Love Works 8

Paul changes the subject from things love doesn’t do to the things that love cannot be without.

1 Corinthians 13:7 KJV 1900

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Love is strong to bear

Love is Faithful enough believe

Love is foolish enough to hope

Love is patient enough to endure

These four things are big enough to remove them from the ability of man.

We can all bear some things, we can all believe some things, we can all hope some things, and we can all endure some things. But God calls us farther and deeper into love for Him, for one another, and for a perishing world. - David Guzik 1 Corinthians 13:7 (David Guzik CB 1 Co)

The nature of our relationships is that they are built on failing humans experience through the eyes and understanding of a failing human. So they will by nature be filled with disappointment and discouragement.

But Spurgeon Reminds us…

“Love does not ask to have an easy life of it: self-love makes that her aim. Love denies herself, sacrifices herself, that she may win victories for God, and hers shall be no tinsel crown.” (Spurgeon). 1 Corinthians 13:7 (DGCB 1 Co):

These four statements in the positive mean that we are no longer dealing with the definition. We are now looking at the qualifications of what God sees real love being. Notice that believe and hope finish out the triad at the end of the chapter of Faith, Hope and Charity.

Love bears all things

Galatians 6:1–2 KJV 1900

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

The biblical idea of bearing is not just to put up with… Rather there are two elements in the idea of bearing others failings and hurt.

First is that we endure it. Second is that we cover it.

That is not to say that we say nothing

That we never confront it

That we never push back.

It means that people are never in danger of being exposed and brought to shame by the gossip and loose lips of another. When someone covers your failures they will rightfully hold you accountable but not put your weakness on blast for all to see.

1 Peter 4:8 KJV 1900

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

Proverbs 10:12 KJV 1900

Hatred stirreth up strifes: But love covereth all sins.

You just can’t beat Spurgeons illustration Of this subject.

“I would, my brothers and sisters, that we could all imitate the pearl oyster. A hurtful particle intrudes itself into its shell, and this vexes and grieves it. It cannot eject the evil, and what does it do but cover it with a precious substance extracted out of its own life, by which it turns the intruder into a pearl. Oh, that we could do so with the provocations we receive from our fellow Christians, so that pearls of patience, gentleness, long-suffering, and forgiveness might be bred within us by that which has harmed us.” (Spurgeon) 1 Corinthians 13:7 (DGCB 1 Co):

Bearing endures disappointment, hurt and pain with a beautiful patience that honors the burden bearer.

Love believes all things.

You might ask how is it that love can bear and endure as much as all things. Primarily because Love believes. That is not to say that love believes in you.

1 Corinthians Chapter 13

Believeth all things. Takes the best and kindest views of all men and all circumstances, as long as it is possible to do so. It is the opposite to the common spirit, which drags everything in deteriorem partem, paints it in the darkest colours, and makes the worst of it. Love is entirely alien from the spirit of the cynic, the pessimist, the ecclesiastical rival, the anonymous slanderer, the secret detractor.

HDM Spence

1 Corinthians 3. Four More Things Love Is: Strong, Believing, Hopeful, and Enduring. Spurgeon Calls These Four Virtues Love’s Four Sweet Companions (7)

“Love, as far as she can, believes in her fellows. I know some persons who habitually believe everything that is bad, but they are not the children of love … I wish the chatterers would take a turn at exaggerating other people’s virtues, and go from house to house trumping up pretty stories of their acquaintances.” (Spurgeon)

The husband doesn’t have to believe in the wife to make a marriage His faith is misplaced. But I can believe in this marriage because I know what God says about marriage.

I can put my trust in my son that he will grow. Or I can put my trust in what God’s word says about my children and follow his word as my guide and put my belief there.

Love Hopes all things

Admiral McRaven:

On May 19, 2014, Admiral William H. McRaven gave a commencement speech at the University of Texas often referred to as the “Make Your Bed” speech. It’s considered one of the best and more inspirational commencement speeches.

“The ninth week of training is referred to as hell week. It is six days of no sleep, constant physical and mental harassment and one special day at the mudflats. The mudflats are an area between San Diego and Tijuana where the water runs off and creates the Tijuana slews, a swampy patch of terrain where the mud will engulf you. It is on Wednesday of hell week, which you paddle down in the mudflats and spend the next 15 hours trying to survive this freezing cold, the howling wind and the incessant pressure to quit from the instructors.

As the sun began to set that Wednesday evening, my training class, having committed some egregious infraction of the rules was ordered into the mud. The mud consumed each man until there was nothing visible but our heads. The instructors told us we could leave the mud if only five men would quit. Only five men, just five men, and we could get out of the oppressive cold. Looking around the mudflat it was apparent that some students were about to give up. It was still over eight hours till the sun came up. Eight more hours of bone chilling cold, chattering teeth and shivering moans of the trainees were so loud, it was hard to hear anything.

And then one voice began to echo through the night. One voice raised in song. The song was terribly out of tune, but sung with great enthusiasm. One voice became two and two became three and before long everyone in the class was singing. The instructors threatened us with more time in the mud if we kept up the singing, but the singing persisted and somehow the mud seemed a little warmer. And the wind a little tamer and the dawn, not so far away. If I have learned anything in my time traveling the world, it is the power of hope. The power of one person, a Washington, a Lincoln, King, Mandela, and even a young girl from Pakistan, Malala, one person can change the world by giving people hope. So if you want to change the world, start singing when you’re up to your neck and mud.”

This is the kind of love that

1. Endures

2. Covers hurt

3. Believes in and for

4. Hopes in

This is a love that cannot be accomplished apart from God.

Hosea as the bearer,

Hosea as one who believes in

Hosea as one who hopes in

Christ who gave this love to us.

Christ as the bearer

Christ as one who demonstrated love to us

Christ as the one who hopes in us