Pursuing Love : God's Way
Pursuing Love : God’s Way
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
I Corinthians 13 :4-7
In the passage above, Paul describes a kind of love very much different from the world’s point of view . This is “Agape Love”. This kind of love emanates from God. Here is love described in the most concrete and practical way.
Love is Patient
Love is patient or suffers long. Patient as described here comes from the Greek word “makro” which means long and “thymua” which means wrath. Which simply means, it takes a great amount of time before wrath is released. It describes the patience of God in dealing with His children and unbelievers. God is so longsuffering in dealing with the Christians. If not because of God’s patience, a Christian will never become a better person. Christians are not perfect, they have many failures, shortcomings and weaknesses. But God is patient in dealing with all these things. If the Lord is not longsuffering, this world has long been destroyed because of so much corruption and wickedness. In the Apostle’s time, they were already many mockers of Christ’s Second Coming. In 2 Peter 3:9, Peter told them, “ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promises , as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. The Lord is constantly withholding His wrath for the sake of those who will still repent.
In I Timothy 1:15-16, Paul cited himself as a recipient of God’s unlimited patience. “ Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”
Love is Kind
Love shows itself through kindness. In Acts 14:17 it is written; “ Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons, he provides you with plenty of food and fills your heart with joy.” This passage describes kindness to both believers and unbelievers. Although the unbelievers are not grateful, not giving God the glory and honor due to His Name, nevertheless God has shown His kindness.
It is written in Ephesians 2:6-7 ; “ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” God has shown His great kindness to us by giving us His only begotten Son, the Lord JesusChrist.
Love Does Not Envy
Envy is to have a strong improper desire for what someone else has . A true good person is happy when his neighbor prosper. An envious person will destroy the reputation of his neighbor because of envy. A person who truly loves his friend is happy about the achievements of his friend and will never slander that friend out of envy.
Love Does Not Boast or Parade Itself
This refers to someone who brags. To brag is to build yourself up. A person who truly loves need not parade its good works, need not brag about his good works to someone he love, just to make that person realize its worth.
Love Is Not Proud
Love is not puffed up. Love is humble. Love knows the meaning of grace. Love is not prideful. It always understand the shortcomings of the beloved. Love is always considerate to the weaknesses of the beloved.
Love Is Not Rude
Love does not behave rudely. Love has good manners. Love does not act unbecomingly. Love is thoughtful. Love is always gentle and polite.
Love Is Not Self-seeking
True love is not self-centered. True love does not desire to dominate. True love holds with an open hand . True love does not deman its own way.
Love Is Not Easily Angered
Love is not easily provoked. Love is not irritable. Love is not easily offended. Love has so much great consideration for the beloved.
Love Keeps No Record of Wrongs
The Lord has blot out all our transgressions and He does not keep record of our wrongs. When we come to Him for salvation , He forgives us and blot out all our sins. The one who truly loves will not always remember the faults of His beloved, but will completely forget his failures. The one who truly forgives is the one who truly forgets offenses.
Love Does Not Delight In Evil
True love does not rejoice in evil. It takes no pleasure in seeing the faults of others. True love does not compromise the truth. The person who truly loves is not happy when he see his beloved living a life of sin.
Love Rejoices In The Truth
True love does not compromise the truth. True love upholds the truth of God’s Word. The person who truly loves is rejoicing when he sees his beloved walking uprightly before God and before men.
Love Always Protects
A person who truly loves always protect the reputation of the one he loves. He will never slander nor gossip about the failures of his beloved.
Love Always Trusts
True love is not suspicious. The person who truly loves always trusts the one he loves. Love keeps on trusting God.
Love Always Hopes
Love does not stop hoping. The person who truly loves will always have hope that the person he loves will one day commit her life to the Lord. He never give up on hoping that the person he loves will also change one day.
Love Always Perseveres
True love endures all things. It will always choose to endure rather than quit.
Love Never Fails
True love will last. It will not fade away with the passing of time. God’s love is eternal and endures forever.
Here is love in all its difficulties presented for us to pursue. The BIble lists these down that we may also realize how much we have failed. This kind of love is opposed to the direction of the world. It is very much different to what kind of love the world has known. It will encounter opposition from Satan. It goes against our own self’s natural inclination. I have known this love. Someone has shown this kind of love to me. He is JesusChrist, my Savior and Lord. And as His disciples we must pursue this kind of love.
This hub is an excerpt from the message preached by Brother Benjie Baclagon on the Vesper Worship Service of Grace Bible Church (Manila,Philippines) last February 26, 2012.
