Characteristics of Love – Part 3

Transcript

GR 1353
05-13-07
Characteristics of Love – Part 3
1 Corinthians 13:6-7
Gil Rugh

I want to direct your attention to 1 Corinthians 13. We've been studying together the book of 1 Corinthians, and we've spent a little bit of time in 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter. We're going to continue that consideration in our study together today, fitting that we talk about love and what the Bible means when it talks about love. Turn to 1 John 4. We need to understand what God is talking about when He talks about love and the kind of love that He has had for us and then that we are to have as a manifestation of His love. The Bible has taken the Greek word for love, and the Greeks had several words for love as we have talked about, and it has given it a depth of meaning that could not be understood apart from the love which God has had for us. And so it becomes unique as a manifestation of God's love and our love as a reflection of God's love.

Look in 1 John 4:7, beloved let us love one another, for love is from God. And everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. You see the connection here. God is love in His very character and nature and being. He is love. That's not all He is. God is holy, God is just, God is love. And so those who are born again, born into God's family will partake of God's character and thus His love will be a characteristic of them in their relationships as they manifest love. That's why the end of verse 7 said, everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. We have to be careful we don't take passages like this out of context as though by trying to be a loving person, you can become a child of God. Now the order is important. God is love, and it's out of His character that we partake through the new birth, faith in His Son.

So he goes on, verse 9, by this, the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation, a word that means the satisfaction for our sins. By His sacrifice on the cross, He paid the penalty required by justice for our sins. For the wages of sin is death. Now you note the connection here—God loved, God sent. The love we are talking about, this Biblical love, is a love of action. It is not a love of feeling. It is not a love of emotion. It is a love of doing. God loved us. That doesn't mean He had warm feelings for us, had kind thoughts about us. No, in this, verse 10, is love, not that we love God, but He loved us and sent His Son. Verse 9, by this the love of God was manifested. God sent His Son. You see it requires action. So verse 11, beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. If we have entered into this love so that we have experienced it and its power, then we must love others as well. Back up to 1 John 3:16, we know love by this, that He laid down His life for us. You see that love? It was an action, Christ loved us and what did He do? He died for us. What does that mean now that we have entered into that love through faith in Christ? We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. You see the love of God, the love of Christ becomes the pattern for us in our actions, that we would love others the way He loved us, which means we would be willing to sacrifice our lives, give everything, even our very life for others. Look at verse 18, little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and in truth. See we're talking about a love of action, doing what God says must be done.

Come back to 1 Corinthians 13. What Paul is doing in 1 Corinthians 13 as he talks to the church at Corinth in this letter, he talks to them about the crucial importance of love in their relationships. In verses 4-7 he gives 15 characteristics or attributes of biblical love, divine love, the love that God is talking about that He had for us and now we are to have. If we say yes, I have the love that God is talking about, it will be evidenced by these 15 characteristics. And as we have noted, there are both positives and negatives. Biblical love does certain things and it does not do certain things. And Paul is unfolding these characteristics. We have looked at nine of them in verses 4-5. Remember all of these 15 characteristics are verbs, they are telling us what love does, what love does not do. Keep this in mind because it will always be an issue, then, for us a God's people, that it is a matter of our will in demonstrating this love. Not a matter of my feelings, but a matter of my willingness to be obedient.

1) The first one he mentioned in verse 4, love is patient or long-tempered, literally. It puts up with a lot. First characteristic of biblical love.
2) Secondly, it is kind, it is concerned to do what is thoughtful and helpful to others.
3) It is not jealous, it delights in what others have, it delights when others are honored.
4) It does not brag. True love doesn't talk about itself, not preoccupied with itself.
5) It is not arrogant, not puffed up with its own importance.
6) It does not act unbecomingly. Biblical love shows good manners, it behaves properly because it is considering the other person.
7) It does not seek its own, it's not self-centered. That gets to the root of what we're really talking about with biblical love, agape love or agapao love, the Greek words in that family talking about the love that God had for us and now we have for one another. It doesn't seek its own, it's not self-centered, its not looking out for self.
8) Its not provoked. Means it's not touchy, it's not ready to take offense. When you love someone you are not easily offended, you're not touchy.
9) It does not take into account a wrong suffered. And we noted that word there is an accounting term, it's not keeping any ledgers, no record of how people have wronged them, what people have done against them. It forgives and forgets the wrongs that it has suffered. We noted in looking at several passages, this is the characteristic of the love that God has for us in Christ.

