The Character of Genuine Love

The Character of Genuine Love

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

1 Corinthians 13:1–13 NLT

1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. 4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9 Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10 But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless. 11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

INTRODUCTION:

We are entering the time of year in which love is celebrated. For the next couple of weeks, we are going to be taking a closer look at the biblical concept of love.

I- I MUST RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR GENUINE LOVE (1 Cor. 13:1-3).

A. Without genuine love, talk becomes empty (1 Cor. 13:1).

1 Corinthians 13:1 NLT

1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

1. What kind of talk?

a. Worldly talk (ἀνθρώπων = Men)

b. Heavenly talk (ἀγγέλων = Angels)

2. The analogy:

a. “Sounding brass”= χαλκὸς ἠχῶν (LIT. “the sound of echoing brass)

b. “Clanging cymbal” = κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον = a clanging cymbal, (a hollow basin of brass, producing when struck together - a musical sound)

B. Without genuine love, life becomes worthless (1 Cor. 13:2) .

1 Corinthians 13:2 NLT

2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.

1. Great ability or giftedness does not produce a worthwhile life.

a. Note the giftedness discussed:

1) Prophecy: the ability to communicate the message of God.

2) Understanding of great mysteries

3) Great knowledge (knowing all things)

(1 Cor. 8:1)

1 Corinthians 8:1 NLT

1 Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.

4) Ultimate faith

b. Note the verdict:

1) “οὐθέν εἰμι”= “I am nothing”

C. Without genuine love, good works avail nothing (1 Cor. 13:3).

1 Corinthians 13:3 NLT

3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

1. Self-sacrifice, by itself accomplishes nothing.

a. Notice the self sacrificial acts discussed:

1) Expending all possessions to feed the poor.

2) Sacrifice of own life for religion

II. I MUST REFLECT THE CHARACTER OF GENUINE LOVE (1 Cor. 13:4-8)

1 Corinthians 13:4–8 NLT

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!

A. Genuine love reflects a character that has been transformed by Christ . (1 Cor. 13:4-8)

1- Selfless, rather than self-centered. (1 Cor. 13:4-5)

1 Corinthians 13:4–5 NLT

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.

2- Seeks to rectify injustice rather than reflecting or ignoring it. (1 Corinthians 13:6)

1 Corinthians 13:6 NLT

6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

3- Stands strong in commitment against all odds. (1 Cor. 13:7-8)

1 Corinthians 13:7–8 NLT

7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!

B- Genuine love replaces spiritually immaturity with maturing attitudes and actions. (1 Cor. 13:9-13) .

1 Corinthians 13:9–13 NLT

9 Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10 But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless. 11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

1. If I am to have a maturing love, I must recognize the problems of emotional and spiritual immaturity. (1 Cor. 13:10-11)

1 Corinthians 13:10–11 NLT

10 But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless. 11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.

a. Speaking like a child (νήπιος = a small child above the age of a helpless infant but probably not more than three or four years of age).

1). How does a child speak?

a) He says whatever comes to mind.

b) He is the center of his conversations.

b. Thinking (ἐφρόνουν = to have an attitude, to think in a particular manner) like a child.

1.) What does a child think about?

a) What he wants.

b) How to get what he wants.

c. Reasoning (ἐλογιζόμην = to think about, to reason about, to ponder, reasoning.) like a child.

1.) How does a child reason things out?

a) Simple Cause-Effect Reasoning:

(1) If I cry loud enough I will get what I want.

b) Simple feelings-Based Morality:

(1) If it makes me feel good- It is good; If it does not, it is not.

c) Simple Selfish Desire Fulfillment:

(1) I will only play with you if you do what I want.

2. If I am to have a maturing love, I must repent of following the path of immaturity.(1 Cor. 13:11b-13)

1 Corinthians 13:11b–13 NLT

11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

a. Accept the fact that I am no longer to behave in childish ways.

1.) Behaving in childishly has devastating consequences:

a) It destroys relationships.

b) It disrupts spiritual effectiveness.

b. Turn away from childishness and behave in a mature fashion.

(1 Cor. 14:20).

1 Corinthians 14:20 NLT

20 Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind.

(1 Cor. 3:1-2)

1 Corinthians 3:1–2 NLT

1 Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. 2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready,

CONCLUSION: