CHARACTERISTICS OF DIVINE LOVE 2
(week 37/14)
OLUBI JOHNSON
1Corinthians 13:4-7 AMP: Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. (5) It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. (6) It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. (7) Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].
In our last article, we saw that God is love and the characteristics of divine love show us how God relates to us and so how we are to relate to one another:
We also saw that without divine life, which in turn gives divine wisdom and power, it is IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE AND DEVELOP THESE CHARACTERISTICS OF DIVINE LOVE: THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT (GAL. 5.22).
This week, we will look in more detail at these characteristics of divine love by examining them FIRSTLY from a divine perspective, before we then apply them to us as human beings endowed with the divine nature: wisdom and power.
Love endures long and is patient and kind. To understand this better let us state it this way:
GOD endures long and is patient and kind. Why? Because God is secure and eternal and so can afford to wait for men to change and endure their imperfections and sins.
In the same way, we are to be like God: secure by the eternal life and power God has given us and so we too can afford to be patient and kind with men, trusting that they will repent and overcome their imperfections and sins over time; and where they do not, knowing that God will reward us for being patient and kind even though the men we have shown the love to do not change.
Love is never envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily;
GOD is never envious and does not boil over with jealousy; why? God has ALL THINGS so what does He want to be jealous for (except for our affection if we give our love to idols (Ex. 20.3-5)? In the same way, we are to be secure in our position in God in Christ that gives us all things (1 Cor. 3.21-23). The revelation of the reality of this truth will keep us from envy because we know that in Christ we have access to ALL THINGS. When we see good things in others we do not yet physically possess, we should rejoice and be glad for them knowing that in DUE SEASON, the God Who gave it to them will also provide for us.
Love (God) is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride);
Why? Each of the 3 Persons of the Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit is a very humble Person: They submit one to another according to Their written Word which was MUTUALLY agreed upon BEFORE THE CREATION OF ANYTHING:
Revelations 13:8 KJV: And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Philippians 2:5-8 KJV: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (6) Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (7) But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (8) And being found in fashion as a man, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Psalms 138:2 KJV: I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
John 16:13-14 AMP: But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. (14) He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you.
No Person of the Godhead is INDEPENDENT. They are ALL INTERDEPENDENT AND SUBMIT ONE TO ANOTHER ACCORDING TO THEIR WORD!
So in the same way, we are to be humble one to another submitting to God’s Word and so we are NOT CONCEITED, ARROGANT AND INFLATED WITH PRIDE!
1Peter 5:5 KJV: Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
We will continue to examine these characteristics of divine love next week.