Now we have six more characteristics in verses 6-7, and we want to look at each of these individually. What we need to do is be evaluating ourselves and our love. The danger for all of us is we turn this around and think of other people who would benefit. Oh yes, if only they would show these characteristics. But really I need to be thinking, am I showing these characteristics, how can I improve in this, am I manifesting the love that God says I must have and without this I cannot be His child because I'm not showing His character.

Look at verse 6. Verse 6, you'll note, has a contrast. So you have two characteristics, but they are placed in contrast to one another. You'll note that conjunction but right in the middle. Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. So it is giving two characteristics and helping us to understand them by using them as contrast to one another. The verse says, love does not rejoice in unrighteousness. Some of you are familiar with William Graham Scroggy who was a Bible teacher and some of his books are still in print. He has a great little book on this section of the Word of God. He wrote this, what a man rejoices in is a fair test of his character. To be glad when evil prevails or to rejoice in the misfortunes of others is indicative of great moral degradation. You know there is something about us as fallen beings. We take a certain delight, a certain joy in hearing the bad, in giving a little bit of gossip. I mean, watch the news. All you have to have is a little whiff, a little hint that maybe a public figure has been guilty of something scandalous and it takes over the news. And they can make a whole week of programs about it. You know why they do that? People watch. If there is something dirty there, if there is something that would reveal a flaw in their character, I want to hear it, I want to know about it. And ready to pounce.

Believers can be like that because remember, we are fallen beings. By God's grace we have been cleansed from our sin and made new in Christ, but those old tendencies still are there looking for opportunities to assert themselves. In a previous presidency we had a President who got into some difficulties. It was almost tragic the way many who profess to be believers pounced on that as an occasion to try to discredit him and show his unfitness. And almost we become gleeful. Here is a person that some would disagree with, now has revealed a flaw that we can rejoice over. True love never rejoices over failures, over sin, over unrighteousness. Does God ever rejoice when someone sins? What blasphemy that would be to say that God finds joy in the sin of people. And yet if we're honest, all of us can get caught up in that, and especially if we hear something about someone who maybe has done something to us, who has mistreated us, been unfair to us. Then I hear something that maybe cast a dark cloud on them, is a mark on their character. Even if I don't express it, do I find joy in my heart, a certain gloating—now everyone will know who the godly one was here, now everyone will know. [. . .] Know what? Am I pleased that they have fallen, am I pleased they have sinned? Well, I have to be vindicated. Oh really? Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, the wrongs, the failures, the sins of others. Love doesn't find delight in anything that's wrong. That's even true in the realm of the unbeliever and his actions.

Listen to what Job said in Job 31:29-30. Job is vindicating his character, declaring his own integrity. And remember God's testimony concerning Job was, he was the most righteous man on the face of the earth. He wasn't perfect, but he was more righteous than anyone else on earth. And as he defended himself against the attacks of those who attacked his character, he said this, have I rejoiced at the extinction of my enemy? Or exalted when evil befell him? Job said, one of the testimonies of my integrity, I never found joy when my enemies got into trouble. I never rejoiced when something bad happened to my enemies. Love is never happy when bad things happen to someone else, not even when it happens to their enemies. You have a boss at work, an unregenerate person perhaps, who treats you unfairly and then calamity comes. You hear the boss' wife has cancer or one of his children has [an illness.] You say, good for him. Love never does that. Paul put it this way, writing to the Corinthians who cause him so much grief, in 2 Corinthians 11:29, who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern? I mean, the Corinthians caused Paul great grief, he could have taken their failures, their sin as a vindication of himself. He says, no one gets into sin that doesn't cause me great concern. So love never rejoices over iniquity, over unrighteousness, over sin.

But, the contrast, and another characteristic of love. It rejoices with the truth. Love doesn't rejoice over wrongs, doesn't rejoice over unrighteousness, but it rejoices when those things which are consistent with God's character, consistent with God's Word happen. It rejoices over godliness, with the truth. Turn to 2 John 4, look what he says, “I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, . . .” What does that mean? Verse 6, this is love that we walk according to his commandments, the truth of God. When people walk according to God's Word, that's what causes us joy. Because remember there is no jealousy in love, love is not self-seeking. So it doesn't rejoice over unrighteousness, it rejoices with the truth. So John could say, I am very glad. You know what that expression literally is? I rejoice greatly, I rejoice greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, because love always rejoices with the truth.

