CHARACTERISTICS OF DIVINE LOVE 4
(week 39/14)
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].
Last week, we saw that Love (God) is not self-seeking and is not touchy, fretful or resentful but rather is forbearing and self-controlled when suffering wrong from others in order to give them time and space to repent and be saved.
This week, we will look at:
Love (God) does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.
God takes NO PLEASURE when bad things happen to people even when they deserve it: He is ALWAYS looking for a way to cause right and truth to prevail (like He did for Manasseh (2 Chr. 33.1-20); He does not always accomplish this because of man’s free will, however, He ALWAYS TRIES. We should do the same!
Ezekiel 18:23 KJV: Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?
Matthew 5:44-45 KJV: But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (45) That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Similarly, we should NOT be inwardly glad or rejoice when evil happens to others even when they deserve it; rather we should pray for God’s mercy upon them.
Proverbs 17:5 KJV: Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.
Proverbs 24:17 KJV: Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:
Love (God) 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].
Again, we see that God is forbearing, longsuffering, patient and ALWAYS HOPES FOR THE BEST for ALL MEN. We are to do the same by the fruits of longsuffering, faithfulness, kindness and self-control. We should ALWAYS be READY TO BELIEVE the BEST of every person: give them SPACE AND TIME TO DO WELL. Notice we are to be READY to believe the best BUT NOT TO BELIEVE JUST ANYTHING AND SO BE SIMPLE AND GULLIBLE. SO WE NEED THE WISDOM OF GOD TO DISCERN WHEN PEOPLE ARE BEING DECEPTIVE (Pr. 26.25; 14.15). Now if the people still do not repent after you have given them the space and time to repent, at least you would have tried (like God did for Pharaoh (Ex.3-14, Rom.9.22)) and God will reward you for your effort. So don’t give up on people: love and pray for them UNTIL they die and even if they don’t make it because of the stubbornness of their free will YOU MUST, LIKE GOD, HAVE FULFILLED ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Matthew 3:15 NIV: Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
In summary, we see that it takes the wisdom of God, through the Word of God (Pr. 2.6) and revelation (2 Cor.4.6) of the Holy Spirit and the power of the fruits of the Holy Spirit to exercise and develop these characteristics of divine love: because they describe how God relates to men: they are DIVINE attributes NOT HUMAN!
