Love Is Patient, Love Is Kind, Love Does Not Envy, Love Is Not Boastful, Is Not Arrogant

1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-7
“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.
”‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭13:4-7‬ ‭NKJV‬
‬https://bible.com/bible/114/1co.13.4-7.NKJ

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We can easily be tempted to judge fellow Christians by trying to evaluate whether they are good followers of Christ. But the truth is, only God truly knows a persons heart, and only He has the right to judge.
Paul warns us as he did the Corinthians, that while we should confront those committing sin (see 5:12-13), we must not judge who is the better servant. Loving discipline is essential to bring the body into unity.
By by judging others, you are invariably considering yourself as better than they. But the truth is, we are all the same; we are all sinners in need of a Saviour. Not one of us can produce good fruits in our own strength (GALATIANS 5:16-26).
It is quite easy to become attached to a spiritual leader. When someone reaches out to help us, it is natural to feel loyalty toward that person.
However Paul warns us against having such pride in our favourite leaders that we may cause divisions within the church or even cause those leaders to fall. Furthermore, putting people on a pedestal can develop ungodly soul ties that open doors to the devil.
No spiritual leader can offer you more than Christ, so be certain that your trust is ultimately in Him alone.
But even when you have come to trust and respect other brothers and sisters in Christ, including your Pastor or church leadership, don’t become complacent; make a point of testing and approve everything they tell you; make certain that every sermon, vision, prophecy, indeed everything you here is of God. Even Spirit filled pastors and ministers make mistakes at times, and that includes your Pastor. Therefore, test the spirit, the very source of the word given (1 JOHN 4:1-5).
God is love, His whole way of life is based on love. Jesus said, “”You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22:37-40‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
My “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
‭‭I John‬ ‭4:7-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
Surely, if we could all love one another, to care for one another, including our enemies (see MATHEW 5:43-48), this world would quickly become a far better place to live.
Therefore, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:9-21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
Paul tells us, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”
‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
My beloved, the love of Christ in us is like a weapon of mass destruction against the enemy, but without it, we are nothing.
Yet when put it into action it brings peace, joy, and contentment throughout the whole body which ultimately spreads into unbelievers like wild fire, and brings many to repentance.
But while love is a duty of care toward all people, it is a decision and an action that is not always easy. But we believers can love regardless because God loved us first (1 JOHN 4:19).
To love, one must first learn to forgive, and just as Christ chooses to forgive us of our sins, we must choose to forgive those who sinned against us. ““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
My beloved, to hold a grudge is hating, and “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”
‭‭I John‬ ‭3‬:‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
It’s not easy to forgive and with forgiveness comes pain through the process. But whoever fully forgives defeats evil in its tracks.
He who holds a grudge will re-live the pain over and over again as he desires revenge. But true forgiveness lets go of all retribution and brings the suffering to an end. The victim becomes the victor and the aggressor the victim of his own works.
“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. 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 ‭13‬:‭4‬-‭8‬, ‭10‬-‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.