Turn over to 3 John 3. I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. I was very glad. There is our expression again. I rejoiced greatly when I heard how you were walking in truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in truth. Love rejoices with the truth. What a joy it is when people believe the truth, obey the truth, walk in the truth. It's all about truth. Oh, but the more they obey the truth, the less I'll be vindicated. Ever find yourself, sometimes someone treats you very unfairly, unkindly, an unbelieving person, and it really causes great pain to you, perhaps to your family. And you almost find yourself thinking, when they're going to hell, they'll know. Or, I will be vindicated when this is done because you're going to hell, and I'll be glad. Wait a minute. My worst enemy that caused me the greatest pain and my family the most misery, and I hear they got saved, and I think, oh, no, now I have to go to heaven with him. That puts a whole different light on it. No, I rejoice with the truth. And among believers the same thing, the truth and obedience to the truth and faithfulness to the truth. That's consistent, both letters, both 2 John and 3 John. John writes to those whom I love in truth. And so of course my love rejoices when they walk in truth.

Come back to 1 Corinthians 13. So two further characteristics of love—it doesn't rejoice in unrighteousness, in sinful conduct, in wrong behavior; but it does rejoice in everything that is consistent with truth. That's what causes us joy. In verse 7 he has four final characteristics and they come rather quickly. “Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” I want you to note, there is a Greek word there we've translated it with two words—“all things,” all things, all things. And here it gives the emphasis in every one of the areas mentioned, love takes into account all aspects. You know we sometimes think of love and we want to put it in a context where there is response. Of course I want to demonstrate love, and it's in the context of what I'm thinking of love being demonstrated to me. We're reminded with these four characteristics in verse 7 that love functions in the context of difficulty, trial, pain, hardship. That's why you have all things. The pressure is on. You think of love, biblical love, we're thinking of great difficulty. Remember Jesus drew the distinction, if you show love to those who are kind to you, how are you different than unregenerate people? I'm paraphrasing it. He talked about the Gentiles there when He's talking to the Jews. But if you show love to those who are good to you, how are you different than unregenerate people, people that don't know anything about God? It's when you show love to those who are so unkind to you, then you demonstrate something of God's character, who loved us when we were in our sin.

So that word all things, those words as we have it, Greek word onta, all things, bears all things. And the first word in each of these, each of these we end up becoming, they're just two words. We just translated all things, and then the word like bears, believes, hopes, endures. But the first word in each of these expressions is the word “all things.” Love all things bears, all things believes, all things hopes, all things endures. So it helps simplify our lives. Just how far will love go in bearing? It bears all things, as he starts out in verse 7. The idea means love puts up with anything, everything, all things. Any insult, any injury, any disappointment, any pain. Love bears all things.

Back up to chapter 9, Paul uses this of himself. He's in the context here of the rights that were his, you remember. And he had a right to be supported in the ministry, and those who benefitted from his proclaiming them the truth to support him. Look at verse 12, if others share the right over you, do we not the more? Nevertheless we did not use this right, but we endure. There is our word, translated bear in 1 Corinthians 13:7, bears all things, same basic word we have here. We endure all things so we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. I'm willing to go through hardship. Here Paul has to come to a new city and go and try to find a job. Here he comes, I'm the new guy here, I need work. Well, yes, we have the basic laboring job for you. He had to go and do whatever was available to support himself, to provide for his needs, to put food on the table so he could preach the Word to them. I'm willing to put up with all those things for your benefit, to remove any obstacles, any hindrances to the gospel, anything that might be a stumbling block to keep you from listening to the gospel and believing it. That's what we're talking about, it puts up with anything, decides what is best for the other person and does it. “Bears all things.” What do you mean here? What does all things mean? You know what I don't like about this? I don't like it says all things, that's the problem, isn't it? I mean it's one thing if he says, love puts up with a lot, because I can always write that off and say I already have that, I fulfilled it. Now I'm not obligated anymore. But the problem is, it puts up with all things. Well, let me tell you what they did. No, let me tell you not to tell me, because I already covered that. It puts up with all things. So you think about your relationships in this church, in your family, with your spouse. You say, what do I have to put up with? All things, everything. Okay, remember that when I'm a problem. Put up with everything

