What is love?
We are kicking off a series of messages tonight entitled, “More to Love.” Over the next four weeks we will look at the way our culture defines love compared to the example of love we have in Jesus and how love is defined by God’s word.
Love is something that is not always easily defined. Though we as humans seem to be obsessed with it, understanding or defining love isn’t always easy. As followers of Jesus we look to God’s word to give us a clear standard of what true love is. Just as if you were being trained to identify counterfeit money you would be surrounded with authentic currency, we can identify un-true love by having a clear understanding of God’s love for us.
In 1 Corinthians 13 we find what is called by many the “love chapter”. Here the Apostle Paul is writing to the Church at Corinth that he had started several years before. This church was a MESS(!) and Paul is writing here not about romantic love (although it is applicable to our dating and marriage relationships) but about the love that we have for one another as followers of Jesus. True love, as defined here in God’s word, is found when we put others first and know God as the true source of love.
Others first isn’t always an easy way to live! This requires us to be willing to sacrifice daily ourselves in order to follow Jesus well. (Matt 16:24). Love is patient meaning we can not try force those we love to move at our pace, but we wait for them.
Love is kind, Paul continues. In his letter to the Ephesian Church Paul echoed this by encouraging them, “And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ,” (Ephesians 4:32). How often are we unkind to those around us? Are we people of intentional kindness to our brothers and sisters in Christ?
Love is not envious. So often we struggle with comparing ourselves to others and their situations, wishing for the downfall of those who may have advantages or opportunities we do not. This is not love and should not be.
The next two, love is not boastful and not arrogant make a nice tandem and drive home a similar point. As followers of Jesus we shouldn’t boast in ourselves, our bragging should be on and in God. Our beliefs of ourselves should also reflect humility. Understanding who we are and pointing others to Jesus not ourselves.
Love is not rude, Paul writes. This may seem simple or elementary but we live in a world where rudeness and criticism are commonplace. Love is not self seeking, for if someone can not respect our boundaries they do not love us. We shouldn’t see people as what access they might have or favors they can do but as individuals made in God’s image and redeemed by his son Jesus.
What is love? Love is not irritable. Often I believe we are the quickest to fail in this with how we treat our family members. We shouldn’t be grumpy or easily perturbed.
Love keeps no record of wrongs. This is to say that true love forgives. Not that true love sits in abuse or toxicity but that loving someone well means choosing to not use their mistakes as a weapon against them.
In verses six and seven Paul shifts from the things we do to put others first to the elements of love that are reflections of Jesus in us. As people transformed by God’s grace we should live more and more as Jesus would, which is to love and love truly. (1 John 4:7-8)
The love of God finds no Joy in unrighteousness. This is to say that true love will never affirm sin. God doesn’t sin wherefore Godly love will not encourage sin. This doesn’t mean we should be judgmental or rude but that we should honestly encourage those in our lives away from sin and towards Jesus.
Love rejoices in the truth verse six continues. This is no surprise considering God is truth and true love will speak and point people to truth. Love bears all things, meaning it has staying power. This instruction reminds the Church, when difficult comes continue to choose to love one another.
Paul concludes love believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. These are certainly impossible without God. A love that believes all doesn’t trust blindly in humanity but believes in God as the source and sustainer of love. A love that hopes ALL THINGS cannot hope in anything less than the completed work of Jesus. A love that endures all must rest strongly on the foundation of a God who is eternal.
Let us love each other well and in turn let us transform our world with the TRUE love of God.
What is one thing that stood out to you from this week’s message or your small group?
How would you define love?
How does our culture define love?
How does Paul define love in this section of Scripture?
In what ways does the love expressed in our church community differ from the type of love offered by the world?
