And above all these things, and these things he's referring
to is a heart of mercy, kindness, humbleness
of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another and forgiving
one another, as Christ also forgave you if you have a quarrel with
anybody. And above all these things, put
on love, which is the bond. Love is the thing that makes
all of those other things one thing. That's what the word bond
means, to bind together into one. Verse 15, and let the peace of
God rule in your hearts, to the which also you're called in one
body, and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell
in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one
another, in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing
with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever you do in word
or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving
thanks to God and the Father by Him. Let's pray. Thank you, Lord, for your word.
Teach us, Lord, as we look into this. Don't leave us to our own
understanding. Show us our Savior and His glory
and your almighty love. that's found in him and comfort
your people, feed your sheep, bless each heart with an understanding
of who you are and what you've done for us. May your name be
glorified, Lord, lifted up. May we speak in such a way that's
honoring unto thee and hear with hearts that by
your grace honor you. In Christ's name we ask, amen. So this passage of scripture doesn't need to be outlined. It is an outline. Love above all. Love. Peace. Peace should govern the
peace of God. Let that govern your hearts. The gospel. Let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly. And really it's the worship. Around the gospel. It's the worship
in hearing the gospel because they're singing joy Thanksgiving
Unto the Lord singing his praises And then What you do Love peace worship And everything else what you
do, the way you do it, why you do it. And having just exhorted in verse
14, that above all else to put on love, which is the bond of
perfectness. Now we have this verse 15, love
being the bond, the thing that bundles all of these other graces
into one thing. They are because of love, They
are because God loved us and we love Him as a consequence
of His love for us. And we love one another by His
commandment that you love one another, even as I have loved
you. Doing and acting the way you
do because of love, not because of an effort to be good in God's
sight, not out of obligation, We have obligations, but love
transcends that. I don't honor my wife because
a preacher told me to do that a long time ago. but because I love her, you see.
And that's key in the worship of God. Not law, but love. Not righteousness, but because
of Christ our righteousness. People do the right thing ever. for one of two reasons. Knowing our nature, and what
God saw in Genesis 6, 5, that the wickedness of man was great
in the earth, and that the imagination of man's heart was only evil
continually. So knowing that, and why that's
true, why he saw what he did, and by God's grace believing
that, Not just knowing it in our heads, but believing that
and acting on it, understanding what we are. God remembers that
you're dust, do you? So knowing that, people do anything
right ever for only one of two reasons. Law, they fear the consequences of
not doing right. whether consequences imposed
by men, given authority by God in this earth in temporal matters,
or they fear the wrath of God and think that by their own action,
they can please God or displease Him as a matter of their prerogative,
that they might be an object of His favor if they just act
right and not wrong. And then the other reason is
love. We do right as believers, not
meritorious in the sight of God, right, but right because we love
somebody. Love covereth a multitude of
sins. We forgive because we love. That's why it's called the bond.
We obey because we love. The Lord Jesus said, if you love
me, keep my commandments. If you don't, There wouldn't
be any need for him to say that, because you're not. And love is the fruit of his
spirit. If people do the right thing
because of love, and the love of God is shed abroad in his
elect, remember how we're addressed
in verse 12, put on therefore these things, preeminently love
as the elect of God. As the elect of God. If God has
chosen us and loved us and drawn us to himself with cords of love
from eternity, then what does that say about us? Verse 17. You see what love and That peace
which governs your heart results in whatever you do, whatever
you say, and whatever you do, do all in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. Love is defined by what it does
and does not do. And then, and only then, when
love is preeminent, when above all love, then peace can rule
in your heart. The word is tranquility, harmony,
concord of God, the peace of God. Another glorious aspect of the
fruit of God's spirit Love, joy, peace. This is an exhortation to act
in such a way that peace governs all of it. God's peace. If you have in you that peace
that bridged the great gulf between the sinner and God, can we not then be at peace with
each other? Peace with God is primary, but
having peace with God results in all other forms of
peace. It's the cross, the blood of
God's Son that brought us nigh unto the God against which at
one time we were enemies in our hearts. And it's that same blood
applied to my heart that's broken down the middle
wall of partition. It's what Christ did. We're exhorted
to live this way, but we're able to and we want to because of
what Christ did and who he is. Slain the enmity thereby toward
all who are my brothers and sisters in Christ. And it's our calling. You see the next phrase there?
