Good morning,
Happy Valentine's Day to you all around the corner and around the globe. This comes to you with the love of Christ, which is pure, peaceable, powerful, and eternal, yet always contextual and contemporary. Christ, the Alpha and Omege, is our Eternal Contemporary.
I was talking to a woman who was born in Laos, and who came to the USA as a refugee. There she was a devoted Buddhist along with her family. She came to know Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Her husband also became a believer and disciple of Christ. Their family worships Jesus and serves Him. I asked whether there was any thing that I could pray for her. She replied pray for me that I might know Jesus more and seek His righteousness. Jesus honors that kind of prayer.
Today is Valentine's day. The first time I heard about Valentines Day was in Feb 1974. I was a student in Bangalore, India. My wife, who was a student in New York at the time, sent me a card explaining about Valentine's Day. I had never heard about it before, though now a days it is widely celebrated in India. This morning, I was looking at the Face Book pages. It is full of Valentine's Day postings from India.
Two years ago today our youngest daughter, Jessica, married her best friend, Thomas Ross. I wish them all of the felicitations of a happy anniversary. (They still look like teenagers.) This winter they went to the Caribbean for a short vacation.
Upon the tragic death of Whitney Houston one of her songs has skyrocketed to the top of the charts once again. "I Will Always Love You", a song was written by Dolly Parton, is once again a sensation. All human love is stained and tainted, transitory and self seeking. Only the Love revealed in the person of Jesus Christ is eternal, stainless, and matchless. The people from Hollywood and Bollywood have no clue about this love. Only who have trusted the Lord Jesus have foretasted the Love.
I have gleaned the following passages from the writings of Paul Fritz of Trinity College in Florida. These passages elucidate some of the salient features of Love as described in 1 Corinthians 13, drawing a line between WHAT LOVE IS versus WHAT LOVE IS NOT
1. Love is Long Suffering – Love is an uncommon force that copes with suffering. By enduring the pain, sorrow and anger we are exhibiting God’s unconditional love. People who are mature in love endure the pain of selfish, critical, and immature scoffers.
Love’s long suffering or patience does not accept evil or adopt an attitude of fatalistic resignation. Love is not blind to abuse, sin, or ignorance, but knows how to speak the truth with a love that accomplishes God’s purposes. Love does not naively accept suffering without finding out the lessons that God wants us to learn through our adversity. Love is not judgmental in rushing to criticize someone based upon your own set of assumptions and expectations.
2. Love is Kind – Love is considerate, benevolent, and gentle to people. Love is kind even to the unkind. Kindness freely accepts another and seeks their good regardless of what one can get in return. Kindness even dares to be weak by identifying with people in their pain, problems and weaknesses. Kindness looks for a way to enhance, heal, and help people regardless of who they are. Kindness is not gushy, but is intelligent and tough when necessary. Kindness works with wisdom in a structure of justice and fairness according to the given realities. Kindness encourages the faint hearted, helps the weak, and is patient with everyone. Kindness looks for a way of being constructive in every situation. Kindness is gentle even to those who are harsh and unsympathetic. Kindness knows how to speak in healing voice tones.
3. Love is a Commitment to God and His People – An unconditional love pledges its loyalty, devotion and allegiance to be faithful and true. Love does not vary with the wind of circumstances, moods, or difficulties. Love is faithfully serves in good times and bad times. Love restricts its own actions to not hinder the fulfilling of one’s stated commitments. Love’s commitment seeks to involve people according to their level of maturity and desire. Commitment overcomes feelings of irritation because of a deeper sense of loyalty to a person and their shared goals.
4. Love is Not Boastful or Arrogant – Love does not demand its own way, its own rights or its own cultural expectations. Love is not overbearing and proud. Love recognizes that freely we have received from God, therefore, freely we should give. Love does not look for ways to grab power, control and authority. Love is not eager to advance one’s position. Love does not lord one’s power over people for the sake of demonstrating authority. Love is not obsessed with control. Love does not try to look good to try to impress others. Love is not rude. Love does not put people in order to look good. Love is not so proud as to admit one’s shortcomings, deficiencies or sins.
