The Most Excellent Way

    "But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I you a more excellent way." (1 Cor. 12:31)
   
     You can live anyway you want to live. You are the only person who has the power to determine how you will live. You can be agreeable or disagreeable, a help or a hinderance, an asset or a liability to yourself, your family,your coworkers, and the kingdom of God. But Paul says, "Now I show you a more excellent way." The christian was never meant to be a good way even a better way, but rather the most excellent way!
    Paul had just received a letter from the church at Corinth listing all kinds of problems that had arisen in their fellowship for one reason: They were not following the most excellent way. Paul is saying, " In light of your varied lifestyles and the difficulties, and heartaches they have brought upon the church, it is high time you recognize your need to follow the most excellent way!"
    In his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul gives four reasons why love is the most excellent way.

    1. It;'s ministry of Healing. ( 1Cor 1:10-17)
    The church at Corinth had written a long letter to Paul listing several or their problems. But one problemthat was not listed was divisions in the church. Paul learned of this problem from the relatives of Chloe, a wellknown member of the congregation. He is not secretive; he names the source of his information and then deals directly with the problem. The fact that he chooses to deal first with divisions in the church proves that of all the problems mentioned  he considered this one to be the most critical. It is to this problem that he applies the healing ministry of love.

    A. The healing ministry of love is realized when Christ is honored. ( 1 Cor. 1:12-16)  In 1 Corinthians 1:12 we can see what Paul may be saying about each group that wanted to rally around some human personality. Some said, " I follow Paul." Paul  did not take this as a compliment, nor does any preacher.  In claiming to follow Paul the theologian they were claiming to be great theologues. Others said, "I follow Apollos." These were the "cultured vulture" who worship good speaking, since Apollos was prince of preachers. Still others said, "I follow Cephas [Peter]," the firey evangalist. This is the" tell- it- like- it- is" crowd. And the "super christians" said, "I follow Christ."
    In light of these childish divisions, Paul turns to some wholesome humer. He makes fun of the situation as he singles himself out as an example. In verse 13 he asks a series of questions: "Is Christ fragmented? Tell me about it." "Was Paul crucified for you? I haven't noticed any nail prints in my hands...." Did Christ say in the great commision to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of Paul the apostle?" In verses 14-16 Paul expresses relief that he baptized just a few, lest that make them his followers.
    B. The healing ministry of love is realized when the gospal is preached (1:17).  The gospelis the good news about the healing ministry of Christ's love. Christ is the focal point of the gospel--not Paul or Apollos or Peter or any other man.

    2. Its simplicity of language (1Cor. 2:1-2).   Love is never concerned with impressing others with our importance, our knowledge, our intelligence, or our "eloquence or superior wisdom" (2:1). Love of self is vitally concerned with these things, but not the love that is the most excellent way. This kind of love is concerned with clearly proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and His power to save.
    If any man could have complicated the simple with multisyllable words, Paul could have. He certainly had the vocabulary and the intellect to do it. But Paul had been down the empty halls of acadamia as a Pharisee and found nothing until he encountered the most excellent way of God's redemptive love.
    Someone has said, "It is nice to be important, but it is important to be nice." paul was nice enough to speak in love's simple language so everybody could understand. No wonder Paul says, "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. (2:4-5)
    As long as our faith is based on "men's wisdom," it can fall. There will always be someone wiser than us who can undermine that faith. But when our faith rests " on God's power," no one on earth and no power of satan can cause that faith to fall!

    3. Its competency for solving problems ( 1 Cor 5-12).  In these eight chapters, Paul addresses himself to that long list of problems that the christians in Corinth had written. The problems included lawsuits, sexual immorality, marriage, food sacrificed to idols, the place of women in the church, abuses of the Lord's supper, and false piety. In all fairness Paul deals with one problem at a time. He does not rush through these problems as though they were not serious. Rather, he he devotes eight chapters to discussing them. But at the end of his discussion he informs the Corinthians that there is not one problem they have shared that love can't solve. Especially in the face of life's problems, Paul sees love as the most eacellent way because of its competency for problem solving.

    A. The problem of sexual immorality (5:1-2).  Paul is saying that when our christian friends fall into sin, we must confront them in love and ask them to turn away from their sin. If they refuse, we must cut off all association with them. because we love the church, we cannot allow the continuation of this problem to infect it. Love is the most excellent way to handle any form of sexual  impurity. When we love others we won't use them to stisfy our own desires. We wont inflict the guilt and hurt of sexual immorality.
    B. The problem with lawsuits (6:1-8).  Love is the most excellent way to resolve differences. Paul says it is unchristian for fellow believers to take their differences to a court made up of unbelievers- to rely on those who know nothing of the grace of God to settle their problems. Paul notes that any problem between christians can and ought to be in the spirit of christian love.
    C. The problem of abusing our christian liberty (chapter 8).  Paul contends that souls are more important than steak. People are more valuable than meat. Lives are more important than our liberty. When we are tempted to say, " It is my right to do this or to say that," we must remember the words of Paul, who advocates the most excellent way: " All things are lawful to me, but all things are not expedient:..." (6:12)
    There are certain times when we have every right to do a certain thing. But the most excellent way of love reminds us that if exercising our liberty cause even one brother or sister to stumble, we should renounce that liberty.
    D. The problem of placing our piety on parade (chapter 12).  When the more excelent way of love binds us together as the body of Christ, nothing can sever that unity. We care for onr another-- we rejoice with one another. Love is the most excellent way, becauseit removes any competitive or jealous spirit among God's people. It takes piety off parade and puts Jesus Christ on parade!
 
    4. Its superiority of value ( 1cor. 12:31-13:13). Paul concludes chapter 12 by saying, " And  yet show I to you a more excellent way." Then he sets forth the beautiful love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13. And now these three remain: faith, hope,and love. But the greatest of these is love" (v13). Why is love " the greatest of these"? Why is it the most excellent way? Because of its superiority of value.
    A. The the superiority of loves value is seen in the worth it imparts to the gifts of the Spirit ( 13:5-13). These gifts have no intrinsic value. The only value they have is the value love imparts to them.
    B. The superiority of loves value is seen in the words used to describe it.
    Paul ends his letter with these words: "Let all your things be done with love." (16:14). Then he closes with, " My love be with you all in Christ Jesus" ( 16:24) Love is the most excellent way because of its ministry of healing, simplicity of language, competency for problem solving, and its superiority of value.