Christ is the Portrait of Love

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What is Love?

John 13: 35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

1 Corinthians 13:4  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
1 Corinthians 13:5  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
1 Corinthians 13:6  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
1 Corinthians 13:7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

15 characteristics of Love (all in the verb form).  Not thoughts but actions that the Holy Spirit needs to show thru us.

  1. SUFFERETH LONG – patience, long tempered, to be taken advantaged of over and over again and not get angry.  This is a personal attack not when it comes to God’s Word.  Refuses to repay evil with evil.  Ex. Stephen at stoning, Paul in prisons, Christ’s crucifixion.
  2. Kind – will give anything to others, counterpart to suffereth long.  To be useful, serving and gracious, active good will, promoting others good will.  Ex. God- (Rom2:4, Titus 3:4-6) has showed generosity towards us.  How many times have we wronged God and He is still generous to us?
  3. ENVIETH NOT – jealousy.  Can not have Love and Jealousy.  2 forms of jealousy.  1 – Want what other have.   2. Wish they didn’t have what they have.  Love is looking at what others have and being glad for them.  Ex. Of this Love. – Jonathan towards David, David was going to take his place as King but Jonathan loved David like a brother.  Ex. Of jealousy – Cain was jealous of Abel’s sacrifice being accepted.
  4. VAUNTETH NOT ITSELF – brag, to talk conceitedly. Does not tell everyone how good he is, exhorting thyself.  Impossible for us to build us up without putting someone else down.  Ex. Jesus is God but humbled himself and didn’t brag about it
  5. PUFFED UP – arrogant; to think of self over thinking of others; big headed instead of big hearted.  Ex. John the Baptist, John rebuked his disciples when they didn’t like Jesus getting all the ‘fame’.   John said Jesus must increase and I must decrease.
  6. BEHAVE ITSELF UNSEEMLY – act unbecomingly.  Has to do with poor manors or rudeness.  Ex. of this bad trait Luke 7:36-48, Simon didn’t show the common courtesy of washing His feet or giving oil for His skin, for the dry climate.
  7. NOT SEEKETH IT OWN – selfishness, self centered.  When you get rid of selfishness you then re-plant the Garden of Eden.  Love lives for others, Phil. 2:4
  8. NOT EASILY PROVOKED – aroused to anger.  Love guards against being irritated, upset.  Speaking about self being attacked not the Word of God.  Ex. of love here – Jesus got angry to the sellers in the Fathers House, but never when they said thing against him personally.  Paul hated things God hated, division and such, but loved the men that put him in prison falsely.  Love does not react when it comes to self.
  9. THINKETH NO EVIL – does not take into an account an evil done.  Does not cultivate or refresh evils done by someone.  Ex. God doesn’t keep books on us, of our forgiven sins.
  10. REJOICETH NOT IN INIQUITY – (or unrighteousness); does not try to rationalize sin.  Calls sin – sin.  Doesn’t make a wrong right.  Keeps God’s morals.  Rejoicing in sin is wrong because of the consequence upon the one who sins.
  11. BUT REJOICETH IN THE TRUTH – “truth” is not just factual truth but in God’s truth, Word of God, what is right.  Love won’t stand for wrong doctrine.
  12. BEARETH – Love resents bragging, selfishness, resentment, unrighteousness but is willing to bear them, support or protect others from harm.  Not hiding but protecting.
  13. BELIEVETH – mutual trust, if a brother says something, then believe him.
  14. HOPE – Benefit of the doubt.  Give your fellow believer the benefit of the doubt.
  15. ENDURETH – Takes the wrong for the sake of the other.  Endurance is the unending climax of Love.