"Charity [Love] suffereth long and is kind… " — I Cor. 13:4a
All of us know more truth than we effectively practice. The greatest difficulty with a serious study of this subject is the revelation of how great a distance separates us from the divine ideal and our present practice. Verses 1-3 emphasize Love's priority, without which all ministry, however charismatic, however "gifted," however impressive, adds up to zero. All else may be imitated, or human talent substituted for it, but not Love. We may learn how to impress multitudes, and they may be unable to distinguish our fabricated efforts from the divine reality, but God knows. This Love comes from Him alone, and measures and manifests our relationship to Him. Without it, we are nothing.
Verses 4-7 set before us some of Love's principles. Not everything is said here that could be said on this subject, for it is as vast and profound as the nature of God Himself. But, all is said that He wanted us to hear, and enough is said to justify the statement of the Savior, "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing [John 15:5, italics mine]." The Love of God is not a commodity He markets to believers; it is coordinate with His life, and is communicated through us when our relationship with Him is what it should be. To be sure, that relationship is established by faith, and not by works, but a valid faith works ("But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" - James 2:20) and faith works by Love (cf. Gal. 5:6).
The first principle is before us today: "Love suffereth long, and is kind." It is not unusual for commentators to divide this into two elements, "longsuffering," or patience, and "kindness." My personal judgment is that the conjunction is not just a coincidence, but that there is a real and proper coordination, and the t wo belong together.
Scripture abundantly emphasizes that God is longsuffering. It is illustrated in particular with reference to the days of Noah, prior to the flood: "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing ( i.e., 120 years), wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water [I Peter 3:18-20]." It is demonstrated in general in God's patience with sinful mankind from the day of Adam's transgression until now: "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance… And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you [II Pet. 3:9, 15]." Coupled with this is the evidence that God has been not only patient with us, but kind as well: "But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil [Luke 6:35 italics mine]."
Out of this comes another term reflective of divine Love; "Lovingkindness." Jeremiah, e.g., writes, "The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying , Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee [Jer. 31:3]." This is the quality which is urged upon believers everywhere in the New Testament. It is important to note that it is not worked up, but imparted by the Holy Spirit (See Gal. 5:22). Its' evidence in our lives is evidence of His presence and right of way in our lives. Its' absence proves the contrary.
Some of us are longsuffering not by grace, but because circumstances leave us no alternative but to "tough it out." It is with the "kindness" part that I, for example, have difficulty. Ask yourself the question: "Am I longsuffering—and KIND? My wife has penned in one of her bibles a phrase picked up somewhere along the way, "Be kinder than necessary." From a spiritual perspective that is reflective of this Love of God. And—for that reason— it is an enviable goal!
For our greater good,
"Pastor" Frasier
All of us know more truth than we effectively practice. The greatest difficulty with a serious study of this subject is the revelation of how great a distance separates us from the divine ideal and our present practice. Verses 1-3 emphasize Love's priority, without which all ministry, however charismatic, however "gifted," however impressive, adds up to zero. All else may be imitated, or human talent substituted for it, but not Love. We may learn how to impress multitudes, and they may be unable to distinguish our fabricated efforts from the divine reality, but God knows. This Love comes from Him alone, and measures and manifests our relationship to Him. Without it, we are nothing.
Verses 4-7 set before us some of Love's principles. Not everything is said here that could be said on this subject, for it is as vast and profound as the nature of God Himself. But, all is said that He wanted us to hear, and enough is said to justify the statement of the Savior, "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing [John 15:5, italics mine]." The Love of God is not a commodity He markets to believers; it is coordinate with His life, and is communicated through us when our relationship with Him is what it should be. To be sure, that relationship is established by faith, and not by works, but a valid faith works ("But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" - James 2:20) and faith works by Love (cf. Gal. 5:6).
The first principle is before us today: "Love suffereth long, and is kind." It is not unusual for commentators to divide this into two elements, "longsuffering," or patience, and "kindness." My personal judgment is that the conjunction is not just a coincidence, but that there is a real and proper coordination, and the t wo belong together.
Scripture abundantly emphasizes that God is longsuffering. It is illustrated in particular with reference to the days of Noah, prior to the flood: "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing ( i.e., 120 years), wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water [I Peter 3:18-20]." It is demonstrated in general in God's patience with sinful mankind from the day of Adam's transgression until now: "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance… And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you [II Pet. 3:9, 15]." Coupled with this is the evidence that God has been not only patient with us, but kind as well: "But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil [Luke 6:35 italics mine]."
Out of this comes another term reflective of divine Love; "Lovingkindness." Jeremiah, e.g., writes, "The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying , Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee [Jer. 31:3]." This is the quality which is urged upon believers everywhere in the New Testament. It is important to note that it is not worked up, but imparted by the Holy Spirit (See Gal. 5:22). Its' evidence in our lives is evidence of His presence and right of way in our lives. Its' absence proves the contrary.
Some of us are longsuffering not by grace, but because circumstances leave us no alternative but to "tough it out." It is with the "kindness" part that I, for example, have difficulty. Ask yourself the question: "Am I longsuffering—and KIND? My wife has penned in one of her bibles a phrase picked up somewhere along the way, "Be kinder than necessary." From a spiritual perspective that is reflective of this Love of God. And—for that reason— it is an enviable goal!
For our greater good,
"Pastor" Frasier
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