Love Series #6 - Part 2

…And we are going to see everything that love is, and everything that love stands for is everything that the world does not want. The world wants to lust. Here, let’s go to Ephesians, just a few pages over. Just hold your place here. You go II Corinthians, and then you have Galatians, and then you have Ephesians. Ephesians 2:2. Because, you see, if in your heart with the Spirit of God you’re loving God, then the love of God is going to be able to put down the lusts. You cannot overcome a carnal mind with carnal things. As I said before, you can’t do spiritual things with physical means. You can’t overcome sin by just merely trying to put it down. You have to, but you can conquer it greater when you have the love of God to give you the outgoing, the outreaching to God to have Him give you the strength to overcome it. So when your mind is focusing in on loving God and with God’s Spirit, then you’re not going to be doing these things. So you’re not going to be having jealousy and envy.

Here, verse 2: “…Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world…” And of course, we’ve already studied that in I John: “Love not the world, neither the things of the world. The lust of the world, and the pride of life, and these things are not from the Father, but of the world; and it’s passing away…” (I John 2:15-17, paraphrased). “…According to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience...” And a lot of them think that this is light. “Among whom also we all had our conversation [or conduct] in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others” (Eph. 2:2-3). Why? Because we were filling all the works of the flesh, correct? You cannot overcome the works of the flesh with the works of the flesh. You can only overcome the works of the flesh with the power of God’s Spirit, and the love of God. And when you see how great God is, and how great His love is, then your desire to do these things will be completely overcome.

Now let’s go back to I Corinthians 13. So love is not envying. God’s Spirit and His love gives you the ability to not envy, to not be jealous if someone has something, or blessed with something, or receives something, or does something, or accomplishes something. We can rejoice with them. And we don’t have to say, “Boy, I wish I had that. I wonder how he did that. I wonder why they got it and I didn’t get it. God, why did You give it to this person and not to me?” Don’t worry about it. God has made vessels to honor and to dishonor. And the ones to dishonor are sometimes, I mean, as we look at it as human beings, are the ones, as Paul said, we bestow the most honor upon.

Now let’s go to the next one: “…Charity [love] vaunteth not itself…” (I Cor. 13:4). Now “vaunting” is this: does not show oneself as a boaster, the big I – “I have done this; I have done that; I am this; I am that.” And I think the epitome of that was, you could say, in the person of Mohammad Ali: “I’m the greatest; I am the greatest.” But I think right now he may be a pretty humble person. Remember what happened him? He literally got his brains beaten out, and has Parkinson’s disease. And I’m not going to say that it is God’s judgment upon him. But nevertheless with that, he has become a very humble person. He used to vaunt himself. Now we have someone who vaunts himself today, don’t we? Who says, “I am the only apostle; I am God’s Vicar on earth; I am the leader of the church, and at 75 I will not step down.” And you can put it in all kind of supposedly humble terms, but he vaunts himself. So love will give you the understanding that you don’t vaunt yourself up.

Then the next one that comes along with it, vaunting, is a boaster, or a braggadocio, or being rash. Now the next one goes right along with it: “…is not puffed up,…” (verse 4). Now what does “puffing up” do? Well, it exaggerates. That’s what it means. That’s why it comes right after being a braggadocio, then it exaggerates, and how great this accomplishment is, how great that accomplishment is. Listen, when we start comparing ourselves with God and His love, what accomplishments do we truly have that really amount to anything? I mean, anything? Think about it. I mean, in our own mind they may be fine. That’s why whatever you have done – wonderful. But don’t bank on it. Count on God’s Holy Spirit. Count on God’s love. Whatever you can do – wonderful. But remember, God has giving you the ability to do everything, has He not? Yes. Do you remember one who bragged an awful lot, remember one who puffed himself up? Good old Job. God took care of him, didn’t He? And when he repented, then he was blessed tremendously.