5. Love is Unselfish – Love seeks God’s plans in order to accomplish all aspects of God’s will. Love is willing to sacrifice one’s right, desires and human expectations for the sake of His Kingdom and His righteousness. Love is an unselfish concern that freely seeks others’ good. Love is the power that moves us to serve others regardless of whether they can reciprocate. Love resists the human tendency to seek everything that would be pleasing to one’s individual desires. Love recognizes the emptiness of self-love without the love of Christ. Love goes beyond a self-centered perspective to appreciate the concerns of others and empathize with their pain. Love is willing to deny one’s selfish interests in carrying our cross. Love follows the footprints of Jesus.
Love Does not Seek Its Own Rights – Love waits for God to gracious give each person what they need according to His plans, processes and powers. Love prompts us to forgo one’s claim to human rights. Love is willing to pass up one’s chances for success for God’s greater will. Love knows the best ways and occasions to seek justice for the greater good of God’s people and purposes. Love knows the best ways to see God’s will done with the gifts, abilities and resources He has entrusted to our care. Love knows the best way to teach truth in a way that others will understand. Love does not try to force other people to surrender their rights, but leaves that job to the convicting of the Holy Spirit
1. Love is Long Suffering – Love is an uncommon force that copes with suffering. By enduring the pain, sorrow and anger we are exhibiting God’s unconditional love. People who are mature in love endure the pain of selfish, critical, and immature scoffers.
Love’s long suffering or patience does not accept evil or adopt an attitude of fatalistic resignation. Love is not blind to abuse, sin, or ignorance, but knows how to speak the truth with a love that accomplishes God’s purposes. Love does not naively accept suffering without finding out the lessons that God wants us to learn through our adversity. Love is not judgmental in rushing to criticize someone based upon your own set of assumptions and expectations.
2. Love is Kind – Love is considerate, benevolent, and gentle to people. Love is kind even to the unkind. Kindness freely accepts another and seeks their good regardless of what one can get in return. Kindness even dares to be weak by identifying with people in their pain, problems and weaknesses. Kindness looks for a way to enhance, heal, and help people regardless of who they are. Kindness is not gushy, but is intelligent and tough when necessary. Kindness works with wisdom in a structure of justice and fairness according to the given realities. Kindness encourages the faint hearted, helps the weak, and is patient with everyone. Kindness looks for a way of being constructive in every situation. Kindness is gentle even to those who are harsh and unsympathetic. Kindness knows how to speak in healing voice tones.
3. Love is a Commitment to God and His People – An unconditional love pledges its loyalty, devotion and allegiance to be faithful and true. Love does not vary with the wind of circumstances, moods, or difficulties. Love is faithfully serves in good times and bad times. Love restricts its own actions to not hinder the fulfilling of one’s stated commitments. Love’s commitment seeks to involve people according to their level of maturity and desire. Commitment overcomes feelings of irritation because of a deeper sense of loyalty to a person and their shared goals.
4. Love is Not Boastful or Arrogant – Love does not demand its own way, its own rights or its own cultural expectations. Love is not overbearing and proud. Love recognizes that freely we have received from God, therefore, freely we should give. Love does not look for ways to grab power, control and authority. Love is not eager to advance one’s position. Love does not lord one’s power over people for the sake of demonstrating authority. Love is not obsessed with control. Love does not try to look good to try to impress others. Love is not rude. Love does not put people in order to look good. Love is not so proud as to admit one’s shortcomings, deficiencies or sins.
5. Love is Unselfish – Love seeks God’s plans in order to accomplish all aspects of God’s will. Love is willing to sacrifice one’s right, desires and human expectations for the sake of His Kingdom and His righteousness. Love is an unselfish concern that freely seeks others’ good. Love is the power that moves us to serve others regardless of whether they can reciprocate. Love resists the human tendency to seek everything that would be pleasing to one’s individual desires. Love recognizes the emptiness of self-love without the love of Christ. Love goes beyond a self-centered perspective to appreciate the concerns of others and empathize with their pain. Love is willing to deny one’s selfish interests in carrying our cross. Love follows the footprints of Jesus.
Love Does not Seek Its Own Rights – Love waits for God to gracious give each person what they need according to His plans, processes and powers. Love prompts us to forgo one’s claim to human rights. Love is willing to pass up one’s chances for success for God’s greater will. Love knows the best ways and occasions to seek justice for the greater good of God’s people and purposes. Love knows the best ways to see God’s will done with the gifts, abilities and resources He has entrusted to our care. Love knows the best way to teach truth in a way that others will understand. Love does not try to force other people to surrender their rights, but leaves that job to the convicting of the Holy Spirit
.6. Love is Self-Sacrificing – Love is willing to take up one’s own cross daily and follow Christ in all aspects of life. Love is the power that moves us to seek others and their best interests. Love for oneself is not masochistic, but seeks to develop Christ in our thinking, attitudes, and actions. Love for one’s self seeks to develop all of God’s given potentials within the parameters of His will. The goal of love is to work toward the complete transformation of our mind, will and emotions into the image of Christ.
