The Great Divide
Stephen Davey continues his exposition on Sola Fide—faith alone—as Paul declares the universal human condition in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Humanity’s deepest struggles—guilt, fear, emptiness, and the desire for peace—stem from this truth written on every heart. Across history, people have sought salvation through religious rituals, moral acts, and self-sacrifice, yet every attempt is as futile as a mouse burying a sleeping snake under sawdust to escape danger. True deliverance, Davey teaches, can only come from outside ourselves—from Christ alone. Paul’s phrase “all have sinned” reveals both a universal verdict and an irrevocable condition: every human inherits Adam’s sinful nature. Like birds instinctively chirping or flying, humans sin instinctively—by nature, not merely by choice. The result is an irrefutable offense—we have violated God’s holiness—and an impassable chasm separating us from His glory. The Greek term husterountai (“fall short”) portrays mankind as missing the season, being spiritually bankrupt, and utterly unable to reach God’s presence—the Shekinah glory. But Paul also proclaims the good news: the great divide has been bridged by the cross. Justification—being declared righteous before God—is a gift received through faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is not achieved by religion or ritual but by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Davey closes with the story of D. James Kennedy’s conversion after hearing Donald Grey Barnhouse ask, “If God were to ask why He should let you into heaven, what would you say?” Kennedy’s answer became his life’s message—salvation is found only in the Redeemer who bridges the chasm between sin and glory.
But … Now!
Stephen Davey opens this message by recalling his visit to Reformation Park in Geneva, where towering statues of Calvin, Luther, and other reformers stand beneath the words “After darkness… light.” That phrase captures the central truth rediscovered during the Reformation—Sola Fide, or justification by faith alone. Davey explains that this doctrine answers life’s greatest questions: How can a person be right with God? How can one be sure of heaven? Martin Luther called it the article by which the church stands or falls, and John Calvin said it is the foundation of salvation itself. Turning to Romans 3:21–22, Paul’s words “But now…” mark a turning point in human history. After exposing universal sin and guilt, Paul proclaims the light of God’s righteousness revealed apart from the Law. Salvation is not earned through obedience or moral effort—it is entirely “apart from the Law” and based solely on faith in Jesus Christ. Davey shows how this message was foreshadowed in the Old Testament: Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac, the prophetic declaration that “the Lord will provide,” and David’s vivid portrayal of the crucified Messiah all pointed to God’s coming Lamb who would take away sin. The sermon concludes with a touching story of a mother’s unconditional love for her wayward daughter—a picture of divine grace calling sinners home. Against the darkness of sin, the light of forgiveness shines brightly. Humanity stands condemned, but now—through faith in Christ—there is pardon, righteousness, and the assurance of eternal life.
Beyond Puppy Love
In this final sermon of the “Will True Love Please Stand Up” series, Stephen Davey describes agape love as something far beyond fleeting affection or “puppy love.” Whereas worldly love gives up when relationships become difficult, agape adjusts, endures, and remains steadfast even when challenges arise. Paul’s five descriptions of love in 1 Corinthians 13:7–8 reveal its enduring qualities: The Support of Love – Love “bears all things,” standing strong under the weight of hardship, disappointment, and responsibility. True love doesn’t run from pressure; it lifts burdens alongside others. The Simplicity of Love – Love “believes all things,” choosing to trust and give others the benefit of the doubt rather than assume the worst. The Sweetness of Love – Love “hopes all things,” never giving up on people. It sees potential even in failure and reflects God’s redemptive optimism. The Steadfastness of Love – Love “endures all things,” holding firm through suffering and difficulty. Like a soldier who refuses to desert, agape persists when others would retreat. The Supremacy of Love – “Love never fails.” Spiritual gifts and accomplishments fade, but love alone endures eternally because it mirrors the very nature of God. Davey concludes that agape love is divine in origin and demands supernatural strength. It is patient, believing, hopeful, and enduring—an everlasting reflection of Christ’s own love, which never gives up, never runs out, and never falls to the ground.
Capturing Love's Attention
In this message, Stephen Davey explains that true agape love is revealed by what captures our emotions—what makes us rejoice or grieve. Unlike a culture fascinated by gossip, scandal, and sin, godly love refuses to delight in wrongdoing and instead rejoices in truth. Paul’s command that love “does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth” challenges believers to examine their hearts and habits. True love does not enjoy sin in others, applaud sinful behavior, or repeat others’ faults through gossip. Instead, it celebrates righteousness, purity, and the advancement of truth. Davey warns that modern entertainment often dulls our sensitivity to sin, making believers comfortable with what grieves God. In contrast, genuine love is grieved by sin and gladdened by holiness—it delights when people walk in the truth. He concludes with the powerful example of a wife who remained faithful to her imprisoned husband for decades, living out covenant love rooted in faith and truth. Her story embodies the essence of divine love: steadfast, righteous, and captivated not by sin, but by the God of truth.
Keeping Erasers Handy
In this sermon, Stephen Davey explains Paul’s phrase “love does not take into account a wrong suffered” (1 Corinthians 13:5b), emphasizing that true agape love refuses to keep score of offenses. He begins with a humorous story about a couple who found “true love” online—only to discover they were already married to each other—illustrating how self-centeredness blinds people to genuine love. Davey contrasts worldly love, which remembers wrongs, with agape, which erases them. Using the accounting term logizomai (“to keep record”), he teaches that love “does not keep books on evil.” Instead of nursing old wounds or “stirring the pot,” believers are to live with a spiritual eraser in hand—ready to forgive continually, as Jesus commanded Peter to forgive “seventy times seven.” He illustrates God’s perfect example: our sins are erased from His ledger and replaced with Christ’s righteousness. Forgiveness, then, is not pretending we weren’t hurt but choosing to “cease remembering”—to leave behind and stop rehearsing the offense. Davey points to Joseph naming his son Manasseh (“to forget”) and reminds believers that love “covers a multitude of sins.” True agape love, he concludes, is impossible apart from the Spirit of God. It sets us free from bitterness and keeps us near the cross, where we remember how much we’ve been forgiven. We are never more like Christ than when we forgive and choose to forget.
