- God is love - “Love” is one of the magnificent attributes of God. The biblical phrase “God is love”, as found in 1 John 4:8, contains the familiar Greek word "Agape"
for the kind of love that the Three Persons of the Godhead have for
Each Other and for true believers. God’s agape love is an integral part
of His salvation program in that He loves His people (the elect), who
are scattered all over the world; and He demonstrates His love by saving
them from eternal Hell, as Rom 5 explains. In essence,
God is defining love by His very character. And what is the character
of the Lord Jesus Christ? God’s love for His people is a love that is
demonstrated by the work and faith of the Lord Jesus. Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ is the personification of God’s love. Also because love is a “fruit” of the Holy Spirit according to Gal 5, it manifests itself in the life of a "born-again Christian" in whom God's Spirit dwells. In
our time together let us examine the characteristics of Love and how
God demonstrated these characteristics and how he expects [ and works it
out] in the life of a child of God.
Rom 5:8 “But God commendeth [exhibits]
his love toward us [believers], in that,
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Gal 5:22 “But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
1 Cor 13:4-8 "
Charity [Love] suffereth long, and is
kind; charity
envieth not; charity
vaunteth not itself, is
not puffed up, 5Doth
not behave itself unseemly,
seeketh not her own, is
not easily provoked,
thinketh no evil; 6
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but
rejoiceth in the truth; 7
Beareth all things,
believeth all things,
hopeth all things,
endureth all things. 8Charity
never faileth..."
- Love Suffereth Long - The Greek word for “suffereth long” is also translated as “patience” and is closely related to God’s forgiveness, as in the parable of the wicked servant in Mat 18. The spiritual message there is that God is patient in saving His elect, as we see in 2 Pet 3. The
same Greek word is also used in the following two verses to describe
how believers are to live patiently and contentedly in this world and
to show patience with others. Speaking of Abraham and the promise of
eternal inheritance, God says in Heb 6. With respect to others, God gives these instructions in 1 The 5.
2 Pet 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward,
not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance.”
Matt 18:23-35 "Therefore is
the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. 24And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him,
which owed him ten thousand talents.
25But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be
sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to
be made. 26The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying,
Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27Then
the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 28But
the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which
owed him an hundred pence:
and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me
that thou owest. 29And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and
besought him, saying,
Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30And he would not: but went and
cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry,
and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32Then his lord,
after that he had called him, said unto him,
O thou wicked
servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even
as I had pity on thee? 34And
his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35So
likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."
1 The 5:14 “Now we
exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak,
be patient toward
all men.”
2 Tim 2:24-26 "And
the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach,
patient, 25In meekness
instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."
Heb 6:15 “And so,
after he [Abraham] had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.”
- Love is Kind - Now, let’s focus on the second characteristic of Love – kindness. The Greek word for “kind” is translated both as “kind” and “goodness”. We see that God is “kind” to unthankful and evil people in Luke 6. We also learn in Rom 2 that God’s “goodness” leads His elect to repentance. In Eph 4 believers are instructed to mirror the kindness that God has shown to them by being kind to one another.
Rom 2:4 “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the
goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”
Luke 6:35 “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 [God] is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”
Eph 4:32 “And
be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”
- Love Envieth Not - The third quality of Love is the absence of envy. The Greek word for “envy” is related to “zeal”, which is used to describe both favorable and unfavorable traits. We see the word used in a good sense in 1 Cor 12. God is a Jealous God towards his children (Exo 34:14) but with Godly Jeaslousy (2 cor 11:2) that they should not serve sin. The unfavorable kind of envy is what 1 Cor 13 admonishes believers not to practice in their lives and is what we read about in Acts 7. In Jam 4 the word is used to describe sinful “desire” for worldly things, which is a characteristic of unsaved people. May the Holy Spirit empower us to exhibit patience, kindness, and the good kind of zeal in our lives for God’s honor and glory.
Exo 34:14 "For
thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:"
1 Cor 12:31 “But
covetearnestly [zealously]
the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way.”
2 Cor 11:2 “For I am
jealous over you with
godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that
I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
Acts 7:9 “And
the patriarchs,
moved with envy,
sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him.”
Jam 4:2 “
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and
desire [envy] to
have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye
ask not. 3Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that
ye may consume it upon your lusts. 4Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that
the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 5Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain,
The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?"
