January 13, 2016 LOVE NEVER FAILS
I Corinthians 13:1: “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”
The thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians is known as the “love chapter”, and as we read this chapter, we are challenged to compare our love with the love we see depicted in this section of scripture. What the world calls “love” is a selfish love, whereas the love that flows from God is a pure and unselfish love. A selfish love is based on how the object, or person of our love makes us feel. Many friendships and marriages have ended because one or both of the parties involved “felt” that the other one did not make them happy. The love that is of God is concerned with the well-being of others. The love pictured and defined in this love chapter may seem lofty and unattainable; however, it is possible to both experience and express the love as seen in this chapter. Only the person who has received the love of God and who walks in His love can express genuine, unselfish love to others. In Romans 5:5 we find that “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.” Genuine love, according to this chapter, is patient; is kind, is not jealous, does not brag, does not seek its own, is not provoked, hopes all things, and endures all things (read chapter for other descriptions of love). One of the most awesome descriptions of love is that it “does not take into account a wrong suffered.” Wow! We live in a time where the prevalent attitude is that when one suffers a wrong-someone will have to pay-what a contrast! The one who is experiencing the love of God is patient, is kind, is not provoked, does not seek their own, bears all things, does not act unbecomingly, and does not take into account a wrong suffered, etc. Love is at the very heart of God-love is what it’s all about. For God so loved the world-that He gave. 1 Peter 4:8 tells us that “love covers a multitude of sins.” In John 13:35 Jesus said “all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” In 1 John 3:14 tells us that “we know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren.” Romans 13:10 states that “love is therefore the fulfillment of the law.” May we not be guilty of loving as the world loves, but let us be found being conduits of the love that comes from God. God is love. We don’t have to “work” at loving others; love is a by-product of knowing God.
1 John 4:7-9: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.”
Blessings,
Buddy
I Corinthians 13:1: “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”
The thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians is known as the “love chapter”, and as we read this chapter, we are challenged to compare our love with the love we see depicted in this section of scripture. What the world calls “love” is a selfish love, whereas the love that flows from God is a pure and unselfish love. A selfish love is based on how the object, or person of our love makes us feel. Many friendships and marriages have ended because one or both of the parties involved “felt” that the other one did not make them happy. The love that is of God is concerned with the well-being of others. The love pictured and defined in this love chapter may seem lofty and unattainable; however, it is possible to both experience and express the love as seen in this chapter. Only the person who has received the love of God and who walks in His love can express genuine, unselfish love to others. In Romans 5:5 we find that “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.” Genuine love, according to this chapter, is patient; is kind, is not jealous, does not brag, does not seek its own, is not provoked, hopes all things, and endures all things (read chapter for other descriptions of love). One of the most awesome descriptions of love is that it “does not take into account a wrong suffered.” Wow! We live in a time where the prevalent attitude is that when one suffers a wrong-someone will have to pay-what a contrast! The one who is experiencing the love of God is patient, is kind, is not provoked, does not seek their own, bears all things, does not act unbecomingly, and does not take into account a wrong suffered, etc. Love is at the very heart of God-love is what it’s all about. For God so loved the world-that He gave. 1 Peter 4:8 tells us that “love covers a multitude of sins.” In John 13:35 Jesus said “all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” In 1 John 3:14 tells us that “we know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren.” Romans 13:10 states that “love is therefore the fulfillment of the law.” May we not be guilty of loving as the world loves, but let us be found being conduits of the love that comes from God. God is love. We don’t have to “work” at loving others; love is a by-product of knowing God.
1 John 4:7-9: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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