "What are the regulations like? The guidance of the Holy Spirit will not contradict them." Hallelujah! Murderers and arsonists are definitely not understanding grace; those who understand grace will be filled with the love of Christ, harmless to people and animals. Amen!
When do we have the Holy Spirit? When you believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells in your heart. The problem is that for many people, the Holy Spirit is asleep inside them; when the Holy Spirit reminds them, they cannot hear. What should we do? Let the Holy Spirit within you work. By the power of the Holy Spirit, you can easily live out the grace of Jesus Christ. This is a life of love. We are under grace, under the law of love. Hallelujah!
The law of the Ten Commandments requires you to have good behavior outwardly. What is the law of the Holy Spirit like? It includes not only the outward but also the inward. This is what Jesus Christ meant when He said, "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." What righteousness did the Pharisees have? At least they had good outward behavior. They were like people who looked good on the outside, fasting, giving, and praying loudly in front of others for hours; their external behavior was absolutely commendable. But inwardly, they were petty and jealous. Why did they kill Jesus? Because they were jealous of Jesus, thinking, "My followers have all gone to Him, so I must find a way to kill you."
If a person understands the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit will guide them to do the right thing. Amen! If someone who does not believe appears good on the outside, once their bottom line is touched, they become even more terrifying than the Pharisees. At least the Pharisees pretended to be good on the outside; they were just making some moves. But a person guided by the Holy Spirit will not be like that. Amen! They may have flaws, but what is inside them? It is still the guidance of the Holy Spirit, harmless to people and animals. Amen!
Thank and praise the Lord! Those who truly understand grace will live out the life within them. This is not the result of self-effort; it is the result of correct belief. Amen! You must believe that today the Holy Spirit dwells in your hearts, and the Holy Spirit can help you overcome all sins. Even if you still have many problems now, it does not matter; as long as you are willing, the Holy Spirit will continually renew you, making you better and better. Amen!
If a person says they understand grace but slanders and maliciously attacks others, then they do not truly understand grace. Therefore, the characteristic of being under grace is knowing what Jesus Christ has done for them on the cross, so they will continually receive the grace of Christ and live out a life of grace. This is the supreme law and the highest law. Amen!
This is exactly what we emphasize. We have not abolished the law; Jesus has used the highest law of the Holy Spirit to replace the law of the Ten Commandments. Amen! The law of the Holy Spirit does not contradict the Ten Commandments; it includes all the laws of the Ten Commandments, and the Holy Spirit can also give you the strength to overcome the law of the Ten Commandments, to overcome yourself, to overcome your environment, to overcome your problems. Amen! This law of the Holy Spirit, the highest law, the supreme law, can transcend all laws and is above all laws.
Finally, let’s look at two passages of scripture. First, let’s look at 1 Corinthians 13:13, "And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."
Now these three remain: faith. You can lose everything, but you cannot lose faith. The second is hope. What is this hope? It is hope, indeed; you cannot lose hope. A person without hope, no matter how rich or powerful they are, is doomed because without hope, they will always be discouraged, feeling that nothing is possible, thinking the end of the world is tomorrow. Everything they have will not matter; they will live in fear and anxiety. The last is love, and the greatest of these three is love, brothers and sisters.
Let’s continue to read another passage, 1 Corinthians 13:1-7,
1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails...
Why did I adjust the order? I want to tell everyone that now these three remain: faith. Some people always emphasize faith; some also emphasize hope, "Jesus Christ is coming again; no matter what happens, we must have hope. This world will pass in the blink of an eye; our hometown is there!" Some are talking about love, and the greatest should be what? The love of God.
"If I can speak in the tongues of men and of angels," if you can understand all the languages and speak in tongues, without love, what does that count for? It counts for nothing. But is this to say that speaking in tongues is unimportant? No, it is to compare which is greater than love. Therefore, we always emphasize that love is the supreme law, the highest, the greatest. When you have love, and then you have other gifts, it becomes very, very beneficial.
Only having gifts, being able to speak in various languages and the languages of angels, but without love, do you know how terrifying this person will be? They will be arrogant, thinking, "What gifts do I have? What are you?" Because without love, they will speak such arrogant words.
Verse 2 states, "If I have the gift of prophecy," "and can fathom all mysteries."
If a person understands a little bit of mystery, they say, "I understand... I understand... What do you count for?" Such a person does not have God's love in their heart; they later say, "All kinds of knowledge," "I can understand the Bible; I am familiar with it," and they have a faith that can move mountains! Do they have gifts? Do they have anointing? Yes, but what does that matter?
What does the Bible say? "But without love, I am nothing."
Does this mean that the gift is unimportant? Does it mean that having the ability to preach is unimportant? Does it mean that understanding all kinds of knowledge and mysteries is unimportant? No, this is very important, but compared to love, love is the supreme law.
Looking further, verse 3 states, "If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast."
Does this person have kindness? Do they have good deeds? They have all of them, but without love. Some may say, "You say that person has given to the poor and even sacrificed themselves to be burned; how can you say they have no love?"