- Love Vaunteth Not Itself - The Greek word for “vaunteth” has the idea of boasting about oneself, which is the outward expression of pride. Pride and boasting are some of the characteristics of man that God hates most because they indicate man’s defiance and rebellion against God, as we read in Judges 7. This proud nature of unsaved man is described in many verses. Christ demonstrated his humbleness in that being God, humbled himself to the death of cross (phil 2:8). There is only one kind of boasting in a believer that meets with God’s approval – it’s the boasting by believers in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, about the mercy of God for His glory, as we read in Gal 6.
Php 2:5-8 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who,
being
in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But
made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a
man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death
of the cross."
Gal 6:14 “
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”
Jer 9:23-24
“Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither
let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in
his riches:
But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he
understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise
lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”
Jud 7:2 “And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest
Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying,
Mine own hand hath saved me.”
Pro 6:16-19 "These six things doth
the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17
A proud look,
a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18An heart that
deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among
brethren."
Pro 16:18-19 “
Pride goeth before destruction, and an
haughty spirit before a fall.
Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the
proud.”
Jam 4:6 “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith,
God resisteth the proud, but
giveth grace unto the humble.”
- Love is Not Puffed Up - The Greek words for “not puffed up” have the same idea of humility as “vaunteth not”. This has to do with the underlying motive of one’s love. A Christian’s love should not be “puffed up” for self-serving recognition, but its nature should be that of selflessly and humbly serving God and ministering to others. Christ is not puffed up but meek (Matt 21:5) even being KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS (Rev 19:16) but edifies His Church by nourishing it with Living Bread and Living Waters (Psalm 23:2). The Godly love of a true believer under the power of the Holy Spirit should serve to build up others in the faith, as 1 Cor 4 teaches.
Rev 19:16 "And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written,
KING OF KINGS, AND
LORD OF LORDS."
Matt 21:5 "Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold,
thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass."
Num 12:3 "(Now the man
Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)"
1 Cor 4:6-7 “And these things,
brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us
not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be
puffed up for one against another. For who maketh thee to differ from another? and
what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now
if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”
- Love Doth Not Behave Unseemly - The Greek words for “behave unseemly” mean “to act unbecomingly (or dishonorably) against the Word of God”. Lord Jesus did not behave unseemly but kept Fathers commandments perfectly (John 15:10). In other words, a
Christian shows his love and respect for God by behaving decently and
honorably according to the commandments and principles set forth in the
Word of God. The same words are used in 1 Cor 7
to describe how an unmarried man should behave toward the woman he is
courting. May the Holy Spirit empower us to live humbly and honorably
for the glory of God.
John 15:10 "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as
I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love."
Pro 6:16-19 "These six things doth
the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17A
proud look, a
lying tongue, and
hands that shed innocent blood, 18An
heart that deviseth wicked imaginations,
feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19A
false witness that speaketh lies, and
he that soweth discord among brethren."
1 Cor 7:35-36 “And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is
comely [honorable], and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction. But if any man think that he
behaveth himself uncomely [dishonorably] toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will,
he sinneth not: let them marry.”
- Love Seeketh Not Her Own - The Greek word for “seeketh” here carries the idea of “desiring” or “demanding”.
This unselfish aspect of love was demonstrated by the Lord Jesus Christ
in not seeking his own will but the will of His Father (John 5:30) and suffered God's wrath for us ( Luke 22:42).
A Christian shows his love for his fellowman by not demanding his own
self-serving way and by being sensitive to the needs of others. A true
believer will find that he is happiest when he desires the things of God
and not of the world, as we read in Mat 6.
John 5:30 “I [Jesus Christ] can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because
I seek not mine own will,
but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”
Heb 10:6-10 "In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 7Then said
I [Lord Jesus] , Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
8Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and
offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein;
which are offered by the law;
9Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10
By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
Luke 22:42 "Saying,
Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."
Mat 6:31-33
“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall
we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these
things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye
have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and
all these things shall be added unto you.”
1 Cor 10:33 "Even as I please all men in all things,
not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved."
Php 2:4 "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."
- Love is Not Easily Provoked - The Greek word for “provoked” carries the idea of “becoming stirred up”. One should not be easily “riled up”,
or provoked to anger, which is a very ungodly trait for a believer.
Lord Jesus was not provoked even on the Cross when he was mocked (Luke 23:36-39) but only provoked with unseemly behavior of the money changers at the temple (John 2:17). However, a Christian should be “stirred up” to defend the Gospel, as in Apostle Paul’s case in Acts 17.
