Love is patient and kind...

1Corinthians 13:4 “Love is patient and kind...”

What do you think the Lord would prefer someone who earnestly tried or someone that was quick to give up?” A rather silly open-ended question, as there is many ways in which we could answer that. An ambiguous question which could possibly result with many varying opinions, but in fact mostly a lot of hot air, as we are often tempted to speculate and look for reasons to explore a thought, yet with bias before we start. If I was a hand on kind of guy, my motto would be God helps those who help themselves. If I was lazy and always looked for the easy way out, then I would lean on the finished work of Calvary, yet with predisposition!  It is part of our makeup we are devious in ourselves and by nature look to stretch God’s law/Grace to the limit where and when possible. I once again with great joy and with much thanksgiving thank God our Father for the Word of God and for God the Holy Spirit who takes what is written and guides all those who look to Him for direction. It must however start with the Word and it must without exception also end with it. As it is our safety zone! As soon as we step from its covering we are vulnerable to deception. Think of the games we played as children, I would play a game of “catches” but as long as I was in my den I could not be caught. It is no different to the way we take what has been written and apply it correctly to our lives. However we must be diligent to explore the text in order to stand firm on it and more importantly arise to what it teaches. While playing catches as a very young boy, even the safety zone came with rules; i.e. both feet needed to be in the demarcated area and if a foot was outside the zone I was no longer safe. It was nice to tease whoever was “On” with a foot out and then as they approached to quickly draw it back into safety. Nevertheless it was a risky tactic.

Now let us examine the way we think and reason as if our rational could be boxed; if only I could somehow twist my thoughts and somehow arrive at some elongated conclusion and yet be good with God. In other word push the boundaries and not be in breach of contract. We see this in our children; it is part of their character. What is? Pushing the limits! And yet we are no different in principle. How could we be, we all have fallen natures and ARE BORN SINNERS because of our forefathers original sin. Adam’s sin has fallen on all of mankind. We all need a Saviour, praise the name of Jesus as He is the only True Saviour who holds the keys to life and death. Remember whoever tells you otherwise are liars. Having now stated the obvious let us be on guard from our own worst enemies, SELF!

Whatever we may have believed to fall under the category of love, as this is now our subject and will continue to be for as long as it takes, let us look to the Word of God and mirror that truth against our lives, so that we may arrive at some solid conclusions.

Let us look at 1Corinthians 13:4-5 and once again we will use Matthew Henry’s findings...

The apostle gives us in these verses some of the properties and effects of charity, both to describe and commend it, that we may know whether we have this grace and that if we have not we may fall in love with what is so exceedingly amiable, and not rest till we have obtained it. It is an excellent grace, and has a world of good properties belonging to it. As,

I. It is long suffering - makrothumei. It can endure evil, injury, and provocation, without being filled with resentment, indignation, or revenge. It makes the mind firm, gives it power over the angry passions, and furnishes it with a persevering patience, that shall rather wait and wish for the reformation of a brother than fly out in resentment of his conduct. It will put up with many slights and neglects from the person it loves, and wait long to see the kindly effects of such patience on him.

II. It is kind - chrēsteuetai. It is benign, bountiful; it is courteous and obliging. The law of kindness is in her lips; her heart is large, and her hand open. She is ready to show favours and to do good. She seeks to be useful; and not only seizes on opportunities of doing good, but searches for them. This is her general character. She is patient under injuries, and apt and inclined to do all the good offices in her power. And under these two generals all the particulars of the character may be reduced.

III. Charity suppresses envy: It envieth not; it is not grieved at the good of others; neither at their gifts nor at their good qualities, their honours not their estates. If we love our neighbour we shall be so far from envying his welfare, or being displeased with it, that we shall share in it and rejoice at it. His bliss and sanctification will be an addition to ours, instead of impairing or lessening it. This is the proper effect of kindness and benevolence: envy is the effect of ill-will. The prosperity of those to whom we wish well can never grieve us; and the mind which is bent on doing good to all can never with ill to any.

