The LOVE Of GOD-IV—1Corinthians 13:1-13
Need:
To know & apply God’s self-giving(‘agape’) love, so as to prevent anything less from taking it’s place in our lives.
Paul highlighted the necessity of self-giving, sacrificial love to the proper outworking of Christian living.
Self-giving, sacrificial love is essential to true Christianity.
And thru these verses we are answering the question, ?•?How is ‘agape’ love essential to the Christian faith?
1Pet. 4:8—“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”[Prov. 10:12]
1Tim. 1:5—“Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, & from sincere faith,”
The pinnacle of God’s agaph love cannot be attained by any of humanity, apart from their approaching it in & thru God in Christ, as empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Previously we found that:
As A Christian, the Love of God must Humble My...
1. SPEECH(:1)
2. ABILITY(:2)
3. SACRIFICE(:3)
Today we’ll find that:
4—As A Christian, the Love of God must Humble My...
SUFFERING That RESULTS In KINDNESS(:4a-b)
Explanation:(:4a-b)
:4—“Love suffers long & is kind;...”
BACKGROUND:
The words translated as “Love” 3 times in this verse, actually say, literally, ‘THIS agape(love)’(‘h agaph’). ‘THIS’ agaph “love” refers the ‘agape love’ that is foundational for fulfilling the proper outworking of Paul’s “more excellent way”(12:31) by which any spiritual giftedness is to be employed...
*God’s agaph “love” has already clearly been shown to be ESSENTIAL for effective Christian service in verses :1-3.
•That “more excellent way” afforded by God’s agaph “love”, defines the manner, the spirit, or the attitude, in which our God gifted speaking with any multitude of tongues(13:1) is to be couched.
•Likewise, that “more excellent way” defines the manner, the spirit, or the attitude, in which our God gifted ‘abilities’(13:2) are to be couched.
•And so, that “more excellent way” also defines the manner, the spirit, or the attitude, in which our God gifted sacrifices(13:3) are to be couched.
‘This’ same “love” in verse :4 & carried thru :7...
•That it is, by highlighting ‘this love’(:1-3) in particular, ASSUMES that there is at least one other, if not many other, competing forms of “love” in human experience.
*To employ any one of the spiritual gifts, outside of the boundaries of agape love, is to entirely misuse the gift that God has given you.
EXAMPLEs:
•GIFTED CARS: A parent gifts their teenager a car. But the teenager uses the car, that was a gift to them, as a ‘getaway car’ for bank robbers & drug dealers. The car(gift) is not at fault. The way/manner/heart attitude in which the car is wielded/used/exercised IS at fault!
•GIFTED GUNS: same scenario...Dad gives his daughter a gun. If wielded/used/exercised for protection it is used properly. If wielded/used/exercised for offense it is completely misused.
*The verses we’re looking at today(:4-7), supply ‘the nuts & bolts’ of what agaph “love” does & does not do. That is in verses :4-7, we see HOW agape love operates in the real world.
“Love suffers long”...
In the free exercise of agaph “love”, I must couch everything I do within the ‘patient perseverance’ of God’s love. That is true whether faced with personal difficulty, insult, offense, or injury inflicted by others.
•This does NOT mean that we should do nothing about insult, offense, or injury.
•It DOES mean that we must approach ‘insult, offense, or injury’ with GOD’s direction of approach. And every approach with God at the helm, brings into play the discretion of His self-giving sacrificial love.
Any Christian displaying or discharging themselves or their actions in the manner of the patience & kindness that is present in Christ, is operating in agaph “love.”
1Thes. 5:14—“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient[makroyumew] with all.”
‘Agape love’ is the SOURCE or CAUSE of the Christian’s “longsuffering”...in a good sense.
We are told elsewhere in Scripture that God Himself “suffers long.”
2Pet. 3:9—“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering[makroyumew] toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
“Suffers Long/Longsuffering/Patient”—makroyumew—Present Active Indicative 3rd Sing.—1) To be of a long spirit, not to lose heart—1a) To persevere patiently & bravely in enduring misfortunes & troubles, 1b) To be patient in bearing the offenses & injuries of others—1b1) To be mild & slow in avenging, 1b2) To be longsuffering, slow to anger, slow to punish. Strong—To be long-spirited, i.e. objectively--Forbearing or subjectively--Patient. Used 10X.?From—makrov—Long(in place[distant] or time[neuter plural])—&—yumov—Passion(as if breathing hard).