Luke 23:36-39 "And
the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, 37And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. 38And
a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 39And
one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us."
John 2:15-17 "And when he had made a scourge of small cords,
he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and
poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; 16And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence;
make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. 17And his disciples remembered that it was written,
The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up."
Acts 17:16-17 “Now while
Paul waited for them at Athens,
his spirit was stirred in him,
when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Therefore
disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.”
- Love Thinketh No Evil - Pro 23:7a sets forth an important principle: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he...”. The thoughts of one’s heart reveal a person’s true nature, as the Lord Jesus proclaimed in Mark 7. Yes, the heart of unsaved, natural man is “desperately wicked” as stated in Jer 17. However,
the true believer who is saved by God’s Grace, by the power of the
indwelling Holy Spirit, can overrule his evil nature and focus his
thoughts on the things of God, as we read in Php 4. A Christian can have victory over evil and wickedness because, amazingly, he is given the “mind of Christ”, as declared in 1 Cor 2. Lord Jesus overcame evil with good (Rom 12:21) by praying for those who persecuted him (Matt 5:44).
May God cause us to demonstrate agape love in our lives by being
unselfish, controlling our anger, and focusing our thoughts on the
things of God.
Mark 7:21 “For from within,
out of the heart of men, proceed
evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders.”
Jer 17:9 “The
heart is
deceitful above all things, and
desperately wicked:
who can know it?”
Php 4:8-9 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things
are true, whatsoever things
are honest, whatsoever things
are just, whatsoever things
are pure, whatsoever things
are lovely, whatsoever things
are of good report; if there
be any virtue, and if there
be any praise,
think on these things.
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and
seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”
Matt 5:44 "But I say unto you,
Love
your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate
you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"
Luke 23:34 "Then
said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots."
1 Cor 2:16 “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But
we [believers] have the mind of Christ.”
Rom 12:21 “Be not overcome of evil, but
overcome evil with good.”
3 John 1:11 “
Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but
he that doeth evil hath not seen God.”
- Love Rejoiceth Not in Iniquity - What does God mean by stating that love does not rejoice in iniquity (sin)? Lord Jesus have not rejoiced in iniquity but overcame temptation (Luke 4:1-13) and stood as high priest for us knowing our infirmities (Heb 4:15). He is the Lamb of God without blemish and without spot (1 pet 1:19).
Because God does not rejoice in man’s sin, neither does God’s love
rejoice in sin of any kind; and because a Christian must reflect God’s
love by his conduct on this sin-cursed earth, he should not rejoice in
sin either, as is clearly stated in 2 Tim 2. Because a
believer must live in an unsaved body, he is engaged in a constant
internal struggle between his sinful flesh and his new, resurrected
soul, as the Apostle Paul explains in Rom 7. Paul concludes that statement with the wonderful truth in Rom 8. Sadly, God has this to say about the fate of those who continue to “rejoice in iniquity” in 2 The 2.
Luke 4:2 "Being forty days
tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered."
Heb 4:15 "For we have not
an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was
in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."
2 Tim 2:19 “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And,
Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
Rom 7:22-25 “For
I
delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law
in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into
captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched
man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank
God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve
the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
Rom 8:1 “There is therefore now
no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
2 Chr 19:7 “Wherefore now
let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for
there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.”
2 The 2:12 “That they all might be
damned who believed not the truth, but had
pleasure in unrighteousness.”
- Love Rejoiceth in the Truth - This statement is the converse of the previous one. God rejoices in the Truth of His Word, the Bible. Lord Jesus Himself is the truth (John 14:6) and the Word in flesh (John 1:14) and was magnified above all (Psa 138:2). He has even placed Himself under the authority of His Word, as we read in Psa 138. Therefore,
a Christian must also rejoice in the Word of God and show his love for
the Truth by sharing it with others. As opposed to the things of this
sin-cursed world, there is no iniquity in the things of God, as 2 Chr 19 declares. Thus, for those who have become saved through the power of the True Gospel, there is much joy in their lives as they serve their Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, according to Php 2.
John 14:6 "
Jesus saith unto him,
I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
John 1:14 "And
the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)
full of grace and truth."
Psa 138:2 “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise
thy name [God] for thy lovingkindness and for
thy truth: for
thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.”
2 Chr 19:7 “Wherefore now
let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for
there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.”
Php 2:17-18 “Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.
For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.”
