Nothing Without the Knowing

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." (1 Corinthians 13)

God is love. So where you see the word love replace it with the name God. I also like the way this passage is paraphrased in The Message:

"If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love (have God), I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.

If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love (know God), I'm nothing.

If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't have love (God), I've gotten nowhere.

So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love (knowing God)."

Jesus once said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you."

It is possible to do great things for God and never know God. It always comes back to relationship.