“& is kind”
*In the free exercise of ‘self-less agaph “love”, I must present myself useful to others in their need. So God’s self-giving love will prevail thru our “kindness”!
•Thru your allowing the Holy Spirit to bring God’s guidance & obedience to your life, you will become an integral part of bringing that same ‘spiritual success’ to others.
To be “kind” is to act ‘benevolently’...
‘Benevolent’(English)—“Serving a charitable rather than a profit-making purpose.”—New Oxford American Dictionary
If I am a person who ‘keeps a record’ of wrongs done to me, then I have a “profit-making purpose.” If I will not forgive, & prefer to hold a grudge, or am characterized as a ‘grudge-keeper’—then I will always find it laborious to be a “kind” person. That is because I have made the goal of life ‘all about me’ rather than all about God & His Kingdom.
*Rather “kindness” should flow from every child of God, despite any “long” “suffering” endured by their “love.”
•The “kindness” working in & thru a person, is an attitude of a heart, that is continually given to the inner control of God’s agaph “love.”
This natural world is consumed in manifold abuses! And you may have physical, emotional, & mental scars from the world. BUT IN Christ Jesus, we are empowered as overcomers of those personal abuses & influences.
Jn. 16:33—“These things I[Jesus] have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”...
...And in that “longsuffering” which overcomes the world, I am “kind.”
“Kind”—crhsteuomai—Verb—To show one's self mild(gentle & not easily provoked), to be kind, use kindness. Strong—To show oneself useful, i.e. act benevolently. Used 1X.?Middle voice from—crhstov—Fit, fit for use, useful(in manner or morals); Virtuous, good; Manageable; Employed; Useful(in manner or morals); Mild, pleasant(as opposed to harsh, hard sharp, bitter); More pleasant; Kind, benevolent.
‘Kind’—English—‘Having or showing a friendly, generous, & considerate nature.’
Argumentation:
Rom. 2:4—“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, & longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”
Gal. 5:22-23—“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
Eph. 4:1-2—“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness & gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,”
Eph. 4:32—“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.”
Illustration:
•Perhaps you find yourself having been &/or being abused by others in one or many of various ways. You cannot avoid the ‘direct hurt’ brought to yourself from others.
•BUT we can invite a the ‘indirect’ ‘hurt’ from any personal abuse suffered, by allowing it to persist. And in doing so, the ‘primary hurt’ continues so that you might begin to identify yourself as a ‘victim of abuse’, rather than as a free person...That is, you may see yourself as a ‘marked’, ‘labeled’, or ‘doomed’ person rather than as a child of God. But by being a victim, you are actually allowing your abusers to continue their control of you, so that they imprison you...perhaps even long after the abusers may have repented, moved on, or died!
•Abuses by others CAN teach us what an ABSENCE of being “kind” can do to others.
Application:
?IS your SUFFERING Humbled before God so that His agape love PRODUCES KINDNESS in you?
?As a Christian, does the Love of God keep you Humble?
5—As A Christian, the Love of God must Humble My...
DESIRE & LOSSES(:4c)
Explanation:(:4c)
:4—“...love does not envy;...”
“Love does not envy”
*In the free exercise of ‘self-less agaph “love”, I offer myself to others WITHOUT RESENTMENT or COVETOUSNESS toward them personally. Thru agaph “love”, I offer myself to others WITHOUT RESENTMENT or COVETOUSNESS toward the achievements, & toward the ‘gains’ of others.
•Some Perceived ‘gains’ that tend to stir-up “envy” CAN, but do not have to be:
•Financial in nature—They may involve land possession & acquisition; OR revolve around general opulence or worth.
•What you see as ‘enviable’ ‘gains’ may involve ‘meaningful relationships.’—You see people who are happy in one-another’s presence, while you haven’t found Mr. or Mrs. ‘Right.’ You see others & those closest to you getting married, while you are not.
