For the Common Good Pt. 13 (Spanish)

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 NBLA

El amor es paciente, es bondadoso. El amor no tiene envidia; el amor no es jactancioso, no es arrogante. 5 No se porta indecorosamente; no busca lo suyo, no se irrita, no toma en cuenta el mal recibido. 6 El amor no se regocija de la injusticia, sino que se alegra con la verdad. 7 Todo lo sufre, todo lo cree, todo lo espera, todo lo soporta.

Good afternoon, church! Last Sunday we continued to study Paul’s definition of love through CH13 of his 1 letter to the Corinthians. And in doing so, we did not approach this Chapter as poetry for weddings (Which is the way this chapter tends to be used)—We actually approached this chapter as correction for a divided church. (Written to believers in the midst of conflict)

Now, we have already spent months walking through the issues at Corinth. So were not going to be going into those today. We know there were divisions. We know about the pride and the competition that was taking place among them among many other issues.

Now, as we began to unpack Paul’s definition of love, we first established that love begins with patience and kindness. (Love is patient and love kind) This meant that Biblical love does not rush people ahead of what God is doing in them. Biblical love does not discard people and it does not throw people to the side.

Biblical love moves toward people with grace—the same grace we ourselves have received.

Second, as we continued expanding the definition, we saw that love walks in humility, not self-exaltation. Which means that:

Love is not jealous.

It does not brag.

It is not arrogant.

It does not act disgracefully.

It does not seek its own advantage.

in other words love does not revolve around the self. And what we discovered is that Paul was not giving here a mere checklist of behaviors. He was showing us a way of life. As a matter of fact at the end of Ch 12 he describes it as a far better way. A way of living that reflects the very character of God.

And here is what we must remember before we go any further:

We will never produce this kind of love by trying harder.

We will only practice this kind of love by beholding Christ.

Our goal here is not to leave and try to produce this type of love through our own efforts. Our goal is not to love ourselves better. Love does not begin with us. Our goal is to know God by beholding His One and only Son Jesus Christ and as we experience God’s love in our own lives, we will find our complete satisfaction in Him and only then will we be able to express that kind love towards others. So, before love is ever demonstrated through us, it must first be revealed in us by the Holy Spirit as He establishes Christ in our hearts.

However,

1. Antes de que el amor se convierta en algo que practicamos, el amor debe ser Alguien a quien contemplamos.

And the love Paul describes here in 1 Corinthians 13 is not sentimental.

It is not emotional instability.

It is not cultural romance.

It is the life of Christ on display.

Biblical love is not defined by what we feel. It is actually revealed by how we live. And it is only understood when it is rooted in God Himself. And as we established last week, love is not a feeling we fall into. It is a way of life that reflects the character of God.

And nowhere do we see that character more clearly than in Jesus Christ. So today, as we continue to expand on Paul’s definition of love, we are not merely asking: “How should we behave?”

We are actually asking: “What do we see in Christ?” Because as we behold Him, we will be transformed by His Spirit.

Now here is where Paul takes us deeper. Up to this point, Paul has described the posture of love—what love is and what love is not. And in doing so he has addressed the internal disposition of the heart. However, now he moves from disposition to demonstration.

Meaning that Paul is moving from what love is… to how love responds.

Why? Beloved, because love is not proven in theory. Love is not proven merely through spoken or written words. Love is proven in tension. Love is displayed through action. Love is not tested in comfort; love is tested in conflict.

For instance, we sing the song, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” And yes, the Bible tells us that God loves us. But we do not merely know He loves us because it is written—we know He loves us because He demonstrated it. The Scriptures tells us that, “God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” His love was not theoretical. It was displayed in the midst of betrayal, abandonment, opposition, and suffering.

When Christ was abandoned by His disciples…

When He was opposed by religious leaders…

When He was betrayed by one of His own…

How did He respond?

He responded by going to the cross. “having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” And this is the kind of love Paul describes. Church, true love is revealed when we are wronged. When we are misunderstood. When we are opposed. When truth becomes costly. When obedience hurts. That is when love is exposed for what it truly is.

It’s easy to say you love someone when everything is smooth. It’s easy to say you love someone when they agree with you, affirm you, support you. But love is like metal placed in the fire — you don’t really know what it’s made of until the heat rises. Pressure reveals composition. Conflict exposes character. When the temperature of betrayal rises, when misunderstanding burns, when opposition tightens around you — that is when love is tested. And in that fire, Jesus did not melt into anger or harden into bitterness. He absorbed the heat and chose the cross.

And this is precisely where the Corinthians were struggling. And if we are honest, this is where we struggle too. So today, we continue to unpack Paul’s definition of love by looking at out third movement…

Love reshapes how we handle conflict. And just as we did last week, we will not look within ourselves. We will behold Christ. So with that in mind… Let us go to our first point.

