12/12/2010.
Divinely Love (1 Corinthians 13).
If you look at 1 Corinthians 13, ‘Love’ (agape in Greek) is more than a ‘feeling’; more than an ‘action or doing’. In this chapter the Apostle Paul explains what love does to you when you posses it rather than what love is. “In order to act, one must have”.
The Bible says “God is love” (1 John 4:8), if one were to act or live in Godly manner, He would need to have God inside his heart. And if one were to act or live in loving manner, he would need to have ‘God’ not ‘love’!!
Therefore, it is highly important to know that one must have God. In other words one must understand and must be in constant relationship with God through faith & repentance. Then what happens is what the Apostle says in this chapter.
Let us first see what Divine love does not.
1) Love does not make you envious or Jealous.
2) Love does not make you boastful or proud.
3) Love does not make you to be puffed up or arrogant
4) Love does not seek its own (recognition).
5) Love does not make you provoked (irritated.)
6) Love does not make you think evil about others.
7) Love does not make you rejoice over iniquity or Love does not make guiltless when you sin.
Now, let us see what Divine Love does to us when we have it:
1) Love makes us rejoice in truth or the Word.
2) Love enables us to bear all things, even upheavals
3) Love makes us believe in all spiritual things.
4) Love makes us hopeful for all things
5) Love enables us to endure all things.
6) Love makes us suffer long and makes kind.
Therefore, we understand that ‘love’ is not just a fleeting feeling or not even being good; it’s more than giving others a helping hand. It is all about possessing the Lord Jesus Christ (the epitome of love) in your heart, do you have him?
Reformed Baptist Church, VNK.