This is the calling wherewith you're called unto peace, reigning
peace, ruling peace, governing peace. Remember Proverbs 13,
10, we've seen a few times here lately, only by pride cometh
contention. Peace is destroyed by pride. And remember this that first
Corinthians 126 you see you're calling brethren How that not
many wise men after the flesh Not many mighty not many noble
what's he doing he's bringing us down That's how peace rules In our hearts Not many noble,
but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound
the wise. We're talking about peace being
our calling. How is that? Because peace is brought about
by humility. It's by pride that there's contention. But our calling is that he's
chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise,
and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the
things which are mighty, and base things of the world, things
which are despised hath God chosen. Yea, and things which are not. There's nothing to you, and me
neither. To bring to naught things that
are. Why? That no flesh should glory in
his presence. because that's how contention
comes. Us glorying in his presence is what brought on the contention
and the wrath of God against us by nature. And it's the same
pride. It's the same evil self-righteous
pride that causes contention with one another. Our calling
is not like that. You see what he's saying here?
We're called unto peace. We're called. being base and
nothing, that we should not glory and
therefore be at peace with God and with one another. What we read there, the base
things of the world, things which are despised, where is pride
in that? And if no pride, then no contention,
because only by pride cometh contention. Our calling is the
call of grace, free grace, the irresistible call of sovereign
mercy. It's not something we can boast
in. There's nothing we can boast in. And our not boasting starts
right there. All boasting is excluded. This
is how we have peace with God and with one another. God chose me just because he
wanted to, I'm fine with that because if he hadn't, I'd be
in hell already. You see how our estimation of
ourselves, our calling is integral to the peace that we have in
our hearts. Our peace is altogether Christ. He made it by his blood. But
we experience that in our hearts as we are brought down. It's
our calling that shows us what we are. The call of electing
love and free without a cause, grace, it's a call to peace, isn't it?
It's a call that excludes the boasting that brings about contention. Ephesians 2.13, but now in Christ
Jesus, you who were at one time afar off are made nigh by the
blood of Christ. For he is our peace who hath
made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition
between us, having abolished in his flesh. He did it, the
enmity. Even the law of commandments
contained in ordinances. How did he make peace? How is
he our peace? By abolishing the enmity. Peace in our hearts experienced
because we don't wanna be God anymore. That's all we ever wanted
before. But now we wanna honor him who
is God. So making peace and that he might
reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross Having slain
the enmity thereby We're called in one body our
text says one body turn with me to first Corinthians 12, please First Corinthians 12 12 We are called in one body. We
need to be reminded of this every once in a while, don't we? Look
at this chapter, verse 12 of 1 Corinthians 12. For as the
body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one
body being many are one body, so also is Christ. For by one spirit are we all
baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether
we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one
spirit. For the body is not one member,
but many. If the foot shall say, because
I am not the hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not
of the body? You see how we might think because,
well, You know, I'm not good for anything. I'm not part of the body of Christ.
You're wrong if you believe on Christ, if you're a member of
his church. Not on a piece of paper somewhere,
but in your heart. Membership is a heart matter,
isn't it, of the church. It's not a matter of roll call.
