Love Never Fails

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 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, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

CONTEXT: Paul is making it clear to the Corinthian brethren that there is a “more excellent way” (12:31) than the spiritual gifts they had at this time. More enduring and influential than any miracle, love is the answer to every situation. This love must become OUR love. “God is love” (1 John 4:8), and therefore HE is the measuring point by which we understand these verses.

In v. 7, Paul states that love BEARS, BELIEVES, HOPES, AND ENDURES all things. Considering the specific meanings of these actions of love can help us understand and employ them better in our walk with God.

“Totality” of this passage.

“all things” (STRONGs): each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything

Nothing left out. Every good thing, every bad thing, EVERY THING.

NIV: “It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

YLT: “all things it beareth, all it believeth, all it hopeth, all it endureth.”

Our God is an all-encompassing being. He is a “TOTAL” God. 2 Cor. 9:8; 1 Chron. 29:11

He DOES all. NOTHING He does is half-done. It is all the way or not at all.

2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

He IS all. NO lack in His being.

1 Chronicles 29:11 “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, And You are exalted as head over all.”

Since God is all, and Jesus is God, then Jesus is all.

John 1:3 “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

Ephesians 1:19–23 NKJV

and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

The way we love and trust in God must be TOTAL. Prov. 3:5-6; Matt. 13:41; 28:30; Mk. 9:23; 10:27

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”

Matthew 13:41 “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,”

Matthew 28:20 “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”

Mark 9:23 “Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.””

Mark 10:27 “But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.””

BEARS all things

stego: to roof over, that is, (figuratively) to cover with silence (endure patiently): - (for-) bear, suffer.

“Bearing” is “covering”. 1 Pet. 4:8; Matt. 5:11-12

1 Peter 4:8 “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.””

This is not about God allowing sins to go on unpunished. He will have ultimate vengeance.

This means that when WE are slighted, accused, insulted, abused, etc., we can bear it because we have God’s love.

God can take any problem we have and lead us safely through it.

Matthew 5:11–12 NKJV

“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

HOW does love bear it? 1 Pet. 5:6-7

1 Peter 5:6-7 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

Thus, HUMILITY becomes the all-important factor in bearing all things.

If we are HUMBLE, then we can become vessels for God’s love.

The key is understanding that these things are COVERED for us, i.e. Even if I am slighted, I live my life as if it never happened, and give vengeance to God.

BELIEVES all things

Pisteuō: to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), that is, credit; by implication to entrust (especially one’s spiritual well being to Christ): - believe (-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with.

Thayer’s: “used in the NT of the conviction and trust to which a man is impelled by a certain inner and higher prerogative and law of soul”

How can we believe all things? Jn. 14:26; 2 Pet. 3:8-15

Because God has given us through His Spirit all things to believe!

John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

2 Peter 3:8–15 NKJV

But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,

Believing the best about others. 1 Tim. 6:4; Prov. 10:12

This also enables us to believe ALL things of our brothers and sisters. It reminds us that we cannot immediately go into a cynical way of thinking when we see what others do.

NOT being naive. God wants us to be wise. However, consider the contrast of the “evil suspicions” of the false teacher in 1 Timothy 6:4.

If others are sinning, we must rightly point it out, but we are not in the business of making up charges against others without a scriptural basis.

This is part of being PROactive, not REactive, as Christians. There are times where we must “react”, but our general model of love is one of preparation, thoughtfulness.

Keep in mind, even the proactive Christian must eventually react!

Brothers and sisters with a mindset of hatred will do nothing to prepare for our interactions, never seek to know their fellow Christians, and will as a result jump to conclusions about their fellow Christians before hearing them out for themselves. Sometimes those who claim the most to know love and grace manifest these actions of hatred.

Proverbs 10:12 “Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.”

HOPES all things

Elpizō: to expect or confide: - (have, thing) hope (-d) (for), trust.

Thayer’s: “to wait for salvation with joy and full confidence”

We hope for our own ultimate reward. Heb. 4:1-13; 10:35; Col. 3:23-24

Hebrews 4:1–13 NKJV

Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.” Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.” For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Hebrews 10:35 “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.”

Colossians 3:23-24 “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”

We hope for others to join in on that reward. Matt. 6:10; Lk. 13:6-9

Matthew 6:10 “Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.”

Even if we see someone who doesn’t show any future signs of repentance, it doesn’t mean we cannot hope for their eventual improvement.

This is a hope that should never die, especially if we have the love of God.

Luke 13:6–9 NKJV

He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ”

ENDURES all things

Hupomenō: to stay under (behind), that is, remain; figuratively to undergo, that is, bear (trials), have fortitude, persevere: - abide, endure, (take) patient (-ly), suffer, tarry behind. “steadfast endurance”

Christians endure like the front lines of an army. 1 Cor. 9:12; 2 Tim. 2:10,24-26

Troubles, crises, problems that occur during our lives are endured through the love of God. These are deeper attacks upon our being than those we might simply bear or “cover”.

1 Corinthians 9:12 “If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ.”

2 Timothy 2:10 “Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”

2 Timothy 2:24-26 “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”

This endurance doesn’t just persist despite adversity, but works to FORGIVE such adversity!

Luke 23:34 “Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.”

We truly endure when we focus on our Head, and those things that please Him. Ps. 46:10; Jn. 18:22-23; Heb. 12:1-3

Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

John 18:22-23 “And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?” Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?””

Hebrews 12:1-3 “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”

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