Hal Warren
(SHARP): Agape (Koine Greek) – a love that recognizes the
worthiness of the object loved. This love consists of the soul’s
sense of the value and preciousness of its object and its response
to its recognized worth in admiring affection. A love that sacrifices
itself for the benefit of the person loved, even if that person is
unlovely, unlovable, and a bitter enemy of the one whom loves. A
love of devotion not of emotion (phileo, which means brotherly love,
is the Greek word for emotional love).
Point of View: Having the love of God in our
lives is the only way we will show the world that we have a desirable
difference.
Action Step: Meditate (repeat until you learn
it by heart) the description of the love of God found in 1 Corinthians
13: 4-8.
Benefit: The love of God will be formed in your
life resulting in a Christ honoring disposition that will be
a witness to a lost world.
Key Point 1: Love’s nature.
Subpoint 1.1: Love suffers long. NKJ 1 Corinthians
13:4
(Love meekly and patiently bears ill treatment from others. Wuest)
Love is patient. Patience is the ability
to wait. This is the normal attitude of love; love passive;
love waiting to begin; not in a hurry; calm; ready to do its
work when the summons comes but meantime wearing the ornament
of a meek and quiet spirit. For love understands; therefore,
it waits even with people that are not rich, influential,
or powerful. It does not rush people but rather gives them time
to grow. Love does not expect perfection but rather progress.
Subpoint 1.2: [Love] is kind.
NKJ 1 Corinthians 13:4
(Love is kind, gentle, benign, pervading and penetrating the whole
nature, mellowing all which would have been harsh and austere.
Wuest)
Love active. Think about how much of Christ’s life was spent
in doing kind things – in merely doing kind things! God has
put in our power the happiness of those about us, and that is largely
to be secured by our being kind to them. One of the greatest things
a man can do for his Heavenly Father is to be kind to some of His
other children. Kindness is the quality of being warm-hearted,
considerate, humane and sympathetic. However, kindness has the
toughness to lovingly confront others with their shortcomings and
helps them overcome them. (Proverbs 27:5,6,17)
Subpoint 1.3: Love does not envy.
NKJ 1 Corinthians 13:4
([Love] is not envious. Wuest)
Love is not envious. This is love even
when in competition with others. Whenever you attempt a good
work you will find others doing the same kind of work and probably
doing it better. Envy them not. Envy is a feeling of ill will
to those who are in the same line as us, a spirit of covetousness
and detraction. Love
is generous in its opinion of others. It enjoys the success
of others! If you only enjoy recognized personal successes then
you will feel rejected much of the time. It remembers that in the
world we can not control how others will respond to us but we can
control how we respond to others.
Key Point 2: Love’s behavior.
Subpoint 2.1: Love does not parade itself, is
not puffed up; NKJ 1 Corinthians 13: 4
(Love does not brag, nor does it show itself off, is not ostentatious,
does not have an inflated ego. Wuest)
To put a seal on your lips and forget what you have done. After
you have been kind, after love has stolen forth into the world
and done its beautiful work, go back into the shade again and say
nothing about it. Love hides even from itself. Love waives even
self-satisfaction. It is humble in relationships with others. It
is not on an ego or power trip. It remembers that leadership is
really about serving others. Love does not boast is not puffed
up.
Subpoint 2.2: [Love] does not behave
rudely. NKJ 1 Corinthians 13: 5
([Love] does not act unbecomingly. Wuest)
This is Love in society, Love in relation to etiquette, Love in
little things. The secret of politeness is to Love. Love cannot
behave itself unseemly. Love is courteous. Love is friendly. Love
has good manners. It treats other with dignity even if they do
not seem to deserve it. Love is courteous with good manners.
Subpoint 2.3: [Love] does not seek
its own, NKJ 1 Corinthians 13:5
([Love] does not seek after things which are its own. Wuest)
Love does not seek even that which is its own.
This is the giving up of not just our rights but of ourselves.
To be abandoned to God’s will and purpose for our lives. Remember that there
is no greatness in things – greatness is only found in unselfish
love. There is no happiness in having, or in getting, but only
in giving – for Life consists of giving and serving. Love
is unselfish and selfless.
Key Point 3: Love’s reaction.
Subpoint 3.1: [Love] is not provoked. NKJ 1 Corinthians
13:5
([Love] is not irritated, provoked, exasperated, aroused to anger.
Wuest)
Ill temper is the vice of the virtuous. The one blot on an otherwise
noble character is to be easily ruffled, quick-tempered, or have
a touchy disposition. An evil temper can cause the name of Christ
to suffer more than vice, worldliness, greed, or even drunkenness.
Temper is significant in not only what it is but even more so in
what it reveals. Temper is the symptom of a lack of Christ conformity
within our souls. However, souls are not made sweet by taking the
acid out but rather by putting the Spirit of Christ within. Love
is even-tempered even with less powerful, rich or influential people. Love
is not easily provoked.
Subpoint 3.2: [Love] thinks no evil. 1 Corinthians
13:5
([Love] does not take into account the evil [which it suffers].
Wuest)
Guilelessness is the grace for suspicious people. Love imputes
no ill motive, sees the bright side, and puts the best construction
on every action. Love believes in others knowing this is
what helps others to believe in themselves. Love believes
the best in others giving the benefit of the doubt. Love is
guileless.
Subpoint 3.3: [Love] does not rejoice in iniquity,
but rejoices in the truth;. NKJ 1 Corinthians 13:6
([Love] does not rejoice at the iniquity but rejoices with the
truth. Wuest)
The self-restraint which refuses to take advantage of the faults
of others. The love that delights not in exposing the weakness
of others but covers them like a medicated bandage over a wound.
The sincerity of purpose which endeavors to see things as they
are, and rejoices to find them better than suspicion feared or
slander denounced. It gets not pleasure out of the shortcomings
or failures of others. Love embraces those that fail and it builds
up those who have been hurt. It finds no room for racism or sexism.
It is not full of hypocrisy or dishonesty. Love is sincere.
Subpoint 3.4: [Love] bears all things, believes
all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
NKJ 1 Corinthians 13:7,8
([Love] endures all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
bears up under all things, not losing heart nor courage. Love never
fails. Wuest)
Love quietly covers all things. Love does
not give up for the battle is the Lords. NIV Proverbs 21:31 The
horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests
with the LORD. Love
perseveres!
Point of View: Having the love of God in our
lives is the only way we will show the world that we have a desirable
difference.
Action Step: Meditate (repeat until you learn
it by heart) the description of the love of God found in 1 Corinthians
13: 4-8.
Benefit: The love of God will be formed in your
life resulting in a Christ honoring disposition that will be
a witness to a lost world.
(SHARP): Though a Christian is good at saying
all the right things with proper diction and etiquette, but
does not have love - they are just making noise. Though they
may have exceptional leadership intuition, an extensive education,
strong trust in God, but do not have love – they are
irrelevant. Though they self sacrificially give to others but
do it without a motive of love - they will not be blessed financially.
(Based on 1 Corinthians 13:1-3)
Resources for this article:
"The Greatest Thing in the World", Authored by Henry Drummond in
1874, ISBN 1-55748-422-8, a partner with D.L. Moody
Tony Campolo (1992). Everything You’ve Heard is Wrong. Irving,
Texas: Word Publishing.
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