Now verse 5. Continuing what it helps you not to do. “…Doth not behave itself unseemly…” And that means “void of proper deportment, foolishness, moral depravity.” It doesn’t behave itself that way. “…Seeketh not her [it’s] own…” And notice, each one of these –eth. Let’s go back to verse 4 and review that: “…Charity [love] suffereth [is suffering] long…” -eth, present tense. “…And is kind; charity [love] envieth [is envying] not…” Present tense, notice all the way through. “…Charity [love] vaunteth not [is not vaunting] itself, [love] is not puffed up, [love] doth not behave itself unseemly, [love] seeketh [is seeking] not her [it’s] own…” Now why don’t you do this some Sunday, watch some of these infomercials which have to do with self-improvement, with puffing yourself up to make yourself good. Now you can do a certain amount with that. And you just remember these things in I Corinthians 13 while you’re watching that program. I did that one time with his fellow who… What’s his name? That has Fran Tarkenton with him? Gary Powers. I think that’s his name. That man used to be a minister in Worldwide Church of God, believe it or not. And it’s amazing what they can do with that. Now, “…seeketh not her [it’s] own…”

Let’s go to Philippians again. You go II Corinthians, Galatians and then Ephesians, then Philippians 2, which is all so telling us how a congregation needs to be run. Philippians 2:1. And again, just like in that letter I read where this fellowship group gets together – small group – they have love, they have unity, they have peace, they have harmony. Just like with us here. That does not mean there may not be troubles; that doesn’t mean that we haven’t had them. But it means that with God’s Spirit we can overcome them, correct? We can find a right solution, true? Yes. Philippians 2:1: “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels…” Now that means, clear down in the deep inner recesses of your being.

Now what happens when you’re really upset, when you’re really angry? Your whole insides and your whole digestive system just is cranked up in crash mode, right? Yes. So he’s saying, let it be true from the innermost part of your being. “…And mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love [which comes from whom? God the Father and Jesus Christ], being of one accord, of one mind.” How is that done? If we’re all seeking and loving God, we will be more of one accord and one mind than anything else, won’t we? Yes we will, and it will happen. “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory…” Or that is, being puffed up, or, braggadocio-ness, and how great you are, what you can do, and all this sort of thing. “…But in lowliness of mind let each esteem [the] other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things…” Not seeking his own. No hidden agenda. No things for the self, as it were, but to serve the people of God and do what is right, and love one another. “…But every man also on the things of others.” Then he says, verse 5: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:...” (Phil. 2:1-5). Who what? Who loved God.

Now let’s come back to I Corinthians 13, because in this what we are finding is a step-by-step way on how to apply love on a daily basis. That’s what this is really telling us. Next: “…Not easily provoked…” That is hard. That’s a hard one for every one of us. Many times we say, “Well, I’m just that way.” What is that? I’ve had to see that is my excuse for not changing. Isn’t it? If you are that way, does God expect you to stay that way? No. Can you change? Yes. Will it be easy? No. But can it be done? Yes. And will it bring the peaceable fruits of righteousness later? Yes. “…Thinketh no evil…” Is not imputing motives. Thinks no evil. Not rejoicing in evil. Of course, the world has that. They have pleasure in evil, don’t they? You read Romans 1…here, let’s just turn back, because Romans is the next book back. Go back to Romans 1. Hold your place here…let’s just read the last verse. “…Rejoiceth not in iniquity…” (I Cor. 13:5-6). No, but there are people who do.

Romans 1:32 says, of all the things that are listed there: “…Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” Have pleasure in sin. The world is filled with that. So God wants us to come to the point of thinking no evil. Now there is…you have to have your guard up though, because Jesus also said, “Be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove.” Because if you are not alert to some of the evil – this doesn’t mean you’re not discerning good from evil, this means you are not thinking and planning evil that you commit and execute. But you have got to understand the evil of the world. Doesn’t it say, “…Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error [deception]” (I John 4:6), by using our minds to understand? That’s correct. But we ourselves are not thinking evil to initiate it on our own as part of our life.

I Corinthians 13:6 follows right along with that: “…Rejoiceth [is rejoicing] not in iniquity…” And that’s what the whole movie and television industry is based upon. “…But rejoiceth [now we come back to positive things] in the truth…”Now what happens when you know the truth of God, and you really begin to understand it, and it really begins to sink down deep into your heart and mind? You rejoice in it, don’t you? You’re happy because of it, aren’t you? Yes, yes. “…Rejoiceth in the truth: beareth all things…” (verses 6-7). Is able to bear up under it, sustains, support. And it also means to fend off. Now why would it mean that? Because that has to do with our overcoming, an awful lot to do with our overcoming.

