Gifts Should Be Expressed Only Within the Framework of Love

We often observe in the church a false controversy between believers who emphasize order in worship and those who insist on freedom and spontaneity in the Spirit when the church gathers to worship.

Many churches are so insistent on an orderly, carefully choreographed service that they constrain the Spirit and dam up the free flow of the blessings God wants to send his children as they praise him with freedom and enthusiasm. Others are so eager to give the Spirit free rein that they go to the opposite extreme. They disdain structure, forget about time limits, allow any emotional expression or any impulse from the brothers and sisters, and end up creating an unhealthy mixture of unbridled emotionalism and genuine expressions of God’s movement in the service.

Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 14 to establish a healthy balance between these two extremes. He sets out criteria for judgment such as love and consideration for others; attentiveness to new believers and unbelievers in worship; a spirit of service toward one’s neighbor; and the priority of seeking to build others up rather than seeking personal satisfaction. These are the values that uphold the fundamental principles of the Gospel, the noble attitudes that truly reflect the spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ, who emptied himself and accepted discomfort in order to serve and save others.

The apostle Paul calls us to put love and a spirit of service to others above the free expression of gifts, especially when we are gathered for worship. In the service, rather than satisfying ourselves by expressing every emotional or even spiritual impulse, we must consider what effect our behavior may have on those around us.

We should do nothing merely to build ourselves up. Above all, our primary purpose should be to bless and build up those who worship the Lord with us. That is why Paul says—and encourages us to imitate him—“I would rather speak five words with my understanding, to teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.” The overriding value here is not expressing or building up myself. It is not even giving public expression to genuinely spiritual energy. Rather, it is expressing the love of Christ, refraining from doing anything that might confuse or become a stumbling block to someone who is weak and uninformed.

In short, it is a matter of glorifying the kind and considerate spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ, of imitating him in his gentle and generous conduct. That is the greatest of all acts of praise, the highest expression of the compassionate and loving Spirit of our heavenly Father. By imitating the Lord in his infinite love and compassion, we exalt him in a way that cannot be surpassed.

Many Christians eagerly seek the gifts, and practice love when they can. That is why we have so many “Corinthian churches,” with many gifts and little love, many manifestations and many divisions.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:1, “Follow love; and desire spiritual gifts.” That is the true order of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: First, express the love, the spirit of self-denial and sacrifice that led Christ to the cross. Then express the spiritual gifts within the framework and limits of love, which will always bring glory to God and build up God’s children. May God make us “infants in evil, but mature in our thinking” (1 Cor. 14:20).

If you want to explore this reflection more deeply, I recommend studying the sermon entitled “Let All Things Be Done for Edification.”