•What you see as ‘enviable’ ‘gains’ may involve acceptance & noteworthy recognition by ‘polite society.’ ?•Secular politics is influenced heavily by the “envy” game.
•What you see as ‘enviable’ ‘gains’ may involve general ‘ease of living’, just to name a few.
•So God’s people can be ‘envious’ of the ‘gains’ they see in others.
*When I cannot get what I prefer or want, agaph “love” compels me to go to the Lord. God’s “love” compels me to lay my perceived ‘loss’ before Him, along with my inner ‘desire’(‘want to’) that produced the ‘loss” in the first place.
•There at Jesus’ feet, in prayer, God will convict me every time, that I must NOT covet or ‘desire’ my neighbor’s blessings...That my ‘want to’ must change, so that I can experience God’s peace & love in my heart.
•God’s Holy Spirit will convict me that I should NOT be jealous of my neighbor’s blessings from God.
•God’s Holy Spirit will convict me, that IF I am serious about my relationship with Him, then I would cease expending personal efforts toward standing in the way of my neighbor’s enjoyment of God’s blessings.
•God’s agaph “love” will not allow me to pervert my own efforts & my own labors, towards keeping my neighbor from enjoying those blessings from the Lord!
*We must be reminded that “envy” was instrumental in the Pharisees & Sanhedrin delivering up Jesus to be crucified.(Mat. 27:17-18).
“Envy/Envieth/Jealous”(See 12:31—“earnestly desire”)—zhlow,-OR--zhleuw—Present Active Indicative 3rd Sing.—1) To burn with zeal—1a) To be heated or to boil with envy, hatred, anger—1a1) in a good sense--To be zealous in the pursuit of good, 1b) To desire earnestly, pursue—1b1) To desire one earnestly, to strive after, busy one's self about him, 1b2) To exert one's self for one(that he may not be torn from me), 1b3) To be the object of the zeal of others, to be zealously sought after, 1c) To envy. Strong—To have warmth of feeling for or against. Used 12X.?From—zhlov—properly--Heat, i.e. figuratively--“zeal”(in a favorable sense--Ardor; in an unfavorable one--Jealousy, as of a husband [figuratively, of God], or an enemy--Malice).?•zhlov—From—zew—To be hot(boil, of liquids; or glow, of solids), i.e. figuratively--Be fervid(earnest); a primary verb.
Illustration:
In our society, marriages end due to “envy”—A spouse may say to him/herself, “That couple always has fun together, I don’t have fun with my spouse.” One ‘desires’ what they perceive to have ‘lost.’ OR, a spouse may say to her/himself, “That couple over there is dead serious about their relationship together, they are really in love. All we ever do is ‘have fun’!” Again, one ‘desires’ what they perceive to have ‘lost.’/So “envy” in one will destroy the marriage for both spouses/DESIRE & LOSSES
In our society, “envy” is being ELEVATED to the point of bringing loss of life, because of the false separations pressed on us by the world at large, regarding the color of our skin/Ever since man’s creation, he has been tempted to separate & condemn others on the basis of race, skin-color, facial features, or body features, etc./DESIRE & LOSSES
Application:
?Are your DESIRES & LOSSES Humbled before God thru His Agape love working in you?
?As a Christian, does the Love of God keep you Humble?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
The values attached to ‘love’ in our society & culture are largely inconsistent with the biblical picture of love.
“It is easier to be orthodox than to be loving, & easier to be active in church work than to be loving...”.... “Love is more excellent than feeling resentful & inferior because you do not have”...“Love is more excellent than”...“feeling superior & independent because you do have” everything except love.—John MacArthur, Jr.
Action:
As A Christian, the Love of God must HUMBLE My...
4. SUFFERING That RESULTS In KINDNESS(:4a-b)
5. LOSSES/DESIRE(:4c)
1. SPEECH(:1)
2. ABILITY(:2)
3. SACRIFICE(:3)
Pt#s4-5 Presented 03/14/2021am to:
1BCCbelle
206 SE Ave. A(Storrs Ave.)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Pt#1 only! Presented 02/14/2010am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf NC 27054