It's not a matter of statistics. And if the ear, verse 16, shall
say, because I'm not the eye, I'm not of the body, is it therefore
not of the body? If the whole body were an eye,
where were the hearing? The fact that we are many members
is significant. The Lord has arranged it that
way on purpose for his glory. Verse 17, if the whole, the last
part, if the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But
now hath God set the members, every one of them in the body
as it has pleased him. Which one are you? I don't know,
but I know why you're what you are. It's because God liked it
that way. That doesn't excuse us to the
extent that we messed that up. But God gives all of his people
a place in his church. If the whole body were an eye
or the whole were the hearing, that's not good. God is pleased
with the way that it is and should be. And if they were all, verse
19, one member, where were the body? But now are they many members
yet? And this is just as important,
one body. The eye cannot say unto the hand,
I have no need of thee. You can't think that to yourself.
and nobody needs me, and nobody can say that about you. I don't
need the hand, or again, the head to the feet, I have no need
of you, nay. Much more, those members of the
body which seem to be more feeble are necessary. And those members
of the body which we think to be less honorable upon these,
we bestow more abundant honor, and our uncomely parts have more
abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no
need, but God hath tempered the body together, having given more
abundant honor to that part which lacked. There are parts of our body that
we never even see that are vital to life. And there tend to be
some in churches that nobody ever sees really. In a church
this size, maybe not so much. but that might seem generally
speaking to be less, those are the ones that the Lord places
the most honor on. The widow and her two mites.
Did you think about her? I just now did. She's not doing
anything. We don't need the foot. The Lord
said she put in more than anybody else. And his calculations are
the right ones. And whether one member suffer,
this is a beautiful aspect of this analogy. If one member suffer, it don't
matter if it's your little toe or a tooth that you didn't even
know you had. If that one member suffers, all
the members suffer with it. Is that not true? Or one member be honored, all
the members rejoice. That's true too, isn't it? What
a wonderful thing. That arrangement that pleases
God, it kind of pleases us too, doesn't it? Now you are the body
of Christ. Don't make any mistake about
that. You look at this world. Remember what the Lord said when
they came and told him your mother and your brothers are trying
to talk to you? They need to see you outside.
He said, who is my mother? who are my brothers and my sisters.
I'll tell you who they are. They're the ones sitting at his
feet, hearing his word, worshiping him. That's who they are. You
are the body of Christ and members in particular. It's not just
a body, it's you. Now religion would tell you that
you can't spell church without you. God can. He doesn't need
you or me or anybody else. But what a blessing to be included.
Thank God we're in on it. And be ye thankful. That comment
just the right time, isn't it? Think carefully, please, about
this statement. We love God and others because
God first loved us. Our text says above all love
Peace because of love and love Because he loved us now that
beautiful truth that we love him because he first Loved us
we usually mention And rightly so that it's because of God's
love for us that we have the ability to love him The fruit
of his spirit is love we have no capacity to love this world
is Whether you like it or not, whether you agree with it or
not, this world doesn't know what love is. Just don't. They have something they call
love. It's not the same thing. We only have the capacity to
love because he first loved us. That's true of that verse. but also of God are we in Christ Jesus. And the fruit of his spirit given
to us out of his love for us is love for him. That's true.
But consider this in another sense, we love him because he
first loved us. God's love for us does indeed
give us the capacity, the ability, the attribute of love for him,
but it also gives us a glorious reason to love him. A motive for loving him. That's our text. In a phrase
that doesn't even mention the word love. And be ye thankful. That's us loving Him because
He first loved us in the sense that the fact that He would love
a wretch like me is eternal reason to praise Him and to do everything in gratitude
to Him. The love of Christ constrains
us to do that. I don't want to wear you out
this morning, but I just want to call your attention to the
whole picture here again. And then we'll look at more particularly
at the last part of this, Lord willing, next time. But again,
love, verse 14, above all. Love, the love that makes all
of these other things one thing. It's not the fruits of the Spirit,
is it? It's the fruit. And the fruit of the Spirit starts
with love for a reason. It's what binds it all together
as one. Peace, peace whose price was
love that endured the cross. Peace because of him that loved
us and gave himself for us. Peace that governs our motives
and our actions. And then verse 16, the gospel
and the worship of God in the gospel. While love and peace
are the attributes that God has imported in us by his spirit,
that's his fruit. Those who abide in the vine bear
much fruit. And it's these things. It's one
fruit, it's all or nothing. And while love and peace are
these attributes imparted to us by his spirit,
the fruit of his spirit, those are exercised in the worship
of God. And his worship is defined here
by the gospel and singing. Let the word of Christ dwell
in you richly and sing. This is why we conduct our worship
the way we do. This is not the only place in
scripture that guides us in that, that informs us in that. We preach the word. in season
and out of season. It's by the gospel that God comforts
his people, calls out his people from this world, calls his sheep
home, feeds us. If you love me, feed my sheep.
