Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes the imperfect disappears.
I Corinthians 13:8-10

Do you see that, though the Spirit manifests Himself in many ways through the church, all of those Spiritual gifts are but dim reflections of God and of His kingdom? But God’s love, as shown among believers, is no dim reflection; it is God Himself. It is already in its perfect form. It is our only clear and perfect glimpse of heaven today. We, as the Body of Christ, have an immense responsibility to show that perfect glimpse of God to the world in which He has placed us. How often we think it is our wonderful church programs, our excellent preaching, our prophecies, our knowledge, or our other “dim reflections” of God which will attract the lost to God. We could never miss the point so far as to forget that, first and foremost, it is the love we show each other that provides our strongest testimony to this world!

For me to make myself accountable to you is not comfortable for either one of us; therefore we choose not to do it. We know about ongoing sin problems in our own lives, and we deal with it in every way but accountability. We know about ongoing sin in a brother’s life, and we pray for him and hope he figures it out or, worse, we decide to avoid him because he’s a sinner. This is not church.