Limitless Love

Agape in the Greek classics spoke of a love called out of one’s heart by the preciousness of the object loved. This is the idea inherent in the Father's proclamation "This is My beloved Son ..." Agape is the love that was shown at Calvary. Thus agape is God’s love, and is the love that God is. It is not human affection but is a divine love, commanded by God, produced as fruit in the heart of a surrendered saint by the Holy Spirit (God Who is at work in us to will and to work to His good pleasure), self-sacrificial in nature seeking the benefit of the one who is loved, a love which means death to self and defeat for sin since the essence of sin is self-will and self-gratification, a love activated by personal choice of our will (working out our salvation in fear and trembling) not based on our feelings toward the object of our love and manifested by specific actions as described in this section of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 where we see "love in action."

Therefore how do you draw the line between love and lust?

What is the ‘Essence of Love?’

1. The FRUIT of LOVE [v. 4]: What LOVE IS

(a) Long-suffering ~ Endures slights and wrongs patiently and long, and returns a kindly spirit. It is "slow to anger" (Psalms 103:8). Christ, "when he was reviled, reviled not again" (1Peter 2:23). "The fruit of the Spirit is long-suffering" (Galatians 5:22).

(b) Kind ~ the positive side. Extending good to others. Compare with love’s features here those of the “wisdom from above” (James 3:17).

© Opposes Jealousy ~ Jealousy implies being displeased with the success of others. Yet, true love desires the success of others. The best way to cure envy is to pray sincerely for the one of whom you are jealous. To pray for him or her is to demonstrate love, and jealousy and love cannot exist in the same heart. [Illustration: Jealousy is one of the vilest of sins that we harbor in our hearts! It was Eve's jealousy of God that motivated her to take the forbidden fruit. It was jealousy that put Daniel in the lion’s den. It was jealousy that put Joseph in that pit! Yet, Godly love dies not get jealous, rather it is pleased when others do well!]

(d) Doesn’t show off ~ This means the more loving you become, the less boasting you need to do. The greater your spiritual gifts, the less prone you should be to brag. After all, the gifts you have been graciously given are from God. When you and I brag, we are demonstrating our insecurity and spiritual immaturity.

(e) Doesn’t have a Wind about themselves ~ A man may be very proud and vain, and not express it in the form of boasting. That state is indicated by this word. If he gives expression to this feeling, and boasts of his endowments, that is indicated by the previous word. Love would prevent this, as it would the former, it would destroy the feeling, as well as the expression of it.

Illustration: No one treated Abraham Lincoln w/more contempt then did Stanton. Stanton called him “a low cunning clown,” he nicknamed him “the original gorilla”. Lincoln never responded. - When it came time to pick his war minister he picked Stanton because he was the best for the job & he treated him w/ever courtesy. Years later when the assassin’s bullet murdered Lincoln in the theatre, in the little room the body was taken to, there stood Stanton. Looking down on Lincoln’s silent face, he said through his tears, “There lies the greatest ruler of men the world has ever seen.” The Patience of love had conquered in the end!