First Corinthians 13 Part 5 A Covering, Believing, Hopeful, Enduring Love In Us

May the Spirit of God work His wonderful love deep into our heart.

1 Corinthians 13:1-6  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2)  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3)  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 4)  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5)  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6)  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 

The apostle Paul is teaching us that the operating principle of spiritual gifts administered in the church by the Holy Spirit, is the love of God in us.

He describes what God's love in the believer looks like by telling us how it will transform us and what it will not lead us to do.

If we use spiritual gifts without God's love shaping how we use that gift, then it is nothing in the sight of God and man.

God's love is longsuffering, patient and kind toward others. It is not jealous of others, self promoting or arrogant.

God's love puts others needs before our own needs. It thinks right, speaks right and does what is right.

God's love rejoices in the inspired truth in His Word.

God's love in a believer will bear all things without complaint or murmuring. 

1 Corinthians 13:7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 

The Greek word translated "beareth" all things means to cover something up in order to protect something. It was used of putting on a new roof or new decking.

However, this word was mostly used in terms of keeping things secret or covered up. This is the idea of not betraying something that someone told us in confidence. 

Thus, the love of God in us will not reveal the errors, faults or flaws of other people. 

Love conceals every thing that should be concealed and betrays no secret. 

A person under the influence of this love never makes the sins, faults or imperfections of any man publicly known. 

1 Peter 4:8  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. 

Paul uses this word in the same sense that Peter did. God's love or charity, will cover a multitude of sins. 

We will not bring up the past sins of those whom we claim to have forgiven, because Christ does not treat us that way. 

Bearing all things is what the love of God does. How does Jesus forgive us? Fully and completely. 

Does Jesus remember our sins and bring them up to us whenever we fail Him? No He does not (See Psalm 32; 51, 103:11-14 for examples).

Our sin with its guilt and shame are removed by God and our slate is wiped clean as if we never sinned. 

His love covers all of our sins with the blood of Jesus. He covers or clothes each believer with the righteousness of His Son, Jesus Christ.

In like manner, that love in us will lead us to keep all things covered with regard to what we know about other people.

God's love will be ready to believe the best about all people. 

1 Corinthians 13:7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 

What does it means when Paul says the love of God in us "believeth all things?" 

In this case it means ready to believe those things that are not false. It means easily persuadable in a good sense.

It is a readiness to believe the best about any person, rather than making a wrong assumption about their character without any basis to do so. 

Proverbs 14:15  The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going. 

Believing all things does not destroy or diminish our need for prudence. 

Paul is not telling us to believe all things with naive simplicity. 

Psalm 119:66  Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments. 

Politicians and salespeople hope people are gullible and will believe every word that they speak, in order to gain a vote or a sale. 

Thus, we have a great need to exercise prudence, discernment and common sense. 

We need the Holy Spirit to teach us good judgment in these situations so that God's love shapes our response to other Christians. 

Wisdom may dwell with love, and charity may be cautious, but it is ready to believe well of all.

Again, social media is full of fools who rush to judgment before all the facts are made known. 

God will not unjustly condemn us in that manner and we should not do that with others. 

God's love fills us with hope and is not overcome with discouragement. 

1 Corinthians 13:7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 

The next characteristic of God's love or charity is the phrase "hopeth all things." 

Charity or love is ever ready to believe the best of every person, and will not think wrongly toward others. 

When we reach a point that we can no longer for believe good of a person, then love comes in with its hope. 

Proverbs 10:12  Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins. 

God's love in us begins immediately to seek the welfare of a sinning brother or sister, as far as a good conscience can permit. 

If their sin is flagrantly rebellious then we confine ourselves to fervent earnest prayer on their behalf.

Love hopes for the repentance of the transgressor, and for his or her restoration. 

Love hopes for that person to confess sins and receive forgiveness and cleansing from God. 

Love hopes for each transgressor to be restored into their church family. 

Romans 8:24-25  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25)  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. 

The love of God produces a patient and enduring hope in us as we interact with other believers in Christ. 

Each one of us has flaws or areas where God is still working to conform us to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. 

Therefore, we need an enduring hope toward others that God will work in their lives to bring them along in their walk with Him.

We pray for others to have the same enduring hope toward us, that God will work in us to help us mature and grow as Christians. 

God's love endures through all the ups and downs of Christian living. 

1 Corinthians 13:7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 

The last trait of God's love in this text mentioned by Paul is that charity of love "endureth all things."

This word refers to being patient and persevering with all aspects of our relationships with other believers. 

This is having a patient perseverance with a loving spirit in the midst of our own trials or afflictions. 

Charity or love bears up under all persecution or mistreatment from enemies and professed friends. 

It perseveres when others afflict or reproach us with an evil mind.  

Endurance teaches us to submit to God's permissive will, such that we never say that our trials or afflictions cannot be endured.

We can see that every aspect of God's love is necessary and needs to be fully worked into our heart and soul and mind by His Holy Spirit. 

This love of God in us is the marvelous fruit of God's Spirit. He works it into us so that we respond to others and to our circumstances in a way that brings honor and glory to God.

Let us pray for the Spirit of God to do this mighty work in us, so that we might be usable vessels for His kingdom work.

Let us take in what God says to us in His Word and give our best effort to understand what He wants to do, and then to yield to Him. 

May the Lord of glory be honored in our response to His Word today.

Bob