Kirk Franklin said in one of His songs "Love is a word that comes and goes but few people really know what it means to really love somebody." I think about that one verse all the time. I would like to learn how to love people like Jesus loved. I want to genuinely be able to look even my enemies in the eye and say "I love you" and feel no fear and no anger.
I was looking back at some notes today as I was praying and came across a lesson I did on 1 Cor 13:7.
1 Cor 13:4-8 reads:
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away."
Just focusing on Love
from 1 Cor 13:7 I want to share some translations:
1
Corinthians 13:7(ESV) Love
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all
things
1 Corinthians 13:7(AMP) Love
bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for
the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult
times], endures all things [without weakening].
1 Corinthians 13:7 (NIV) It always protects, always
trusts, always hopes, always perseveres
1 Corinthians 13:7(NKJV) bears all things, believes
all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1
Corinthians 13:7 (MSG) Puts up
with anything, Trusts God
always, Always
looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.
Love protects, trust, hopes and endures
*To protect means to keep safe, to guard, and to be
watchful
* To trust means to have a firm belief or
confidence in someone, to have confidence without any evidence or investigation
*To hope means a feeling of expectation or desire
for something
*To endure means to suffer something painful or
difficult patiently or to remain in existence
What does the bible say in general about Love? In Romans 13:8-10 it reads "Owe no one anything, except to love each other,
for one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments. you
shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall
not covet, and any other commandments are summed up in the word: You shall
love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no wrong to a neighbor, therefore
love is the fulfilling of the law." This verse tells us love is the fulfilling of the law (the WORD
of God)! Love does not give us a license to ignore the word of God. The enemy has tried to use the word "love" to advance his agenda in the earth. As believer we MUST know it is love to speak truth and it is love to hold fast to the Word of God concerning sin. John 14:23 reads "Jesus answered him, 'If anyone loves me, he
will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and
make our home with him.'" This verse tells us any love without obedience to the word is
deception. The word “If” in the verse implies conditions. The
conditions to loving the Lord means you will obey His word at all cost.
One verse my husbands says all the time is John 13:35. It says "By this all people will know that you are my
disciples, if you have love for one another". This verse is speaking to the believers. This verse is telling the Body of Christ others will know you
are a disciple of God by the way we love each other in the body. On the other hand if you walk around hating or talking about other believers in the body, then the world will not have a reason to know you serve the True and Living God. Walking in love is a requirement in the word. Paul says in Ephesians 4:1-3 "I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you
to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with
all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace". Bearing with one another in love maintains
unity and produces peace in our individual church communities and then it flows into the body of Christ.
So how do we walk
out 1 Cor 13:7? How do we walk out love in the world or among fallen sinners? Many Christians use the cliché “Love the
sinner, hate the sin.” The actual saying is not in the bible but the word does
say something similar in Jude 1:22-23 “Be merciful to those who doubt; save other by
snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear- hating
even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” We can walk out 1 Cor 13:7 by showing mercy to the sinner and a
healthy hatred of sin and its effects. In 1 Cor 13:6 it says love "does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;" We must hate sin by recognizing it for what it is and by refusing to take part in it. If you love someone you should hate the consequences sin is causing in that person's life. You should not make excuses for the sin.
The sinner is making a choice that we all once made. We love the sinner by showing them respect (1 Peter 2:17). We love the sinner by praying for them. When we pray, we are saying we trust they can be free without seeing evidence of their freedom. (1
Timothy 2:1;3)
We love the sinner by being a light in the midst of darkness. When we witness to the unbeliever and the sinner the truth about Christ, we are placing hope in
the Gospel of Jesus. Jesus loves them more than we can ever love them. He loved them so much that He gave His life for them.
It is a true act of Love to treat someone with
respect and kindness even though you do not approve of his or her lifestyle or
sinful choices. It is not loving to allow a person to remain
stuck in sin. It is also not hateful to tell a person about their sin
(Ephesians 4:15). Love is not condoning or ignoring sin. When you love someone you can speak the truth and trust God for the transformation. OKAY, lift your hands in the air if it seems easier to love the sinner over loving people you think should know better. I can not see your hands (haha) but both of my hands and feet are in the air!!!!