Come back to 1 Corinthians13. The second thing here in this list that love does, it believes all things. Now this doesn't mean that love is blind and totally gullible. We want to put it in its context. It means love is trusting. Doesn't mean if I tell you, it's pouring down rain outside and you look out the door and say, the sun is shining. See, I knew you didn't love me. If you loved me you would believe because you believe all things. Obviously, we don't try to make the Word of God ridiculous, make a mockery of it. We understand, love is trusting. We know that. We say what? That person who loves them is always the last to know. In a marriage relationship where there is unfaithfulness, we say, their spouse didn't have any idea what was going on until it all came out in the open. Why? They trust them, they believed in them. It's characteristic of love. So there is a certain gullibility there, and we do make ourselves vulnerable in love because we want to be trusting.

I mentioned Graham Scroggy to you, let me read you another statement of his. This does not mean that love is blind and credulous, that it is easily deceived. But it does mean that it is not suspicious, that it is entirely alien to the spirit of the cynic, the pessimist, the anonymous slanderer, the secret detractor. Love takes the best and kindest view of all men in all circumstances, as long as it is possible to do. Another person wrote, love is not suspicious and distrustful. Love always believes the best about other people. I mean, this is to be our character in dealing with others. I want to trust them, I believe them. Not always think, well they said this, but I know in their heart they didn't mean it. Well how do you know? When is the last time you looked into someone's heart? Are you God? You can read what is going on in their mind? I mean, am I sovereign here to know the motives of men's hearts? God says no one does, rely on Me ultimately. So love believes all things.

Turn over to Philippians 4:8, finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, good reputation, if there is anything of excellence, anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. So this is what I'm thinking on, what I'm taking into consideration. Well, then naturally I believe all things, this is what is of good reputation, anything worthy of excellence, worthy of praise, lovely, pure, right. So you are manifesting love toward people you naturally believe, you trust them, unless it is obvious that it is a lie. So we don't run around raising questions about people, trying to cast doubt on their character. I know, people think they are good people, but you know, I have good reason to think otherwise. In other words, I have good reason not to love them. I mean, I want to give them the benefit of the doubt. It's characteristic of love. We all do it naturally, all do it in your relationships, in your marriage, and we want to always put the best on if we can and that ought to be characteristic of us in love. So love believes all things.

Come back to 1 Corinthians 13:7. It hopes all things. There is a connection here in these words that I just mention to you. The first and last statement in verse 7 will be closely connected, and the middle two ideas are closely connected. If you were going to give the Greek expression you'd call it a kiasmas. You'll note the first statement here is bears all things, the last one is endures all things. We'll mention when we talk about endure, you can see there is an overlap there. To bear all things and endure all things has a close connection. And believes all things and hopes all things are closely connected as well. So the last two and the middle two have a close affinity with each pair, in each of these pairs.

But believes all things so it hopes all things. The idea is love puts things in its proper context as far as the future. One person said, love looks for the best with regard to these who have disappointed us in the present. It is not an unreasoning optimism, but a recognition that failure is never final as long as the grace of God is operative in a life. Put that in the context of the unbeliever. You are going to love that one who is your enemy, the one who has opposed you, made life difficult for you. But you know, what's the hope of my heart, that before all is said and done, before their life comes to an end that they would experience the wonder of God's saving grace and become new creatures in Christ. That's my hope for them. As long as there is breath I realize there is an opportunity and a chance that they will turn from their sin and believe in the Savior, and that's what I'm hoping for them. The pain they've caused me, the trials they've brought into my life, that doesn't change the hope I have for them. What did Paul do? Here he is in jail in Philippi and he's been beaten and put into stocks in the inner prison. Now an earthquake occurs, the prison gates open and the jailer who is responsible for his mistreatment is ready to fall on his sword. I sometimes think, what would I have thought—go ahead, you miserable wretch, you deserve to die after treating me like this. What does Paul say? No, no, don't hurt yourself. We’re still here. You say, well the Philippian jailer was going to get saved. How did Paul know that? He didn't at that point. What's his hope? Here is another opportunity. See, it hopes all things.