III. El amor Transforma la Manera en que Manejamos el Conflicto

If love reshapes how we handle conflict, there’s a question we must answer, What does that love actually look like in real day to day interactions with others?

Now, remember what we established — Paul now moves from what love is to how love responds. He moves from disposition to demonstration. And he begins by telling us: Love is not provoked, and love does not keep an account of a wrong suffered.

There is a connection between these two statements.

2. Decir que el amor no se irrita significa que el amor no se deja provocar fácilmente.

Love is not quick-tempered. It is not easily triggered. It does not allow personal offense to control its response.

In other words, when someone wrongs you, criticizes you, disrespects you, misunderstands you — love does not immediately flare up. And if we are honest, this is not natural for us. We are easily provoked.

For example in marriage, we know exactly which words to use that will wound. We know how to get a reaction from our significant other. We know how to press certain buttons. And not only do we know how to press certain buttons — we have buttons ourselves. And when they are pressed, what happens? We react. When we are provoked we respond.

Some triggers:

Just mention someone’s parenting in a critical way (mom).

Just question someone’s competence.

Or maybe bring up a past failure.

Or just compare them to someone else (we hated my cousin Dimaris)

Or think about family. We usually handle criticism from strangers — but let someone speak negatively about your mom, your father, your child? Something immediately rises up within you.

Or in social media. Someone posts something. You feel triggered. And suddenly here you are typing a response — not in love, but as an impulsive reaction.

3. La verdad es que a veces no necesitamos que alguien nos hiera profundamente para ser provocados. Basta con que nuestro orgullo sea tocado.

And boom! But Church this is not how love works. These types of actions are not loving. And Paul is telling us that love is not easily stirred up.

However, what happens when we are truly hurt? What do we do with the offense? Church, the truth is that once we are hurt, we do not simply feel the pain — we store it. And in some ways, that’s natural.

Think about driving down the road. You hit a pothole. The whole car shakes. You feel it in the steering wheel. And what happens? You remember it. The next time you pass that same stretch of road, you slow down. You move over. You avoid it. That memory protects you.

But here’s the difference — the car is just a vehicle. It feels impact, but it doesn’t develop resentment. Our hearts are different.

When we are wounded, we don’t just remember the pothole — we replay it. We rehearse it. We revisit it. And if we’re not careful, what began as protection turns into bitterness.

Or think about touching a hot stove. You burn your hand once — and you learn. That memory is wisdom. But imagine grabbing the stove every day just to relive the pain. That’s not protection — that’s self-inflicted harm. And that’s what happens when we store offenses without letting love deal with them.

4. Hay una diferencia entre aprender del dolor y vivir en el dolor.

Love does not deny the pothole.

Love does not pretend the stove wasn’t hot.

But love refuses to turn memory into a weapon.

5. Cuando nos aferramos a la ofensa, no solo permanece en nuestra mente — comienza a moldear nuestro corazón.

And this is the reason why Paul says that love does not keep an account of a wrong suffered.

To understand where Paul is coming from let us define the term.

6. La frase “no toma en cuenta el mal recibido,” proviene del lenguaje de contabilidad. Significa calcular, registrar, llevar un libro de cuentas.

So, Paul is saying that love does not keep a running list of offenses. It does not mentally rehearse every wound. It does not weaponize past failures in future arguments. But this is precisely what we do.

“You remember what you did.”

“You always do this.”

“You did the same thing three years ago.”

What do we do? We keep receipts. We place our pain in the filing cabinet of our minds. And to defend ourselves we bring it up not for healing — but for leverage. Paul says: that is not the way love operates in relation to others.

And that is precisely what was happening at Corinth. They were suing one another. Dividing from one another. Counting wrongs. Demanding repayment. And Paul asked them in chapter 6: “Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?”

Now let me say something pastorally, because this is important. When Paul says love does not keep a record of wrongs, he is not saying that real evil should be ignored. He is not saying abuse should be tolerated. He is not saying crimes should not be reported. He is not saying that boundaries are unspiritual.

There are wounds that are real. There are situations that require protection. There are relationships that, because of sin, must be confronted — and sometimes even separated from. Paul himself told the church to remove the unrepentant man from their midst. Scripture also affirms governing authorities to punish evil. Which means that justice is not unloving.

7. Lo que Pablo está abordando aquí no es la búsqueda responsable de la justicia — sino la preservación pecaminosa de la amargura.

He is confronting the heart that replays the offense in order to fuel resentment, leverage control, or demand personal revenge.

Love may establish boundaries.

Love may involve consequences.

Love may even require distance.

