“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13: 6-7)
“Love is not one of many virtues; it embodies them all. Love is not merely the doing of some heroic or virtuous action or refraining from vices or evil deeds. It is a ‘way’ of life.” [The Asbury Bible Commentary]
The Corinthians are not imitating the love of Christ in their lives and Paul is addressing that problem in the following way. He reveals what a Christian is supposed to say and do and what they are not to say and do. As our commentary points out, love is to be a way of life and not a hit or miss act. We need to put love in its proper perspective. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10) “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) Does that makes things a little clearer? God is love. He is the embodiment of love. He showed us in a tangible way by sending His own Son to die a horrifying and brutal death on a cross reserved for criminals. Can we understand the magnitude of His love for us. I don’t know that we truly can. We have nothing on this earth to compare it to. There is nothing in this life that even comes close. The Corinthians took their focus off Christ and placed it on themselves and others in their congregation. Human love is inconsistent and unreliable. God’s love never changes … ever.
While it is true that we are a project under construction internally, that should never keep us from striving for a perfection we can never achieve this side of heaven. We are to hold close to our hearts the scriptures and attempt to live by them with the assistance of the Holy Spirit. Living for God should not be a burdensome thing, but rather a great joy to us. It should be viewed as a right response for all that God has willingly done for us. He created us, we sinned, He offers forgiveness for that sin … that is love. God doesn’t overlook any sin, but rather chooses not to hold it against us any longer. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12) “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” (Hebrews 8:12). This type of response from God should result in a loving response from us toward both our God and our fellow man.
WALK WITH THE KING AND BE A BLESSING!