Paul writes from prison, Roman prison, back to the church at Philippi. He says, you know what? Don't be upset about my imprisonment, it's working out for good. You know there are people even from the emperor's household that are hearing the gospel. What an opportunity. Paul was hoping all things, that this would be an occasion for these people who so mistreat me to get saved. What do you hope for your kids, even when they go through trial, they get into difficulty. They turn away from the Lord and get into things that are destructive, they're into drugs, they bring pain to your family. I just hope they get killed in an automobile wreck and it's over. No, you don't. Why don't you? Because you love them, you hold out hope. That's what we do. So what do we do when we love someone? We hope all things. God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God and are the called according to His purpose. Lord, I just put it in your hands. That's our desire. Love hopes all things and looks for God to do what only He can do.

Go to the last one in verse 7, love endures all things. This is a different word than bears all things at the beginning. It bears all things, puts up with all things, it deals with the problems that come into the life, the disappointments and so on. This word endures has that positive aggressive quality about it. The compound word means to live under something, so naturally it comes to mean endurance because you have to have endurance when you're living under pressure, under trial, under hardship. And it has that, not a passive sense, but that active aggressive sense. Someone says love is strong and tenacious, it lasts, it holds out. It's that persevering quality, it won't quit, even though it seems the opposition is overwhelming, the difficulties are insurmountable. This is just not that power of positive thinking kind of thing, but it is that willingness to stay with it and keep at it. It just won't quit. It won't give up. One person said this love continues to press forward, even when confronted with the most terrible difficulty.

Now I look at these qualities and I think, the last one here, love endures, stays with it. Then you have someone come and my marriage is breaking up, and we sit down and they say we don't love each other anymore. I say. That’s a lie. Well, I have no feelings. Well that may be true, but we're not talking about biblical love then. Biblical love endures, it perseveres, it keeps at it. But you don't know what I'm under. No. Well then how can you say that? Well I read the Bible, the Bible says love endures all things. Well I don't think God meant this. Oh, how did you know that? I'd be interested to know what God did mean here, if He didn't mean what He said. Well my situation, let me tell you. And then we want to go back and list all the things we've endured. Then we have to go back to the end of verse 5 where love doesn't take into account wrongs suffered. Don't you want to go down my ledger? Not particularly, do I look like a garbage can? Why would I want you to dump all that into my head? And you shouldn't have it in your ledger either. So whatever it is, keep going. You know life gets simplified when we just do things God's way. You say, well I have to bear everything, I have to put up with all things, believe all things and hope all things and endure all things. Now all of a sudden my life is simpler. I don't have to sit down and say, now is this a time when I ought to stay with it. Well, is there a time when I shouldn't? Think about a Christ that stopped short of going to the cross. Been born at Bethlehem, lived His life here, got baptized by John, preached and suffered humiliation and rejection, and decided we're just going to skip the cross. I'm out of here, I'm going to heaven, I've endured a lot. Would you be saved today? No. You just can't stop. Well, yes, but . . . You know where we get into trouble? I'm willing to go so far, but I expect some return. In other words, I am not willing to follow through on biblical love. My biblical love will go so far which means it's not biblical love. Well you just can't stay in a loveless situation. Well, no, there shouldn't be a loveless situation because you're pouring out love all the time.

Can't tell you how many times people have said, well, we're leaving this church. Why? Well, they just don't have love anymore. Oh. That amazes me. Now we have hundreds of people, all of a sudden they have just quit having love. Now where does the Bible tell you your job is to see that they have love? Maybe the Lord has put you in a situation that you can manifest love by bearing all things, believing all things, hoping all things and enduring all things. You know what we're really saying, I don't want to manifest love here anymore because I'm not getting enough out of it, whatever. I can't stay in this marriage because I'm not getting enough out of it. You know you don't know what it's like to live with that person. No, I don't, but I believe God is always correct. So where do I go with this? Well, I either decide I'm going to be obedient or not obedient. Isn't that it? And people say, at Indian Hills they're not helpful. Somebody comes to me for marriage counseling we don't have to spend the next six weeks while you pour out all the things you don't like about your partner and all the conflicts you have. And then the other partner can pour out all their disagreements. Where are we going with this? I like to start out by saying, let's both agree that each of you are the most wretched, vile, hopeless sinners that I've ever dealt with. And every evil, wicked thing I can think about either one of you, you've done. So okay, we have that clear. You don't have to tell me about him, and he doesn't have to tell me about her.