But love does not nourish hatred. Love does not build an identity around the wound. It does not weaponize memory to destroy. There is a difference between wisdom and bitterness. Between accountability and revenge. Between healing and hostility. And Paul is calling us away from hostility.

So let me say this plainly. If you have truly forgiven an offense commited against you — do not keep bringing it back to the front.

Because that is not forgiveness. That is suspended hostility.

In marriage, it sounds like this:

“I know I said I forgave you… but remember when you…”

“I’m not holding it against you… but this is just like last time.”

“I moved on… but you always…”

Sometimes it’s an old argument. Sometimes it’s a financial mistake. Sometimes it’s a moment of immaturity. Sometimes it’s a past betrayal that has already been repented of and worked through.

But instead of allowing healing, we reopen the scar. And here’s what happens — every time we bring it up, we are not seeking resolution. We are seeking leverage. We say we forgave. But we kept the file. Love does not work that way.

8. El amor no pretende que la herida nunca ocurrió. Sin embargo, el amor se niega a usar la herida como un arma.

There is a difference between learning from the past and living in the past. And Paul is calling us away from living in it.

So, I beg you — if forgiveness has been granted, do not resurrect what Christ has buried. Because every time we rehearse what has already been forgiven, we are quietly telling the other person, “Your past is still your identity.” And that is not how Christ treats us.

So, then the question becomes: How can we actually live that way? How can anyone say, what Paul suggests in chapter 6, “I rather be wronged. I rather be defrauded.” How can a person release the ledger? How can someone absorb the offense without becoming hardened? The answer is this — this only makes sense if love reshapes our hearts.

Naturally, we defend ourselves. Naturally, we retaliate. Naturally, we keep a record. Our flesh demands repayment. Our ego demands vindication. And this is precisely the reason why Paul establishes at the end of CH12 I will show you a far better way. Paul’s contention is that love breaks the cycle.

If we are going to move from keeping records to canceling debts… from reaction to restraint… then something deeper must happen within us. Our hearts must be transformed. And as we saw last week this transformation takes place when we behold our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

As we read the Gospel accounts we find that the Pharisees were constantly trying to provoke Jesus. They would constantly ask Him loaded questions designed to trap Him. The Scriptures even tell us that this was their intent. They publicly challenged Him and they falsely accused Him. However our Lord never reacted defensively. He always responded in truth and love.

Think about the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus was about to be arrested — unjustly arrested. A crowd comes with swords and clubs. And leading that crowd is Judas, one of the Twelve. He approaches Jesus and betrays Him with a kiss — a sign of affection turned into an act of treachery.

The disciples standing around Jesus see what is happening and they ask, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And before the sentence is even finished, Peter — draws his sword and strikes the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

Everything in that moment justifies retaliation.

Jesus has been betrayed.

He is about to be falsely accused.

He is about to be condemned to death on a cross.

And yet, in Luke 22:51, Jesus responds, 

Luke 22:51 NBLA

Pero Jesús dijo: «¡Deténganse! Basta de esto». Y tocando la oreja al siervo, lo sanó.

Think about it! If you or I were in that position, what would we do? We are not stopping Peter — we are celebrating him. We are grateful someone finally stood up for us. We feel vindicated. We feel justified.

I remember in high school, when I was told someone was waiting outside to beat me up. (Father) My friends said, “We’re with you.” And when I walked out with them surrounding me, I felt justified. I felt proud. I felt defended.

But Jesus did not respond that way. He stops Peter and He heals the man who came to arrest Him.

Before Pilate, when falsely accused, Jesus did not respond in rage. He spoke truth. And at times, He remained silent.

Beloved, that is not weakness. That is meekness. Meekness is strength under control. It is trusting the Father enough not to take vengeance into your own hands. It is refusing to retaliate even when you could.

9. En la cruz, Cristo no guardo un registro de las faltas en contra de los que lo clavaron allí. En cambio, oró: “Padre, perdónalos.” ¡Eso es amor!

The Scriptures tell us in Isaiah 1:18

Isaiah 1:18 NBLA

“Vengan ahora, y razonemos,” Dice el Señor, “Aunque sus pecados sean como la grana, Como la nieve serán emblanquecidos. Aunque sean rojos como el carmesí, Como blanca lana quedarán.”

Psalm 103:12 NBLA

Como está de lejos el oriente del occidente, Así alejó de nosotros nuestras transgresiones.

Our Savior does not keep a ledger against us. What did He do with our ledger?

Colossians 2:13–14 NBLA

Y cuando ustedes estaban muertos en sus delitos y en la incircuncisión de su carne, Dios les dio vida juntamente con Cristo, habiéndonos perdonado todos los delitos, (V14) habiendo cancelado el documento de deuda que consistía en decretos contra nosotros y que nos era adverso, y lo ha quitado de en medio, clavándolo en la cruz.