Let’s go to Ephesians 6. Because we are to use the power of God and the love of God to fend off the evil that’s around us. And we bear up under fending off all that evil. Ephesians 6:10: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. [That you] put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Fend off all of these things; endure up under it. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:10-12). And brethren, we are living in an age when we are going to see the fulness of this take place with such spectacular inglorious insanity that this world is going to go through. And I truly believe that the only way they’re going to get this one world system in, is like they have done everything else they have ever done – collapse the economy and put people in desperate straits, to where they must embrace the solution. And if they do that worldwide, I think that’s the only way they’re going to do it. They’re getting too much resistance now. And you can bring people low very quickly. And that’s one of the most wicked things you can do is to just pull that upon people.

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” To bear up under. Don’t let it get you down. Don’t let it be discouraging to you. Go to God. Let Him give you His love. Let Him give you His truth. Let Him give you His power and strength. And then, you: “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness…” so that you protect that love of God. “…And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all [and that means put out, quench, put out, stop] the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…” (verses 13-17). So all of this ties in with then bearing up, bearing all things.

Now let’s come back to I Corinthians 13:7 please: “…Believeth all things…” Notice the –eth…“is believing” all things, in particularly the Word of God, right? Yes. In particularly the Word of God. And Who are we to believe in? What did Jesus Christ say was the most important thing to believe in? “Believe in Him Who has sent Me.” That is, in the Father. “…Hopeth all things…” Now why is that so important? Because even in the most tragic situation, maybe somewhere down the road God is going to turn it around. So you hope for the best, you pray for the best. “…Endureth all things.” Regardless of what comes along. And “endure” means to have courage, to be brave; to be able to buck up under, as it were, bearing up all things.

Now notice, verse 8: “Charity [love] never faileth:…” You want a sure thing into the kingdom of God? You got it right there. Never fails. Notice, he says: “…but whether there be prophecies…” And what did we start out with at the first of this chapter? The gift of prophecy? “…They shall fail…” That is, all of man’s prophesies. This does not have to do with the prophecies of God. Christ said every one of those will happen. “…Whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come…” That’s what we’re looking for, brethren. Perfect love is going to lead us to a perfect eternal existence. “…Then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things” (verses 8-11). And all these childish things of jealousy, and thinking of evil, rejoicing in iniquity, of vaunting the self, of being boastful and proud – all those things are little childish things that go against love.

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face:…” Isn’t that interesting – face-to-face – because God wants us to have a personal relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ. “…Then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now [remains or] abideth faith, hope, charity [love], these three; but the greatest of these is charity [love]” (verses 12-13). And that’s what God wants us to focus on. That’s what God what us to grow in. And there are so many, many, things that we could add to it, bring to it. But let’s understand how great that God is, that He went through what He went through to make it possible for us to have the love of God, the Spirit of God, to grow in the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Now what I want you to do is take the study paper, and I what you to study all the places…we just might do this in review, just to finish up as were going through the next one on John. Look at all the areas in I John that tells us – and II and III John – about the love of God, and how then that is in expressing love to each other. That’s how God the Father is loving us with His Spirit. And then when we love each other and we are fellowshipping with God the Father and Jesus Christ, then truly, truly, brethren, we can have a congregation and a church that is going to be pleasing to God. We can do those things that please God, if it’s all based on the love of God. So that’s why love is so important, never fails, and it is the greatest of all.

Love of God #6

Scriptural References

1. Revelation 2:19

2. 1 John 4:6

3. 1 John 2:3-6

4. Matthew 5:48

5. Revelation 2:2

6. Hebrews 5:11-14

7. 1 John 4:6-9

8. 1 John 1:3

9. 1 John 4:9-21

10. 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

11. Luke 17:6

12. John 14:13

13. Romans 8:26

14. Ephesians 2:2-3

15. 1 John 2:15-17

16. Philippians 2:1-5

17. Romans 1:32

18. Ephesians 6:10-17