7. Love is Calm – One who loves is able to rest in the love of God knowing that all is well. Love enables one to be tranquil, peaceful, and serene in the knowledge that God is in the heavens and He will do whatever He pleases. Love does not get agitated when it is provoked. Love follows the proverb, “A harsh word stirs up anger, but a soft answer turns away wrath.” (Proverbs 15:1) Love helps a person remain confident in the face of overwhelming odds. Love rests assured in the power of God’s love to overcome any difficulty. . Love overlooks another’s fault. Love meets our deepest needs so we do not give into the temptations. Love allows us to speak in a calm tone of voice that communicates power under control. Love reduces frustration because the one who loves has the serenity to accept the things he cannot change, the courage to change the things he can and the wisdom to know the difference. Love increases our gratitude to God for everything we have. Love appreciates the terrible problems we have escaped through His grace. Love overlooks a fault and does not hold grudges. Love turns feelings of hurt, anger and fear over to the Lord.
Love is Not Irritable – Love is not easily annoyed. Love is not overly sensitive. Love does not quickly take offense. Love does not return evil for evil. Love does not look at interruptions as a nuisance as much as an opportunity to serve
Love is Not Irritable – Love is not easily annoyed. Love is not overly sensitive. Love does not quickly take offense. Love does not return evil for evil. Love does not look at interruptions as a nuisance as much as an opportunity to serve
8. Love hates Evil – Love hates sin while continuing to love the sinner. Love dislikes anything that happens to hurt people needlessly. Love equally abhors moral, social, physical, emotional, economic and spiritual evil. Love recognizes that a strong love for God is the best remedy for loving the world. Love recognizes that worshipping anything less than God is idolatry.
9. Love Rejoices with the Truth – Love rejoices when truth is taught and expressed in a way that reflects the person of Jesus Christ. Love gives joy when truth is the determiner of people’s decisions. 10. Love Bears All Things – Love knows no limit to its endurance. It perseveres under the most difficult of physical, emotional and mental suffering. Love is willing to be strong under pressures to give in to worldly standards or urgings from colleagues. Love carries the weight of peoples’ burdens without feeling used. Love carries personal burdens without murmuring or complaining. Love is willing to help bear the pain of another.
10. Love is not a squeaky wheel always trying to nag people into getting what they want.11. Love Covers For Another – Love is willing to overlook a fault for the sake of a relationship. Love covers a multitude of sins. Love is willing to take some of the sting of a conflict without wanting to seek vengeance.
11 Love Believes All Things – This is not to say that one who loves is gullible. Instead, love is willing to give anyone the benefit of the doubt. Love knows no limit to what it believes God can do. Love has an unshakable confidence in what the Lord can do in bringing about change in people, situations, or nations. Love is almost generous to a fault in helping others. Love is so willing to trust the Lord that unless the Lord acts, one is in trouble. Love has such great faith in God and His word that no adversity shakes one’s sense of security. Love is the deepest reason to believe God. Love is the power to believe in more than what is provided in human evidence.
12 Love Hopes All Things – Love is the power to expect that God will fulfill the desires of those who fear Him. Love gives us the assurance that no matter what happens, God still causes all things to work together for good as we love God and are fitting into His plans. Love saves one from drifting into despair, dismay or depression. Love is the fulfillment of our deepest desires for what is best. Love prevails against all odds. Love does not fade away with time, but grows stronger and stronger. Love does not give in to the desires to quit and settle for an easier way. Love resists the temptation to give in to cynicism, skepticism and despair. Love does not let other things replace one’s greatest hope found in Christ. Love does not just hope for survival, but for what God wants accomplished. Love does not give into to feelings of hopelessness in the news. Love does not surrender to cynics who would wish company in their misery. Love does not grown complacent, but always hopes for improvements. Love does not grow sullen through the disappointments of life. Love does not grow cranky in old age. Love does not become presumptuous about other’s motives. Love does not assume the worst. Love does not have any elements of hubris. Love is not patronizing. Love does not cease growing in Christ-likeness.