So think about what we are seeing. In the garden, He refuses retaliation. Before Pilate, He refuses defensiveness. At the cross, He refuses revenge. And with the very hands that were pierced, He takes the ledger that stood against us — every betrayal, every denial, every act of rebellion — and instead of rehearsing it, instead of weaponizing it, instead of demanding repayment, He nails it to the cross.

He absorbs the justice we deserved, cancels the debt we could not pay, and removes our transgressions as far as the east is from the west. He does not deny our sin. He deals with it. He does not ignore the offense. He satisfies it. And then He forgives it. That is love. Not sentimental love. Not fragile love. But redeeming, debt-canceling, cross-bearing love.

So, what do we do when the hurt is real? Not petty. Not imagined. Not exaggerated. But real.

When the wrongdoing has scarred us.

When the betrayal cuts deep.

When the words leave a mark.

We run to the cross! We remember what He has done for us!

Ephesians 4:31–32 NASB 2020

All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

How do we put the bitterness away? How do we deal with the pain from the offense?

10. Dejamos la amargura al recordar Su misericordia hacia nosotros.

11. ¿Cómo soltamos el registro de las ofensas contra nosotros? Recordando que nuestra acta de deuda fue clavada en la cruz.

Because here is the reality:

We were the ones who despised Him.

We were the ones who offended Him.

We were the ones who denied Him.

We were the ones who disobeyed Him.

We were the ones who rejected Him.

And yet God, being rich in mercy, forgave us. We remember that:

Isaiah 53:5 RVA

Pero él fue herido por nuestras transgresiones, molido por nuestros pecados. El castigo que nos trajo paz fue sobre él, y por sus heridas fuimos nosotros sanados.

And now 1 Peter 2:21-23 tells us:

1 Peter 2:21–23 NBLA

Porque para este propósito han sido llamados, pues también Cristo sufrió por ustedes, dejándoles ejemplo para que sigan Sus pasos, 22 el cual no cometió pecado, ni engaño alguno se halló en Su boca; (V23) y quien cuando lo ultrajaban, no respondía ultrajando. Cuando padecía, no amenazaba, sino que se encomendaba a Aquel que juzga con justicia.

Romans 12:17-19 tells us:

Romans 12:17–19 NBLA

Nunca paguen a nadie mal por mal. Respeten lo bueno delante de todos los hombres. 18 Si es posible, en cuanto de ustedes dependa, estén en paz con todos los hombres. (V19) Amados, nunca tomen venganza ustedes mismos, sino den lugar a la ira de Dios, porque escrito está: «Mía es la venganza, Yo pagare», dice el Señor.

So, what do we do when that painful memory resurfaces? We run to the gospel.

We renew our minds.

We take every thought captive to obedience to Christ.

We entrust justice to God.

We remember that we were forgiven. And here is the key:

12. Cuando encontramos nuestro contentamiento en Cristo — cuando comprendemos que, después de toda nuestra rebelión, todavía somos amados, todavía perdonados, todavía aceptados — algo comienza a cambiar en nosotros.

We stop demanding repayment from others because we are already satisfied in Him. We stop keeping score because our own debt was canceled. We begin to give by grace what we have received by grace.

Now, this is not a call for us to suppress our emotions. This is call to experience gospel transformation. The love that refuses retaliation. The love that releases the ledger.

13. El amor que confía el juicio a Dios es producido en el corazón que ha sido abrumado por Su misericordia.

And beloved, if we are honest —This is where we most need Christ.

1 John 4:9–11 NBLA

En esto se manifestó el amor de Dios en nosotros: en que Dios ha enviado a Su Hijo unigénito al mundo para que vivamos por medio de Él. (V10-11) En esto consiste el amor: no en que nosotros hayamos amado a Dios, sino en que Él nos amó a nosotros y envió a Su Hijo como propiciación por nuestros pecados. 11 Amados, si Dios así nos amó, también nosotros debemos amarnos unos a otros.

Do you see it? The command to love flows from the experience of being loved.

14. No perdonamos para ganar misericordia. Perdonamos porque hemos recibido misericordia.

15. No soltamos el libro de cuentas porque la ofensa fue pequeña. Lo soltamos porque nuestra propia deuda era infinita — y fue clavada en la cruz.

So if today you find yourself easily provoked…

If today you find yourself rehearsing the wound…

If today you are carrying a ledger in your heart…

Do not start by trying harder. Start by beholding the Lord.

Look at the garden.

Look at the silence before Pilate.

Look at the cross.

And let the love that canceled your debt begin to reshape your heart. We love — because He first loved us.