Introduction: In the last study, I that God never has a subject without a predicate, never creates an appetite without a fulfillment, and never gives a gift without a promise that it will be used in some way that will ultimately bring honor and glory to Him.
I said that real love is a gift of God. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. The gifts and callings of God are without repentance. Love never fails; hence, it even accompanies us to Heaven. Before we get to Heaven though, we must live and work here on this earth. I also said that the love God gives to us is to be used, not abused nor neglected, here in this life.
- We are to love the brethren, even those who are not very loveable.
- We are to love one another...regardless.
- We are to love the Lord supremely.
- We are to love the lost compassionately.
- We find that God loves us unconditionally.
- We find that God loves the world purely.
- We find that God loves those who love Him.
- We find that God even loves those who hate Him.
Love is not a feeling, but loving and being loved brings a good feeling. 1 Corinthians 13 is referred to as "The Love Chapter" in the Bible. Verses 1-8 describe this kind of agape love given to us by God, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling 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, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away."
The "Outline of the Month" will be solely on this subject for the next little while. There is nothing wrong with a preacher preaching on love. It is not only Biblical, but also the greatest of God's gifts, "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." (1 Corinthians 13:13) Chapter 14:1 commands us to "Follow after charity..."
1 John 4:7-8 makes a clear statement about love, "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." This agape love, spoken of in 1 Corinthians 13 and again here in 1 John 4, is the kind of love that God says will never fail and is the greatest of all gifts. In light of that truth, we will take the next few weeks and learn from Paul what "love is" and what it does according to 1 Corinthians 13.
I have already said...
1. Real love gives worth to work.
2. Real love suffereth long.
In this message, I wish to continue with the next two descriptions of real love.
3. Real love is kind. - 1 Corinthians 13:4
"Charity suffereth long, and is kind..."
- Real love is pleasant, desirable, and above all, serviceable, useful. Real love does kind things.
* "If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." (1 Peter 2:3)
* "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:30)
* "No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better." (Luke 5:39)
* "But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil." (Luke 6:35)
* "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:32)
* "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" (Romans 2:4)
* "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners." (1 Corinthians 15:33)- Kindness is an unsought for act done to others for the sake of just being kind.
- What ever has happened to kind Christianity? Though we are commanded to "contend for the faith," we should never sacrifice kindness for contending! Contending should never be done without love.
4. Real love envieth not. - 1 Corinthians 13:4
"...charity envieth not..."
- To "envy," is to desire the same thing another has. To "envy not," is to not desire the same thing another has.
- Everyone experiences a wide range of emotions. Emotions are not always bad, but we must be careful not to be controlled by our emotions. Emotions change from day to day and moment by moment.
- Few emotions are as strong as envy. The dictionary describes envy this way; to feel uneasiness, mortification or discontent, at the sight of superior excellence, reputation or happiness enjoyed by another; to repine at another's prosperity; to fret or grieve one's self at the real or supposed superiority of another, and to hate him on that account. Envy springs from pride, ambition or love, mortified that another has obtained what one has a strong desire to possess.
- There is a good side to envy. - James 4:5, "Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?" The Holy Spirit desires greatly to do what He is supposed to do in our lives. We are not to do His job. When we do His job for Him, He is grieved and desires greatly to do it instead.
- There is also a bad side to envy. This bad side is what real love does not do.* It will bring tragedy. - Psalm 73:2-3, "But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked."
* It will bring God's judgment. - Psalm 106:16-17, "They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD. The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram."
* It causes people to do things they would not normally do, "And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him." (Acts 7:9) "And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming." (Acts 13:44-45)
* It causes division. - Acts 17:5, "But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people."
* It breeds carnality. - 1 Corinthians 3:3, "For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?"
* It brings confusion and every evil work. - James 3:16, "For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work."- Real love doesn't do this.
- Real love finds itself happy over what others get, not over what others have!
Conclusion: So, I ask again, are we practicing Bible love as believers? It is a fair question well-deserving of an honest answer.
- Love will change your work and service. It will give it real worth!
- Love will change your actions and attitudes toward others.
- Real love is kind.
- Real love envieth not.