IV. Charity subdues pride and vain-glory; It vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, is not bloated with self-conceit, does not swell upon its acquisitions, nor arrogate to itself that honour, or power, or respect, which does not belong to it. It is not insolent, apt to despise others, or trample on them, or treat them with contempt and scorn. Those who are animated with a principle of true brotherly love will in honour prefer one another, Rom_12:10. They will do nothing out of a spirit of contention or vain-glory, but in lowliness of mind will esteem others better than themselves, Phi_2:3. True love will give us an esteem of our brethren, and raise our value for them; and this will limit our esteem of ourselves, and prevent the tumours of self-conceit and arrogance. These ill qualities can never grow out of tender affection for the brethren, nor a diffusive benevolence. The word rendered in our translation vaunteth itself bears other significations; nor is the proper meaning, as I can find, settled; but in every sense and meaning true charity stands in opposition to it. The Syriac renders it, non tumultuatur - does not raise tumults and disturbances. Charity calms the angry passions, instead of raising them. Others render it, Non perper et pervers agit - It does not act insidiously with any, seek to ensnare them, nor tease them with needless importunities and addresses. It is not froward, nor stubborn and untractable, nor apt to be cross and contradictory. Some understand it of dissembling and flattery, when a fair face is put on, and fine words are said, without any regard to truth, or intention of good. Charity abhors such falsehood and flattery. Nothing is commonly more pernicious, nor more apt to cross the purposes of true love and good will.

V. Charity is careful not to pass the bounds of decency; ouk aschēmonei - it behaveth not unseemly; it does nothing indecorous, nothing that in the common account of men is base or vile. It does nothing out of place or time; but behaves towards all men as becomes their rank and ours, with reverence and respect to superiors, with kindness and condescension to inferiors, with courtesy and good-will towards all men. It is not for breaking order, confounding ranks bringing all men on a level; but for keeping up the distinction God has made between men, and acting decently in its own station, and minding its own business, without taking upon it to mend, or censure, or despise, the conduct of others. Charity will do nothing that misbecomes it.

VI. Charity is an utter enemy to selfishness: Seeketh not its own, does not inordinately desire nor seek its own praise, or honour, or profit, or pleasure. Indeed self-love, in some degree, is natural to all men, enters into their very constitution. And a reasonable love of self is by our Saviour made the measure of our love to others, that charity which is here described, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The apostle does not mean that charity destroys all regard to self; he does not mean that the charitable man should never challenge what is his own, but utterly neglect himself and all his interests. Charity must then root up that principle which is wrought into our nature. But charity never seeks its own to the hurt of others, or with the neglect of others. It often neglects its own for the sake of others; prefers their welfare, and satisfaction, and advantage, to its own; and it ever prefers the weal of the public, of the community, whether civil or ecclesiastical, to its private advantage. It would not advance, nor aggrandize, nor enrich, nor gratify itself, at the cost and damage of the public.

VII. It tempers and restrains the passions. Ou paroxunetai - is not exasperated. It corrects a sharpness of temper, sweetens and softens the mind, so that it does not suddenly conceive, nor long continue, a vehement passion. Where the fire of love is kept in, the flames of wrath will not easily kindle, nor long keep burning. Charity will never be angry without a cause, and will endeavour to confine the passions within proper limits, that they may not exceed the measure that is just, either in degree or duration. Anger cannot rest in the bosom where love reigns. It is hard to be angry with those we love, but very easy to drop our resentments and be reconciled.

VIII. Charity thinks no evil. It cherishes no malice, nor gives way to revenge: so some understand it. It is not soon, nor long, angry; it is never mischievous, nor inclined to revenge; it does not suspect evil of others, ou logizetai to kakon - it does not reason out evil, charge guilt upon them by inference and innuendo, when nothing of this sort appears open. True love is not apt to be jealous and suspicious; it will hide faults that appear, and draw a veil over them, instead of hunting and raking out those that lie covered and concealed: it will never indulge suspicion without proofs, but will rather incline to darken and disbelieve evidence against the person it affects. It will hardly give into an ill opinion of another, and it will do it with regret and reluctance when the evidence cannot be resisted; hence it will never be forward to suspect ill, and reason itself into a bad opinion upon mere appearances, nor give way to suspicion without any. It will not make the worst construction of things, but put the best face that it can on circumstances that have no good appearance. (Matthew Henry)

Signing off

Tyrone