1 Corinthians 13:1-3

(1) If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. (2) And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. (3) If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

 

All the lessons, history, instructions, etc. in the Bible point to one main message. GOD wants us to be full of love and to love each other. Nothing is more important. So, when we follow the many instructions in the Holy Book, we first must examine why we do it. We give our time and hard earned money to charities and the church but why do we do it? Is it because we want eternal life? Or do we want to please GOD so HE blesses us? These are selfish and self centered motives. When we give, we have to give out of love and from the heart. Any sacrifice we make has to be done without any expectations except for helping others because we truly feel love for them. Until we can do this, all our seemingly chairtible acts are as Paul puts it, are just noisy gongs or clanging cumbals.

 

GOD didn't give us laws and statutes to please HIM. In fact, GOD doesn't need our worship at all. Everything HE has instructed us to do has to do with love for pone another. When we study the Word with this in mind as the overall meaning, then the scriptures begin to make pure sense. With a pure motive, we take a step closer to understanding our CREATOR.