How are you going to do that? We know how though. It's by the gospel, but also
in our worship we sing. That's an important part of the
worship. It's not something to mumble through. I don't care
how bad you think your voice is, lift it up unto God. He's worthy of it. It's your heart that sings, make
melody in your heart. Not on a piano, we use the piano. I like the piano, it's beautiful.
But melody is made unto God in your heart. How can it not be? So this is the life of the believer.
There's one more thing, this one more thing included, love,
peace, worship, the gospel, praising Him, thanking Him, being thankful
unto Him, all that's worship. When you say thank you God for
this or that, you're attributing worthiness unto Him. He did that,
He gave me that, He did that for me. And this is to permeate all of
our life. The fourth thing is everything
you do, do it for His glory. Do it in
the name of, for the sake of, for the glory of, for love of the Lord Jesus Christ. All that we say and all that
we do should reflect the fact that God loves us and we love
Him. His peace rules in us. And all that we say and do should
be affected by and a function of His word, His gospel dwelling
in us richly. And there should be a joy about
us in all the heartache And believers, I believe, feel the heartache
and the sorrow and the, just the depressing fact of this wretched world,
I believe more than anybody does, among the sons of men. But there should be a joy about
us. The reason we sing for him, and notice that in the text,
it's to him. Well, I can't sing very good.
You're not singing to sound good to me. Is that what it said? Singing with grace in your hearts
to the Lord. Is there grace in your heart
from the Lord? then sing to the Lord. Religion tries to fake all of
this. May our love be unfamed love,
not hypocritical, not fake. It may take me 10 years to learn
to love you, that love will be something that God has brought
it about. It's taken me 19 years to learn
to love some of y'all. Now, you know what I'm saying.
It doesn't just happen overnight. It doesn't just, you can't force
it. That's a knitting together of
hearts that God does in his good time. He makes everything beautiful
in his time. May our love be unfeigned, the
peace that we feel and live, given by Christ, not as the world
giveth. He said, I give unto you. May
our worship, I thought about how to describe our worship.
And there are many ways you could, but this is what came to my mind. I want our worship to be hungry
worship. Does that make sense? Hungry
worship. He said, blessed are those that
have hunger, that need the gospel of God's righteousness in Christ.
They need it. He said, if you hungry like that,
I'll give you something to eat. That's his promise. May Christ and his gospel be
more to us than our necessary food. and may we joyfully praise
with our voices and with our hearts the one whom we shall
spend eternity doing just that, praising him, singing worthy
is the lamb that was slain. If all of this is true, By God's grace, it just is. He doesn't save people from their
sins and then not do this for them. To one degree or another,
if the Spirit be in you, the fruit of the Spirit will be born
in you. And so if all of this is true,
and it is, then this is who you'll be at the grocery store. All
that you do. Whatever you say, whatever you
do, this is who you'll be when your neighbors are not so nice.
This is who you'll be when you watch the news. And when you're
in your garden, when you plow your field, when
you sit down to eat, this is who you'll be by God's grace. So you don't change. May He give us a love for Him
that's true and steadfast. Praise God from whom all blessings
flow. I thought of that song when I
saw this, be thankful, sing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Would there be anything
wrong with singing that right now? I love that little melody.
Y'all sing it with me. ? Praise God from whom all blessings
flow ? ? Praise Him all creatures here below ? ? Praise Him above
ye heavenly hosts ? Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. I would that we could go through
all of our lives praising Him. Not in a showy, obnoxious, foolish way, but in our hearts. being thankful to Him for who He is and all He's done
for us. Let's pray.