Let me ask you a question. During a major earthquake, many people donate money to help the poor. But not everyone truly loves those in the affected area. If I were a super-rich person and saw, "Here is an opportunity; that place has had an earthquake, and I can do my marketing," I would find a newspaper and say, "I am willing to donate a billion to the disaster area, but with one condition: publish my story on your front page tomorrow." Is there giving to the poor? Yes, but the purpose is not love; they want a return.
What we are talking about is the law of the Holy Spirit, which is the law of love, which does not seek a return. I am telling you that this is not the love of the world; it is the love of Jesus Christ. You give without thinking of a return because if that person does not return to you, you will be hurt. You help your brothers and sisters without seeking a return; this is true love, the love of Jesus Christ. Because He does not return to you, you should be very happy, saying, "Great! He finally did not return to me." Why be so happy? Because God will personally reward you. Hallelujah.
What is love? It is patient and kind; indeed, it is what we do throughout our lives. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
In fact, from verse 4 to the first half of verse 8, it is not talking about our love; it is talking about the love of Jesus Christ. Jesus loves us with this kind of love. The Heavenly Father sent His beloved Son Jesus into this world because He loves us, and He loves us today with this love. Amen!
The love of God is indeed patient and kind. The love of Jesus Christ is also not envious, does not boast, and is not proud. Jesus can speak in the tongues of men, has all kinds of preaching abilities, and He also helps the poor. But more importantly, He manifests the supreme law, the law of love. Hallelujah!
So when you have the love of Jesus Christ, even if your behavior is not perfect, people can still accept you. What kind of love is the love of Jesus Christ? It does not do shameful things, does not seek its own benefit, is not easily angered, and does not keep a record of wrongs.
This proves that when you give the love of Jesus Christ, you may be misunderstood by others, and even people may make you suffer, but do not keep a record of others' wrongs. What should you remember? Remember the good that others have done for you! Even if it is just one thing, remember that one thing; that is God's love and wisdom. If your mind recalls all the wrongs your partner has done to you, you will be hurt. Remember their goodness; remember even if it was just that one time they loved you years ago. When you recall it, it will always be warm. This is not foolishness; it is the wisdom God gives us. Amen.
Do not keep a record of wrongs, do not delight in evil, but rejoice with the truth. Always protect, always trust, always hope, always persevere. Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love.
This tells us that you can always endure everything because you have the love of Jesus Christ. Otherwise, how can you endure? Because you have the love of Jesus Christ, you can always believe. Believe in what? You believe that even if people cannot understand you, God knows what you have given.
Even if you do not see the results you want, still believe that God is watching over you. The supreme law, you should always keep in your heart, is the law of love. How did Jesus love you? That is the love of the Heavenly Father upon you. Hallelujah! This is why we always emphasize the grace of Jesus Christ, to emphasize what Jesus accomplished for you on the cross. This is what you believe; this is what you hope for.
Place this hope in your heart, and it will produce the love of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! Thank and praise the Lord! Love never fails; this world will pass, but God's love for us is everlasting, without the limitations of time and space. God has always loved us like this. Hallelujah! May we understand what God's grace is, and may you live a victorious life under this supreme law, the law of love, through the Holy Spirit. Thank and praise the Lord.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank You. The most beautiful blessing in our lives is to know You. Because You love us, You sent Your only beloved Son, Jesus. You know we cannot keep the Ten Commandments; under the Ten Commandments, we can only receive curses and death. So You sent Jesus to fulfill the law, bringing the blessings of the law upon me today, placing the righteousness of the law upon me, so that in Christ, You no longer condemn me. This is the blessing that Jesus Christ paid a heavy price for, exchanging it for us with His life.
I thank You, Jesus, for paying such a price for me and giving me the Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart. You let the Holy Spirit guide me to live a victorious life, making me different from the world. Let me live in Your love today, let me live in Your Holy Spirit.
Heavenly Father! Thank You. As a new week begins, guide my steps with the Holy Spirit. Perhaps many times we do not understand, but Lord, I know You will guide me. Let my heart hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, guiding my steps, guiding my thoughts and intentions, filling me with the love of Jesus Christ. Let the supreme law, the law of love, fill my heart, allowing me to see everyone around me with the love of Christ. May our giving be like Jesus, without seeking a return. Lord, grant me this strength; I know this is beneficial for me and those around me. Add this strength to me, add it to me.
Holy Spirit, I thank You. I know I cannot do it by myself, but You can. You are able; in You, all things are possible. Holy Spirit, You can penetrate all things. I know You love me. Please fill me with this assurance, this peace, and joy, letting this faith, hope, and love fill my heart.
Lord! Thank You for loving me today and giving us such words. Bless all our brothers and sisters, bless all the brothers and sisters who hear this. Let us enjoy Your peace, enjoy Your freedom, enjoy Your joy in Your love. Hallelujah! Thank and praise the Lord! In the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!