13 Love Endures All Things – Love knows no limit to its endurance. Love is the power to persevere through the most difficult of situations. Love contains the ingredients of patience, forbearance, and fortitude that allow one to sail through any circumstance. Love is the ability to see some joy, benefit, and positive outcome out of the most troubling hardships. Love relies on God and His word to produce a greater measure of endurance through His enabling grace. Love is the power to see good in every difficulty. Love has the capacity to endure persecution, problems, and evil attacks through the power of Christ. Love has the power to endure separation from loved ones. Love learns to do without many things. Love is the power to follow in the footprints of Jesus who endured the cross for sinful human beings. Perfect love casts out fear. Love covers a multitude of sins Love is the fulfillment of the law.
14 Love Never Fails – God’s love in us cannot die because He is eternal. Love cannot fail because God’s sovereign power, knowledge and grace super-intends everything for His best interests. Love continues into eternity. Love never demands proof of our secure future, but is certain of God’s rewards. All gifts but love are temporary. Every service done without God’s love working through us is done for mere earthly gain. Love is a gift that God gives us so that we can continually give to others. Love is the highest evidence of our maturity in Christ. Love is the most long lasting element of our existence. Love looks for people that it can give itself to. When everything of seeming consequence has ended, love will outlast it.
10. Love is not a squeaky wheel always trying to nag people into getting what they want.11. Love Covers For Another – Love is willing to overlook a fault for the sake of a relationship. Love covers a multitude of sins. Love is willing to take some of the sting of a conflict without wanting to seek vengeance.
11 Love Believes All Things – This is not to say that one who loves is gullible. Instead, love is willing to give anyone the benefit of the doubt. Love knows no limit to what it believes God can do. Love has an unshakable confidence in what the Lord can do in bringing about change in people, situations, or nations. Love is almost generous to a fault in helping others. Love is so willing to trust the Lord that unless the Lord acts, one is in trouble. Love has such great faith in God and His word that no adversity shakes one’s sense of security. Love is the deepest reason to believe God. Love is the power to believe in more than what is provided in human evidence.
12 Love Hopes All Things – Love is the power to expect that God will fulfill the desires of those who fear Him. Love gives us the assurance that no matter what happens, God still causes all things to work together for good as we love God and are fitting into His plans. Love saves one from drifting into despair, dismay or depression. Love is the fulfillment of our deepest desires for what is best. Love prevails against all odds. Love does not fade away with time, but grows stronger and stronger. Love does not give in to the desires to quit and settle for an easier way. Love resists the temptation to give in to cynicism, skepticism and despair. Love does not let other things replace one’s greatest hope found in Christ. Love does not just hope for survival, but for what God wants accomplished. Love does not give into to feelings of hopelessness in the news. Love does not surrender to cynics who would wish company in their misery. Love does not grown complacent, but always hopes for improvements. Love does not grow sullen through the disappointments of life. Love does not grow cranky in old age. Love does not become presumptuous about other’s motives. Love does not assume the worst. Love does not have any elements of hubris. Love is not patronizing. Love does not cease growing in Christ-likeness.
13 Love Endures All Things – Love knows no limit to its endurance. Love is the power to persevere through the most difficult of situations. Love contains the ingredients of patience, forbearance, and fortitude that allow one to sail through any circumstance. Love is the ability to see some joy, benefit, and positive outcome out of the most troubling hardships. Love relies on God and His word to produce a greater measure of endurance through His enabling grace. Love is the power to see good in every difficulty. Love has the capacity to endure persecution, problems, and evil attacks through the power of Christ. Love has the power to endure separation from loved ones. Love learns to do without many things. Love is the power to follow in the footprints of Jesus who endured the cross for sinful human beings. Perfect love casts out fear. Love covers a multitude of sins Love is the fulfillment of the law.
14 Love Never Fails – God’s love in us cannot die because He is eternal. Love cannot fail because God’s sovereign power, knowledge and grace super-intends everything for His best interests. Love continues into eternity. Love never demands proof of our secure future, but is certain of God’s rewards. All gifts but love are temporary. Every service done without God’s love working through us is done for mere earthly gain. Love is a gift that God gives us so that we can continually give to others. Love is the highest evidence of our maturity in Christ. Love is the most long lasting element of our existence. Love looks for people that it can give itself to. When everything of seeming consequence has ended, love will outlast it.
In Christ,
Brown
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