Now let's just pick up, where are we going? Let's start out with the love of God that He had for you in Christ. What were you like, what did God for you and what did His Son do for you? All right. Now God says that's the pattern that we are to have. I know neither one of you without even your opening your mouth have not fully satisfied this. I think you're prejudging. No, because God says that your love has to go to the point of sacrificing your life, and you're both sitting here breathing. So you haven't gone all the way yet. So I guess it's just a matter, are you going to, or aren't you, will you or won't you. Will you or won't you. Don't tell me how bad they are, the question is, will you do what God says or not? It's a matter of your will. I can't. Well then we need to back up, you need to be born again. Well I am born again, then you can. No, I can't. Then you're not born again. I don't get many counseling opportunities. I mean, why should we allow ourselves to be confused? Let's not confuse ourselves. If you are a child of God, you can, because the Spirit of God who dwells in you is the source of power and enablement. Love is a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22. Don't tell me you can't if you're a child of God. Now I can understand, maybe you can't, then maybe you're not a child of God. Remember 1 John 4? If you don't manifest this love, you don't belong to God. So the bottom line is, you don't want to. And I think I deserve more, I think I deserve better, at least I think I should be able to move to a relationship that would be more fulfilling. And I think God could use me more if I were in that. All of a sudden, now, we're going to do God's work for Him.

We've had fifteen characteristics we've walked through. You know, you ought to write them down, list them out as I have. Then I can examine myself. Let me just review the six we have and you can add them to the nine we have already noted.

1) Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness. It's never pleased with sin and failure in the lives of others. I'm amazed how often I'm disappointed in myself when I find my first thought is a little bit of glee and joy when I hear something bad has happened to someone who did something to me that I think I didn't deserve. I have to correct myself, I have to make a quick adjustment. Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness.
2) Secondly, it does rejoice with the truth. Love rejoices when people conduct themselves biblically and function according to the character of God.
3) It bears all things, it puts up with any insult, any injury, any disappointment, any humiliation. It puts up with everything, all things.
4) It believes all things. It is willing to put the best spin on it, give people the benefit of the doubt. Allow God to judge the motives.
5) It hopes all things. I mean--I never lose confidence in God's power. I know God will do His work for His purposes, and I have the hope that I will be privileged to see Him honored through all this.
6) It endures all things, it perseveres in the face of opposition, unkindness, difficulties. It never gives up. Not to make light of the pain that people live with, the difficulties. Not to say human reaction, I talk to someone, and we always use marriage because that's so common. Somebody is sitting there telling me about their spouse, and I'm thinking in my mind, I'd divorce her and repent. I mean God will forgive, won't He? I don't want to tell them this, but if I were he, I'd divorce her and then ask God for forgiveness. I have to say, Gil, what kind of [love is this?] In other words you are saying, I wouldn't have love here, I try to make a mockery. Be not deceived, God is not mocked. I could act like I'm going to go ahead and sin and then tell God to forgive me and I'll be better off. What in the world? I need to realize, I have to check myself and see, is love really being manifested in my life?

Remember, don't turn these around, don't go out of here and say, I'm going to leave this list out where so-and-so can see it. It's a list for me. I don't have to worry about so-and-so. I don't have to worry about someone else. Marilyn doesn't have to worry about whether I'm doing it, all she has to do is worry about whether she is doing it. And I'm also worried about [is she doing it?] No. My job is what? To be concerned about me. Am I manifesting these qualities and characteristics all the time, to all people? What a powerful grace we have experienced that enables us to manifest the greatness of God's love in our dealings with others.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your power, the power of your salvation, the wonder of the work that only you could accomplish in a life that makes us new. Lord, you know us as we are, how easy it is for us to sit and study about love, to consider what love does and does not do. Lord, we're embarrassed how easily we walk out and fail to do what you have told us to [do]. Lord, may it be characteristic of us that we are known for our love, for our church, for our family, for our dealings with the lost in our neighborhoods, our jobs. Lord, may we manifest the wonder of the love that can only come from you. We praise you for so great salvation in Christ's name, amen.