Our self-righteous flesh may feel this way. Love in the church among bothers and sisters is evidence of transformation in our own hearts and minds. I have been listening to a woman of God this week and she said "If you cut people off every time you disagree, you will never grow". Paul the Apostle wrote to the church in Thessolanica about walking in the love in community. (1 Thess 5:12-28) We must pursue love in
community and build each other up (Rom 14:19). How do we protect those in our body? How do you maintain hope? How do you trust people? How do you stick and stay when things seem to be falling apart?
Here are notes for you and for me:
1) Proverbs 4:23 says guard or watch over your heart with all
diligence. We are to exhibit brotherly love with a tender
heart and humble mind. We must guard our tongues and watch what we speak about
our brothers and sisters in Christ. (1
Pet 3:8-12) Even when we see things we do not like, we should protect each other by being slow to speak. We have a "run and tell that" mentality in the church. When you are hurt, disagree with someone, or even when we see someone fall into sin, we are quick to run and tell others. Keep you mouth off of people and the situation. Pray for them and not about them. Guard you lips and therefore you protect your heart and other people involved hearts. Remember Proverbs 6:16-19, "These six thing the Lord hates, Yes seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren."
2) Galatians 6:1-2; 9-10 tells us love ALWAYS seeks restoration because it’s full
of hope. I have found that restoration is healing. When we let down our walls and fears it is a beautiful experience. It is a taste of what the Father has done for us. He came to restore us!
3) Hebrews 10:2 tells us to consider how to stir up love and
good works. How can we see the best in our brothers and sisters? We stir up love and good works by trusting one another and looking for the best in those around us. My mom is my favorite person in the whole world!!! We disagree on somethings but I have never not trusted my mother's love for me. I know she loves me and we just have to agree to disagree. We can not allow disagreements to cause hatred and offense to take a bitter root in us. It's prideful to think we know it all and are the only ones righteous. Stir up love and not division.
4) Matthew 18:21-22 & 1 Peter 4:8 talks about forgiveness. Being able to forgive quickly is the glue that holds relationships together. Forgiveness releases the grace to endure with people. Walking in forgiveness is evidence of a love that covers a
multitude of sins. It's a love we have received freely and therefore we should give it away freely.
I have not arrived in this area. Oh...... have I made plenty of mistakes during my walk. I am being tested on this word RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!! Each day my heart cry is asking the Lord to teach me how to love more and more. I want to be like Jesus. Jesus knew Judas was going to betray him and he still washed his feet. He told Peter he was going to deny him and Peter said no. He never one time in scripture said "you going to deny me so get out my life!" (Lord help my heart) Jesus could have dismissed Peter right then. Not only did Jesus keep serving Peter but Peter was one of the two out of twelve to Lord asked to keep watch as He went to pray about His death. Hear me... how many of you would take the person you know is going to betray you to the place your other disciple is going to send you to your death and ask them to pray for you? Jesus was GREAT!!! I want to be able to see when people are about to hurt me and still serve them and love them. Jesus did not ignore the issue. He loved them enough to tell them exactly what they were going to do but He never held it against them. He never let it stop Him from laying down His life for them.
It's all about growing up! The crazy thing is I believe Peter did not want to deny Jesus. Remember when the soldiers came to take Jesus, Peter went to defend Him. But when Peter realized Jesus really was about to die self-preservation kicked in. He wanted to save himself. His selfishness allowed Him to walk away from someone who loved him. Jesus still never changed. Peter is the first of the apostles to see the risen Christ. I believe it was love that moved Peter's heart. He knew what he had done and He also knew he did not deserve Jesus's love. Love won over his heart and He became the ROCK Jesus told him he would be.
Lord help us to grow up and teach us how to love with truth on our lips and a grace that covers others.
