Love Is Patient, Love Is Kind

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://www.bible.com/114/1co.13.4-7.nkj

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Sadly, society today confuses love with lust. However God’s love is selfless and is directed toward others rather than inwardly toward one’s self.
God’s love looks for resolve rather than condemnation. Gods love is patient and kind; God’s love forgives, and the truth is, we humans can only love because God loved us first (1 JOHN 4:19).
In answer to a question of a lawyer, “Jesus said to him, “ ‘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: 35-40‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
God’s way of life including all His law is based on love. To love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul and all your mind, you need to know Him and know Him well.
To know Him one must speak to Him and share quality time with Him to build relationship with Him.
Salvation, peace, and eternal joy can only come through Christ Jesus. Paul said, “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
Jesus is the coming judge who shall decide your eternal future, surely it makes sense to know Him and know Him well.
Yet very few consider their eternal future and focus only on what they have and what they want in this temporary life.
They put their trust in money and careers, but the truth is, no amount of riches can take one into God’s kingdom.
“As he came from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return, To go as he came; And he shall take nothing from his labor Which he may carry away in his hand. And this also is a severe evil— Just exactly as he came, so shall he go. And what profit has he who has labored for the wind?”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭5‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
“Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
My beloved, there is no other who can wash away sin and justify your eternal future. There is no other person or god or religious process that can set you free from the wages of sin, it is too late for that, for we are all sinners, and to suggest we have never sinned is calling God a liar (1 JOHN 1:10).
Salvation is by the grace of God, but grace does not override justice; one must believe to receive. ““He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
Only Jesus can forgive us of sin and give us a wonderful eternal future. Furthermore, He has already prepared the way for you; all you need do is submit to His way and believe.
To love your Lord is the first and great commandment. And the second is like, and is just as important!
To love your neighbor as yourself is to say, care for your neighbor as you care for one’s self. Therefore, just as you feed yourself when you are hungry, feed your neighbor who is unable to feed himself.
Jesus said,, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” (see MATHEW 25:33-40).
The Pharisees were confused by Jesus words, they said, “I shall love my neighbor and hate my enemy.” But, Jesus said to them, “”You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:43-45‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
God’s whole way of life is based on love. Our neighbour is more than those living in our street, village or town, it is all people in every country and nation all around the world.
It is those we are in battle with and those who are not.
It those who believe on the Lord Jesus and those who do not.
We may dislike or disapprove of what others do or stand for, but we are to love them as we love ourselves.
This is Jesus way, and He is the example to follow.
He really doesn’t like our sin, indeed He hates it, and will never accept it; but rather than hate His sinful people, He demonstrated His love for us by sending His only begotten Son to make way for reconciliation by paying our debt of sin.
He didn’t come to condemn, but rather provided us a way to be reconciled, a way of resolve.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
Jesus, out of His unconditional love made a way for you to be reconciled back to Him.
Therefore, let go of all offence and forgive those who hurt you; as far as you can, make a way to live in peace with them.
That doesn’t mean you have to be their best friend and allow them to abuse you over and over.
It means to let go of the hurt they caused, set them free from the debt that they owe and bless them.
“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 ‭12‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
My beloved, rather than offence, show them the love of Christ that is in you and attract them to the light of Jesus.
Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.””
‭‭I Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬-‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬
My beloved, if only we humans could all selflessly love all others as Christ loves us, this world would very quickly become a better place to live.
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.