Sounding Brass and Tinkling Cymbal………

I Corinthians 13:1

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal.”

I Corinthians 13 is commonly known as the “love” chapter in the Bible. Charity is the word used in the original KJV and is translated “love” in many other versions. It is referring to Agape Love, the God kind of love. One cannot read this chapter without realizing how much we need the Holy Spirit every moment of every day in order to walk in the Spirit. Even when we do our very best to abide in the vine, which is Jesus, as long as we are living in the flesh, we will, at times, miss it.

This brings me to something I was reminded of recently when thinking of the sounding brass and tinkling cymbal. This is an observation from someone who has impeccable integrity. A pastor’s wife was sitting in the back of the church before service started. She was scrolling on her phone. A woman in the church came up to her and had her phone extended to show her something. This woman was not one to put herself out there, so to speak, and she seemed hesitant to do so, but she said she would like to show the pastor’s wife a picture of her daughter. The pastor’s wife never stopped scrolling on her phone and only gave a cursory glance to the woman’s picture without commenting. The woman turned slowly and made her way back to her seat. The person who observed the encounter was standing nearby, apparently not noticed by either of the women. After the woman walked away, she heard the Pastor’s wife say “Yeah, I know your daughter, she is all tatted up”, not realizing someone was standing close enough to hear her comment. Hearing this account grieved me. It also caused me to think of how it must have deeply grieved the Holy Spirit.

Are there times when each of us miss it? Yes, of course. As we consider this incident in particular, there was more than one person negatively impacted. Wounded. The woman with the picture was shunned, made to feel unimportant; summarily dismissed by someone who was supposed to care for her. In addition, the person who overheard the pastor’s wife’s comment had witnessed someone who was charged with the spiritual welfare of ot

2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you, unless, of course, you fail the test.” The word examine involves making proof of something. Our actions speak so much louder than our words. Are we motivated by Agape Love? Does our treatment of others line up with what we say we believe? Are we deceived into thinking we are doing just fine in our walk with the Lord when, the bitter truth at times is, we are bringing a reproach to the name of God? Can we act in a boorish way and not feel the unmistakable convicting power of the Holy Spirit? Do we not have authentic Godly sorrow when we do not act in love? If the answer is “no” then alarm bells should be going off in our spirit man.

This is a hard truth but without it we can be lulled into a false reality and not see where we are failing. We must be honest in our assessment of our love walk, or lack thereof. Jesus did not mince words when talking to his disciples in Luke 17:1,2. Then he said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offences should come, but woe to him through whom they do come. It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than he should offend one of these little ones.” There is really no wiggle room in this statement.

Psalms 103:1 “Bless the Lord, O my soul< and all that is within me, bless His holy name.”

We are a three part being. We are a spirit, we have a soul and we live in a body. Our soul is made up of our mind, our WILL, and our emotions. David was speaking to his soulish realm, declaring that it would bless the Lord.

God chose to give us a free will. We can choose to walk in victory. We can choose to honor and love Him. We can choose to cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

(2 Corinthians 10:5)

Matthew 7:14 ” “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few they be that find it,” There is really no way to sugar coat this scripture. Nor should we attempt to do so. We should each take time to read and meditate on Matthew the 17th chapter.

The Bible tells us love, Agape Love, never fails. We must avail ourselves to understanding it, applying it to our lives, and walking in it. Also, remembering that God’s mercies are new every morning and we have an advocate in Jesus who is on our side. Let us declare as David did to bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me, bless His Holy name!