Where is the Love?

Where is the Love?

I Corinthians 13

The Personality of Love
I Corinthians 13:4-7
Ø Love is longsuffering
- makrothumei implies a longevity of forbearing under duress without showing signs of irritation or dislike.
- It holds up under many and repeated offenses without becoming indignant or resentful.
- This love lasts through much hardship without ever failing
- 2Pe 3:15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
- 2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
Ø Love is kind
- creisteuoami means to show one’s self useful. It implies a benevolent spirit, a desire to help with whatever means are at your disposal.
- Lu 6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
Ø Love is not envious
- zeilo-o speaks of a warmth of feeling towards something, but not in a good way. It is a burning desire for something that is not yours or for a position in life that God has not granted.
- The worst kind of envy is envy of the world. We must take great care to love the world with a selfless love that sees preciousness in them and not be distracted by the sin in which they live.
- We must also be happy to see the success and well-being of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
- Envy will kill our relationships with each other and strain our relationship with God.
- Php 1:15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
Ø Love is not self-promoting
- perpereuetai this Greek word indicates a boastful attitude which spurs a person to constantly speak of themselves and their own spiritual prowess.
- This type of self promotion stems from an insecurity that a person has in themselves. A lack of love and concern for others will lead an insecure person to constantly speak of their own goodness and spirituality.
- Remember this was a specific problem that the people of the church at Corinth had. Many were promoting themselves instead of God with their gifts.
Ø Love is not proud
- ou fusioutai literally means to be full of one’s self and is rightly translated, “puffed up.” This is simply pride.
- Pride indicates a lack of understanding of our real inadequacy. We are not “all that,” and if we loved as we ought, we would realize that.
- Pride works against love because it puts self first instead of those around us.
- 1Co 8:1 ¶ Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
Ø Love is not rude - verse 5
- ouk aschmonei is a Greek term that means to behave in a disgraceful or improper way.
- In short, love produces good manners.
- If we recognize the preciousness of the object of our love we will want to give the greatest deference to that person, not argue with them or offend them.
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Ø Love is not selfish
- ou zeitei ta eauteis The Greek phrase is translated exactly and needs no further explanation.
- Even Phileo love has a tendency to seek it own pleasure. Agape love is invested in others.
- Such was Christ’s love when He went to the cross – unselfish and generous, seeking the profit of others.
- It is this love that motivates us to tell others about Jesus.
- Php 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
- 1Co 10:24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.
Ø Love is not prone to anger
- ou paroxunetai means to not be easily stirred to wrath. It implies that while we are loving the way we should we cannot be angry at the object of our love.
- Since anger is a feeling of animosity, it cannot co-exist with Agape love. How can we hold bitter feelings toward something that is precious to us?
- The solution to a quick temper is to recognize the preciousness of those for whom we are feeling anger.
- Beginning with what we know to be true about God’s investment in us, we should be able to logically transfer that same value to others, for truly, Christ died for all.
Ø Love does not assume evil intent
- oulogizetai to kakon the first word means to impute. The implication is clear: when we love as we should we assume the best of people.
- This is not a blind ignorance of sin nature, we know that man is not essentially good, but we need not assume that everyone is out to get us.
- Assuming evil intention puts the focus back on ourselves – this is not love.
- The happiest, relationship-rich people are those who assume good intent before evil intent. These people are loving.
Ø Love does not find joy in sin Verse 6
- ou cairei epi tei adikia the Greek phrase means to find no pleasure in falsehood. Love does not necessitate an acceptance of sin.
- We must constantly hate the sin while loving the sinner. It is a danger of being in the world and loving as we should to become tolerant of sin – this must never happen.
- If all we have is Phileo love we will end up enjoying the sin as much as the sinner.
- Ro 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
- Here we see the balance of love maintained where so often it is lost.
Ø Love rejoices in the truth
- sugchairo aleitheia this is in contrast to the former phrase and means to rejoice in the truth.
- Agape love never compromises – it is greater than Satan’s counterfeit love so often called tolerance. It see the value of a person and recognizes the horridness of their sin.
- So we are commanded by scripture to judge sin and not people. God judges people.
- Love is not blind and accepting of all ways of life. It is much greater than that. The truth must never be compromised by our brand of love.
- Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
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Ø Love carries on without offense
- panta stegei the picture that is painted for us here is of a burro that just keep on going regardless of how much is laid on its back.
- So we as Christians should be so motivated by love that regardless of the offenses laid on us, we never turn back, We never quit, we never take offense.
- When we are living in the power of love there is no proverbial “last straw.” We bear all things.
- Isa 53:4 ¶ Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
- 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Ø Love trusts without undue suspicion
- panta pisteuei with similar construction to the first phrase, this one is in regards to trust.
- It hearkens back to “love does not assume evil intent” as it simply means that Love is not full of suspicion about everyone’s motives.
- If we would take the focus off ourselves for a moment, we might stop worrying about what everyone is “really” thinking.
- Love is too busy trying to see the value in a person to suspect every move they make and every word they say as having an evil motive.
- It may be true that love opens us up to hurt by those whom we love, so Christ did for us without a second thought.
Ø Love looks forward without fear
- panta elpizei “always hoping” He who lives in love live in hope.
- This is actually a product of love. Our outlook on life becomes brighter, and we begin to see the world the way God sees it, with innumerable opportunities to glorify Him.
- When we love without undue suspicion we remove a dark pall from the day and let the sun shine in and give us hope.
- Love looks forward to tomorrow with no fear of what it might bring forth.
Ø Love endures without complaint
- panta upomenei this is similar to the first in this verse and means to endure all things.
- We can and must endure because Jesus endured.
- We cannot break now because there is too much hope in today and tomorrow.
- Fanny Crosby exemplified this kind of love at the age of 8:
Oh, what a happy soul I am,Although I cannot see!I am resolved that in this worldContented I will be.
How many blessings I enjoyThat other people don't,To weep and sigh because I'm blindI cannot, and I won't!
So we must endure without complaint, because we are living in love.