(1 Corinthians 13:4-8)…..Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails……..
The principles of these verses are enough to cause a revival in most churches. Certainly, if lived out in every Christian it would ignite a fire that the whole world would see. We are not to love fellow church members because they are lovable, because many are not. We are to love the unloveable as well. We are not to pray for or encourage the elders, the deacons, and the parishioners just because they are doing what we like. We are to pray for and encourage them when they do the things we don’t like. Why? Because we who are believers in Jesus Christ are lovers of the saints.
We are not to love and serve the church body only when others are joining in, we are to love and serve the church (the Lord’s bride) even if we are alone in doing so. Church membership is founded on love. Authentic, biblical, unconditional love.