- Love Beareth All Things - Lord Jesus bore all our griefs, our sorrows, our transgressions and our iniquities (Isa 53:4-5). The Greek word for “beareth” means “to endure patiently (or suffer)”, as did the Apostle Paul as he ministered to the Gentiles according to 1 Cor 9. A
Christian must demonstrate the love of God by patiently bearing, or
enduring, adversity for the cause of the Gospel of Christ. May God cause
us to depart from sin, rejoice in the Truths of His Word, and patiently bear the burdens of His service for His honor and glory.
Isa 53:4-5 "Surely
he hath borne our griefs, and carried
our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5But he was wounded for
our transgressions, he was bruised for
our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
1 Cor 9:11-12 “If
we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall
reap your carnal things? If others be partakers of this power over you,
are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but
suffer all things,
lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.”
- Love Believeth All Things - Since the Greek word for “believeth” is the usual word for “believe”, what does it mean that love believes “all things”? It's Lord Jesus belief and Faith, that God will not leave his soul in hell nor will his body see corruption (Acts 2:22-28) that saved us (Gal 2:20).
Remember, we have been talking about God’s love as manifested in the
lives of His children – those whom He has saved. They are the true
believers who have come to know the truths of God’s Word. They read and
study the Bible so that they can learn “all things” that
God has placed there to strengthen their belief, or faith, in the Lord
Jesus Christ – that is, the faith that God has given them as a result of
salvation. Thus, by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit true
believers can understand spiritual truths from the Scriptures and can
distinguish them from the lies of all the false gospels and religions of
the world.
Acts 2:25-27 "For
David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my
face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
26Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also
my
flesh shall rest in hope: 27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in
hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."
Gal 2:16 "Knowing that
a man is not
justified by the works of the law, but
by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have
believed in Jesus Christ, that
we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
Gal 5:22 “But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
1 John 4:1 “Beloved,
believe not every spirit,
but try [test] the spirits
whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
- Love Hopeth All Things - Lord Jesus became our only hope (1 Tim 1:1, Rom 8:24-25) in this life and life to come eternally (1 cor 15:19). God has placed the “hope” of eternal life in every true Christian’s soul. This is not a worldly “hope” that something good might happen in the future. God’s “hope” is an absolute certainty that “all things” God says about His salvation program in His Word, the Bible, will be fulfilled, as we read in Rom 8.
Acts 2:25-27 "For
David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my
face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
26Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover
also
my flesh shall rest in hope: 27
Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."
1 Peter 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath
begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,"
Rom 8:24-25 “For
we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we
hope for that we see not,
then do we with patience wait for it.”
1 Tim 1:1 “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of
God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope.”
1 Cor 15:19 "
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable."
- Love Endureth All Things - Here we have another of the “all things” statements, which pertains to the things of God as set forth in His Word. The Greek word for “endureth” means “to endure (or persevere)”, which is similar to “beareth” that
we studied in the previous lesson – but perhaps indicating greater
intensity and longer duration. We find the word used to describe
Christ’s suffering on the cross in Heb 12. Lord Jesus became the author and finisher of our faith by enduring the cross and endured the hostility of the sinners (Heb 12:2-3). A Christian must demonstrate God’s love in his service for his Lord by his endurance, as we read in Mat 10.
Heb 12:2-3 “Looking unto
Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For
consider him that
endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”
Mat 10:22 “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that
endureth to the end shall be saved.”
Jam 5:11 “Behold, we count them
happy which endure. Ye have heard of
the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.”
- Love Never Faileth - The Greek word for “faileth” is translated as “falleth away” and is contrasted with “endureth” in 1 Pet 1. Here is the great truth about God’s love – it is God’s Word and it can never fail. It is God’s love that
is the driving force behind God’s magnificent salvation plan. Lord
Jesus loved his children with everlasting love and no tribulation,
distress, presecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword can seperate
us from the love of Christ (Rom 8:35). Thus, all of
God’s people are secure in His love; and because that love is eternally
within their hearts, they will show it to others by their faithfulness
to God’s Word, the Bible. A true believer will be happiest when he is
doing the will of God by “loving his neighbor” – that is, sharing the Gospel of Christ with his fellowman.
1 Pet 1:24-25 “For all flesh is as grass, and
all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof
falleth away: But
the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
Rom 8:35-40 "
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or
peril, or sword? 36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the
day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37Nay,
in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38For
I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39
Nor
height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate
us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
1 Cor 13:13 “And now
abideth faith, hope, charity [Agape Love], these three;
but the greatest of these is charity [Agape Love of God].”