God’s love is not like our ideas of love . . .

 

 

READ 1 Corinthians 13-16

The NT ‘love chapter’ is repeated at weddings and even funerals. While familiar, it needs to be read with a thoughtful heart . . .

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. (1 Corinthians 13:4–11)

The writer starts by saying that speaking in tongues without love is mere noise. He says prophetic skills, faith, extreme generosity and sacrifice are also useless without love. Love is vital, an eternal value that will abide forever. Obviously the love spoken of here is the love of God, beyond how most of us use the word.

With that in mind and noticing how some of the above passage is in the negative, I decided to paraphrase it to help me focus:

Love is gently enduring and happy about the blessings others have and thankful to God for blessing me also. for my own. Love is humble, always behaving in a considerate and appropriate manner. Love values the ideas and actions of others, is always in a good mood, and perseveres with those who fall short. While love is delighted with truth, it is also able to be patient when virtues are absent, abiding through all things because of faith in God, trusting that He is taking care of everything. This means love withstands whatever is happening without giving up. My knowledge will not endure forever, nor will any spiritual gifts I might have for they are temporary. Children think in very simple terms, which is okay for children, but love brings a maturity that is deeper than even the simplicity of childlike faith.

I don’t know if my understanding of love is accurate, but I do know that the more I read about the love of God and the way that Jesus lived, died, rose to life and redeems sinners, the more I realize the importance of love.

I also realize that to others, this love could appear wimpy, too easy on those who seem to deserve judgment, yet love is not without backbone. Later in today’s reading, the author says:

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. (1 Corinthians 16:13–14)

Act like men and be strong is defined as doing everything in love. That is, in the way that God describes it and demonstrates it to us, love is never a weakness. Love takes great courage and involves great sacrifice, all best shown in the life and death of Jesus Christ. Standing firm means not giving in to sin and selfishness, but living for the eternal well-being of others and for the glory of God.

We talk about love too loosely, too casually and much of that talk is actually opposite to God’s love. For example, when I say that I love chocolate, I do not mean I give up my life so others can eat it. That expression is more like I’ll give up a couple of dollars so I can indulge myself — quite the opposite attitude of the One who said, “Not my will but thine be done.”

Lord, I’ve so much to learn about love and need much grace to live it out as You describe it and demonstrate it for me and for everyone in Your forever family. Help us to truly love one another as You love us.

 

Anarchy coming?

Yesterday, I said, “No one has to teach a child to do wrong. They know how to do that. They need to be taught how to do right.” At that two listeners said that no one can tell anyone else what is right or wrong. From the context of our conversation, I knew they were thinking ‘morals’ and rather than get into an argument about that, I thought they would at least agree on a practical level; children need to be taught not to play in traffic. Otherwise they will hurt themselves. That goes for everything else a child will try, even touching a hot stove.

While I know this idea of ‘no objective moral standards’ is common, my heart is grieved. The idea that ‘every person does what is right in their own eyes’ has brought destruction to every society, including ancient Israel. Human beings need objective standards. Without out them, we have anarchy and chaos.

However, the standards are there in the human heart (and the laws of the land), at least in some measure. If one person thinks it is okay to rob banks, or shoot people, or light buildings on fire, why do most of the rest of us protest? It is built into our conscience? The Spirit of God is whispering?

The human heart can shut itself off to that inner voice, but when it does, those who think they can set their own standard could wind up robbing banks, shooting people, and setting buildings on fire.

Some people acknowledge their tendency to sin, to make choices that are not good for themselves, others, or that go against the will of God. Job knew. He asked this:

“For has anyone said to God, ‘I have borne punishment; I will not offend any more; teach me what I do not see; if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?” (Job 34:31–32)

David, the king and psalmist of Israel knew too. He prayed, “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.” (Psalm 86:11)

Tozer writes that he is grateful for the human conscience because without it, we would all quickly become beasts. He urges people to listen to that inner voice and says, “The chief thing is not to listen to yourself, but silently to listen to God.”

Last week a television personality said that talking to God was fine, but those who claim that He talks to them are mentally ill. I assume she was thinking of those who say ‘god’ told them after they did some heinous and violent action. The “god told me” people in the world who excuse their ungodly behavior this way have not learned something very important: if what they hear does not match up with the Word of God given to us in writing, then it is not God. He gave the Bible to us so we can know the difference between what He is telling us and what is coming from our own ideas . . .

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12–13)

God is not a fool. He knows that we need objective truth because without it, we simply do what we please. The sinfulness of the human heart says NO to God. It also says that His Word is false, archaic, full of errors, because it is easier to do whatever we please if no one contradicts us. This is reinforced by others who say it is okay to do it because no one has the right to tell me otherwise. Oh my.

^^^^^^^^

Jesus, my heart is sad. I love those two and a host of others who reject You and what You have to say to guide them. I know from Your Word and from personal experience that the person who hardens their heart becomes increasingly blind to the line between good and evil. Not only that, they become increasingly blind and hard toward the love You offer and the marvel of Your grace of forgiveness and peace. Going their own way seems right to them, but as You say, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” (Proverbs 14:12) My prayer today is that You will persist and not turn away from speaking to them and to others who have rejected You and gone their own way. I also pray You will give me wisdom and wise responses when they are needed.