AHAVA LELO TNAY - GOD IS LOVE

AHAVA LELO TNAY – God is love in Hebrew

1 Corinthians 13:1–13

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now, we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Seven meanings of love from the Greek language:

PHILOTEKNOS—love for one’s children Titus 2:4 – and so train the young women to love their husbands and children

PHILANTHROPIA—fondness of mankind, benevolence Titus 3:4 – But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,

THELEMA—choice, pleasure, determination, desire, what one wishes or has determined shall be done, of the purpose of God to bless mankind through Christ

—Mark 12:38 – Beware of the scribes, who love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,

PHILARGURIA—love of money, avarice 1 Timothy 6:10 – For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

PHILADELPHIA—brotherly love, friendship Rom. 12:10 – Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

PHILEO—fond of, affection, sentiment Matthew 10:37 – Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

AGAPE—a purely Biblical and ecclesiastical word, fond of, to be a friend, deeper sense of PHILEO – John 21:15-17 – When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

The Love God has for us – Romans 5:5 – and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

I. IMPORTANCE OF LOVE—vv. 1–3

1. Linguistic ability—v. 1. Knowing all languages, but having no love gains no ground, opens no doors for God’s love.

2. Learning ability—v. 2. Understanding prophecy, mysteries, having knowledge and faith, but NO LOVE!

You can be the smartest, most intelligent person on earth, even understanding the language of angels but do not love you have nothing, gain nothing

3. Laboring ability—v. 3. If all was given for the sake of the gospel without love, still nothing. Without LOVE it is all worthless. I am actually broken hearted over those “christian churches” that preach hell and brimstone and God’s wrath and do not extend love, His Love to others. I would be terrified to stand before God and have to explain how I ignored the entire history of God and Jesus’ ministry.

As Christians, everything we do, everything we say must be done in Love – not labeled as love but IN LOVE.

II. INTERPRETATION OF LOVE—vv. 4–8

1. Patience—v. 4. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or proud

Patient, slow to anger – literally the Greek word makrothymei

(mak roth oo meh o ) means far from wrath and anger.

Like in the fruit of the spirit Galatians 5:22 – patient and kind are together – like twins that cannot be separated – a deep connection yet each with their own personality

Patient and Kindness promotes unity and collaboration where anger can destroy unity -

Paul tells us what love is – but now he gives us an 8-itme list of what love is not –

2. Prayerful—v. 5. Has 6 of the 8 – Love does not envy or boast, is not proud or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful, not self-seeking, not easily angered and keeps no record of wrong

Love does not chase after self-advancement over the greater good of the community

Love rejects the comparative – er and more – prettier, more competent, stronger, more mature or more spiritual, richer, more successful

With agape love, God’s love in us there is no room self-inflation of worth – the more we self-inflate the more we deflate the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Jesus calls us to be humble but boasting and pride are the opposite of the humility God calls us to have –

Love causes us to see the needs of others before our desires and wants and laziness.

Love does not provoke anger, bitterness or resentment to rise up within us. We cannot have the Love of God and resent gifts and blessings that others have – it is contentment with what God blesses us with that shows we actually have His Love in us.

As true believers and Christians, God Himself does not see our wrongs and sin through the blood of Christ – if He keeps no record of our wrongs – we must also do the same – remember the Lord’s Prayer – forgive me as I have forgiven others – dangerous if we don’t mean it.

There is no scorecard – nothing to compare – we are not graded on the curve we are graded on the cross.

3. Personality—v. 6. it does not boast or rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

When we live out Agape Love – we don’t rejoice when others fall, stumble or fail – we don’t gloat over when their sin is revealed – love refuses to be pulled into evil comparisons – there is no “I told you so” in God’s love. God can have nothing to do with sin, with evil so love cannot take any joy when evil is presented, sin is exposed.

God is truth – in order for truth to exist in and of itself there can only be one source – so when Paul says Love rejoices in truth, with the truth – when truth is revealed love rejoices

Paul concludes this chapter about the limitless power of true and authentic Christian Love – AGAPE. Christian Academic Author Allan Johnson wrote “In North America today, the culture encourages us to push against and challenge the limits in all areas of life, physical, social, sexual, spiritual and economic. One advertisement begins with the claim “Today there are no limits!” and illustrates with bungee-jumping, parasailing and wake-boarding adventures. Perhaps we have missed the most important purpose for a higher education. With all our learning we should learn, contrary to the secular culture, that life has limits. But there is one activity in life that has no limits. It is Christian love.”

4. Personal—v. 7. Real love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all thing, always protects, always trusts, always persevere

Love always protects, bears all things – continually and without limit Love puts up with everything – it never gets tired or worn out

Love trusts, believes all things – It believes the best in people

It doesn’t mean it believes lies of the enemies,

It never loses faith – hopes even when the odds are against it

It gives the strength to stand firm in the faith and relationship with Jesus. It never gives up on people or circumstances

It is never defeated – so we are to never give up on others.

5. Perfection—v. 8. Love never ends never fails. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

Permanence! It will never be invalidated, or made incomplete or end. It will be successful and never fail.

III. INSPIRATION OF LOVE—vv. 9–13

1. Prophecy—v. 9. Know in part God’s plan and purpose for our lives. So we know in part and we prophesy in part,

In part because no one this will be complete until the return of Christ.

2. Perfection—v. 10. No need for Spiritual gifts when Christ returns. They are only temporary. Paul continues – but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.

There will be no need for any of this when Christ returns because we will have full knowledge of God, His Love and His presence. Temporal issues will be gone and we experience eternity.

3. Plan—v. 11. When you mature – put away childish things when mature. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

Where are you with your faith? Your relationship with Christ? Are you still spiritually mature as a child or as an adult? Do you live out the humility and love of Christ or self?

4. Plain—v. 12. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. – Some day all things will be clear.

Not even Paul had complete knowledge of God – it was like looking into bronze mirrors Corinth was famous for – gave a general reflection but not specific details like being Face-to-Face with God.

5. Power—v. 13. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three remain; but the greatest of these is love. Both faith and hope are important and needed, but love is the greatest!

Love is the greatest – It never ends and unconditional

Love is the greatest – it drives response more than faith and hope

Love is the greatest – all manifestations of the Spirit Galatians 5:22-23 are dependent on Love

Love is the greatest – that one word sums up the Bible and the Gospel – John 3:16 For God so LOVED…

How has God demonstrated His patience and kindness in your life?

How is you love life with God? Centered on your desires, dreams and plans? Focused on His and His children?

Is your love language comparative or unconditional and unrestrictive?

Is our love limited or limitless?

How mature is your love for others – does it bear all or collapse after so many wrongs?