Uncommonly Rare … Undeniably Real
In this message, Stephen Davey highlights three uncommon expressions of true love that are as rare and precious as a Double Eagle coin: uncommon courtesy, uncommon concern, and uncommon control. Paul writes that love “does not act unbecomingly, does not seek its own, is not provoked.” Davey explains that uncommon courtesy means love behaves with tact, purity, and consideration—never rude or insensitive. In a culture (and church) often marked by selfishness and indecency, believers are called to treat others with Christlike grace and politeness. Uncommon concern reflects love that does not insist on its own way. True love pursues the good of others rather than personal comfort or advantage. Davey contrasts selfishness—the world’s natural law—with the supernatural humility of Christ, who modeled self-sacrifice for others. Finally, uncommon control shows that love refuses to be provoked or easily angered. Instead of reacting with irritation or retaliation, it remains steady under insult and inconvenience. This kind of restraint is not mere self-control but Spirit-control—the evidence of being mastered by Christ. True love, Davey concludes, is not theoretical—it’s practiced daily through courtesy, concern, and control. Though rare, it is the undeniable mark of those who reflect the heart of Christ in a selfish world.
Refusing to be Pig-headed People
In this sermon, Stephen Davey explores Paul’s teaching on what love does not do, describing three negative qualities that true love rejects—envy, boasting, and arrogance. Davey begins with a humorous origin of the term “pig-headed,” comparing it to the prideful and self-centered attitude Paul warns against. He explains that jealousy—wanting what others have or resenting their blessings—is destructive and rooted in discontentment with God’s provision. Boasting, he says, is the opposite extreme, where a person parades their achievements to elevate themselves above others. And arrogance—an inflated sense of superiority—blinds people to truth and holiness, as seen in the Corinthians’ tolerance of sin. Davey calls believers to reject these “pig-headed” attitudes and instead practice humility, contentment, and gratitude—the true expressions of agape love. He reminds the church that God opposes pride but uses those who become “nothing” before Him, like missionary William Carey, whose humility magnified God’s greatness. True love, Davey concludes, refuses to compete, boast, or exalt self; it chooses to serve others with surrendered humility to Christ.
Surprised by the Appearances of Love
In this message, Stephen Davey begins Paul’s description of true love, emphasizing that love is not merely a feeling but an action—fifteen present-tense verbs that describe what love does and does not do. The first two—“love is patient” and “love is kind”—are surprising because they describe love at work in difficult circumstances and with difficult people. Love exercises patience (makrothumeō), meaning it has a long fuse and endures wrongs without retaliation. It’s not about patience with things, but with people—especially the irritating, disappointing, or unloving. Davey contrasts worldly sayings like “Don’t get mad—get even” with Christ’s command to endure suffering without revenge. True patience reflects divine strength—the fruit of the Spirit that bears long with others, as God does with us. Love demonstrates kindness, the active counterpart to patience. It not only endures injury but responds to it with generosity and grace. Paul’s command to “heap coals of fire” on one’s enemy means to show such kindness that it rekindles warmth in cold hearts. Kindness is not passive tolerance—it’s practical, sacrificial goodness, even toward enemies. Davey concludes that patience and kindness cannot exist apart from the Holy Spirit or apart from suffering. Each requires difficult people and hard circumstances to develop. Love, therefore, is not about pleasant emotion but costly obedience—Godlike behavior that surprises the world with undeserved patience and unexpected kindness.
7-1=0
In this continuation of Paul’s teaching on love, Stephen Davey exposes how even the most impressive spiritual gifts and acts of service are worthless without genuine, Christlike love (agape). The Corinthian believers, once enslaved to selfish passions, were now bringing their self-centered habits into the church—seeking attention, power, and recognition. Paul dismantles their pride through “divine mathematics”: seven spiritual achievements minus love equals zero (7–1=0). Eloquence, knowledge, prophecy, faith, generosity, and even martyrdom—all are empty if not motivated by love. True love, unlike the world’s versions of affection (storge), friendship (philia), or passion (eros), is selfless, sacrificial, and steadfast. It serves rather than seeks, gives rather than gains. The lesson concludes with a challenge for believers to measure every word, deed, and offering by the standard of love, for only what is done in love carries eternal value.
Will True Love Please Stand Up
In this lesson introducing 1 Corinthians 13, Stephen Davey contrasts the moral corruption of Corinth with the radical call of Christian love. The city, saturated with immorality and self-indulgence, mirrors modern culture’s confusion about love. Paul’s message to believers living in such a world was that faith without love amounts to nothing—“you accomplish nothing, you are nothing, and you profit nothing.” The sermon explains that the Corinthians, once enslaved to sin, were now called to practice holiness through persistent, daily obedience. Davey explores four Greek words for love—storge (natural affection), philia (friendship), eros (sensual desire), and agape (selfless, willful devotion)—emphasizing that only agape captures the essence of God’s love. This divine love seeks the good of others regardless of attraction, worthiness, or return. The world’s counterfeit loves are fleeting and self-serving, but true love—agape—is enduring, sacrificial, and God-centered. Paul’s call in 1 Corinthians 13 is a challenge for believers to practice this kind of love continually, reflecting Christ in a loveless world.