Love Is Patient, Love Is Kind
Love Endures Forever
1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-13
“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
”I Corinthians 13:4-13 NKJV
https://www.bible.com/114/1co.13.4-13.nkj
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It seems today’s society is easily confused between love and lust. Unlike lust, God's kind of love is directed outward towards others and not inwardly and selfishly toward ourselves. This kind of love goes against our natural inclinations.
It is not possible to have this kind of love unless God helps us to set aside our own natural desires so that we can love without expectation of something in return.
Paul says that love "is not irritable." Sometimes we are irritated or angered by others, not knowing why.
Some irritation comes from jealousy and self deprecation; some from a desire to control and a desire of perfection, a deep desire that programs us to structure meetings, programs, and events to be run too perfectly.
A desire to run things perfectly can erupt into anger at events or people who disagree or get in the way or ruin that desire.
Those who are easily irritated need to understand that perfection only exist in God, and we need to love Him and our fellow brothers and sisters, not the visions we have for perfection.
Rather than focusing on the imperfections of others, we need to examine ourselves.
Like David, ask God, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”
Psalms 139:23-24 NKJV
When Paul wrote of "full understanding," he was referring to when we see Christ face to face. Transformation is a process, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”
Philippians 1:6 NKJV
God gives believers spiritual gifts for their lives here on earth in order to serve Christ, to build, strengthen, and help our fellow believers.
In eternity, we will be made perfect and complete, and we will be in the very presence of God, He will live amongst us (REVELATION 21:3-4) and will no-longer need spiritual gifts, so they will come to an end, but love will endure forever.
Then my beloved, we will have full understanding and appreciation for one another as unique expressions of God's infinite creativity. We will see our differences as a reason to praise God! Paul said, “love endures forever.”
In morally corrupt Corinth, love became a mixed up term with little meaning. Today, nothing has changed, people are still confused about love.
Love is the greatest of all human qualities and is a attribute of God himself (1 JOHN 4:8). Love is selfless service to others and a duty of care.
Faith is the foundation and content of God's message; hope is the attitude and focus; love is an action and a decision.
When faith and hope are in line, you have freedom to love completely because God loved us first (1 JOHN 4:19).
Today, we are imperfect human beings; we all make mistakes at times. But if the love of Christ is in you, that is the desire to selflessly care for others without expectation of something in return, you will naturally desire to forgive all those who wronged you, just as Christ has forgiven you.
Forgiveness isn’t easy, but is essential as is repentance for your salvation, ““For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Matthew 6:14-15 NKJV
But the truth is “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.”
I John 4:20-21 NKJV
My beloved, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”
Colossians 3:12-13 NKJV
All glory to God forever and ever. Amen.
