1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.1 Corinthians 13:1-3
I’ve oft spoke on tongues, prophecy, worship, prayer, and all sorts of stuff we’ve been doing in the body of Christ as of late. One thing I’ve demanded of those within my influence when it comes to these things is, it should all be pointing to Christ.
That is, if you are going to be doing any Bible study, or any intercessory prayer, at the end of the day, it should always point to Christ and His finished work. If we were going to be speaking in tongues, whether it be in the form of glossolalia, or speaking in other actual languages, we should be speaking and pointing ourselves and other people towards Christ.
I’ve spoken to our worship team, and we’ve all agreed that our singing and the music we perform is a privilege, and one indicator of our effectiveness is if those within earshot are also worshipping… But, whether we are actually leading people to singing, or when we are coming together in prayer, the biggest indicator of our ‘winning’ is if we lead ourselves, and others, to Christ and His finished work.
The Scripture we pulled is from what we love to call ‘the Love chapter’, and many a Christian wedding has the speaker or the pastor sharing, specifically where it states that love is patient, love is kind, and so on and so forth.
However, for purposes of the point I’m driving at today, we’re looking at the verses prior to these famous ones… and they state that if we were to be speaking in tongues – that is, of men and of angels – it should all come from love and/or come WITH love.. else we just be making noise. Our prophecies, our faith, our giving all amounts to NOTHING without love.
…but that’s the thing, isn’t it? What’s this love we’re talking about? We can ask 100 people and get 100 different answers, but if you ask anyone from the body of Christ, their perspective of love will never be without Christ – that is, the greatest demonstration of God’s everlasting love towards each and every one of us.
All we do should point TO Christ… But, in these verses, we are also humbly reminded that it all comes FROM Christ as well.
Indeed, from Christ are all things, and to Christ are all things… and indeed, He deserves all the glory.
1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.”Acts 2:1-11
Now here’s another thing we’ve oft been mentioning and trying on – that is, to consider that when we do speak in tongues – whether we speak in (so-called) angelic languages or other dialects, we’ll know that it comes from the Holy Spirit if it is of ‘the wonderful works of God‘
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. John 15:26
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. John 16:13-14
Friends, when we talk of the wonderful works of God, what – or who – is the most wonderful work of all of God’s wonderful works; Who is more wonderful than Jesus Christ? The proposal I have, friends, is that if we do speak in tongues, we are speaking of Jesus, or we are not speaking at all.
1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 2 For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. 3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.1 Corinthians 14:1-5
We speak in a tongue and we speak to God, and speak mysteries in the spirit, but we do know that it comes from the Holy Spirit if (1) it is of the wonderful works of God, (2) it testifies of Christ, and (3) it glorifies Christ.
And take note – there is no sense of time in the said wonderful works of God – it is what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do, all in the context of Christ and His finished work. With that said, if there is a need for interpretation, this is what we should be expecting to hear.
Or… if you want to speak in tongues, speak of the wonderful works of God. Speak of Jesus Christ. Testify of the goodness of God and His grace, revealed to us through the Lord Jesus Christ. When you run out of words in the English language, speak in other tongues of the goodness of God, and of His wonderful works. And when you’re out of words, perhaps utterances would come… perhaps silence…
4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?Romans 2:4
When you speak of the goodness of God, and when you speak of Christ, expect repentance – that is, a change in your own thinking, and/or a change in the thinking of others.
I’ve subscribed to what Jim Kwik shared in one of his masterclasses – that is, when you teach something, you’re learning it twice. I believe the same thing applies here – When we speak, we hear twice. We aren’t just speaking to others but surely we hear ourselves when we speak, so we speak to ourselves as well. We’re hearing what we’re saying, and when we speak the wonderful works of God, doesn’t faith arise in us as well?
So I say, speak in tongues. Speak of the wonderful works of God. Speak from the Spirit, who testifies of Christ, and glorifies Christ.
Speak of His love, speak of His grace and glory. Speak of what He has done in your life, of what He is doing in Your life; Speak from the Word, of what you know He will do in the hours and days to come – Speak, speak, and do not be surprised when all that comes out of your mouth is Christ.
Expect realizations, expect revelations. Expect rebukes, expect faith to rise.
Expect humility – for in the face of Christ and His finished work, we realize how utterly hopeless we are on our own…
Expect awe and wonder – for it is through Christ and His finished work that we say, as the Psalmist says, ‘who am I, that You are so mindful of me?!‘
…“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:10-11
Expect the Word to come to Life, and expect Life to come to the Word spoken to You.
Indeed, from Christ are all things, and to Christ are all things… and indeed, He deserves all the glory.
With all this said I want to clarify, here and now, that while Christ is the overflow of what we do, and what we do all points to Him…
I want to remind all of us – myself included – of one thing we ought to be sure of: That is, that this incoming typhoon, and anything else that comes our way in the foreseeable future, whatever we endure as a nation and as a community, or whatever we are suffering on our own… ALL of this ought to point us to Christ as well.
I MUST say this because many of us are coming back to the cycle of looking into our sins again and crying out and saying sorry to God. There is nothing wrong about this IF we do not stop there, and instead take it as MORE cause for us to look to Christ, and in so doing WORSHIP Him for His goodness, in spite of these physical and spiritual storms.
We are not denying fear, but we are acknowledging the infinite superiority of God’s perfect love.
We are not refusing to acknowledge the darkness, the death, and the destruction, but we face all of it knowing that it is the Light that shines ever brighter. In the presence of death, we see the value of our righteousness, and in the face of destruction, we behold the life we have, and the life abundant.
After all, in the end, it is not we who are resilient – not us, but Christ who lives within us.
There’s no greater sacrifice
for I am crucified with Christ and yet I live.
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