Last Sunday, we reviewed Paul’s message to the Church in Corinth, Greece regarding the necessity of CHRISTIAN LOVE. From the first three verses of 1st Corinthians 13, we could see that Paul put a high premium on LOVE. His message was that you can have all kinds of wonderful spiritual gifts and do all manner of good deeds, but if you don’t have the LOVE OF CHRIST in your heart, those things would be of no benefit to you whatsoever. So, it is essential for us to display LOVE in all that we do. With that being the case, the question naturally emerges: What, exactly, are we talking about when we say “LOVE”? As Paul moved on in his letter, he described “LOVE” by identifying two of its positive aspects followed by eight negative examples of WHAT LOVE IS NOT. Now, that is a lot of information. But, Paul manages to convey this to us in just three short verses as follows: 4 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” 1st Corinthians 13:4-6 (NIV)
Now, let me say right from the start, if you consider the various elements of LOVE described here and think that you come up short on many of them, don’t feel like the Lone Ranger. There is only one person in the history of the world who scored 100% when it comes to satisfying what true LOVE is all about. He, of course, is the Son of God, Jesus Christ. God is LOVE[1] and Jesus perfectly reflects the image of the FATHER’S LOVE. And, while Jesus bids us to be perfect as the Father above is perfect,[2] the process of learning to show HIS LOVE to others is a long road that every Christian is called to walk. And, when Jesus tells us to strive to reflect God’s love perfectly the Greek word for “perfect” is “teleious.” This Greek word is not so much about achieving perfection in the sense that we understand it in English. Rather, it points to our need to strive for completeness by becoming more and more spiritually mature as true children of God. The key is to embrace the many aspects of LOVE that Paul described here in 1st Corinthians 13 and constantly endeavor to nurture them and let them grow in your heart. We can’t do this on our own because showing GODLY LOVE is not natural to us as human beings. But, through the work of the Holy Spirit, we can be transformed from what we are into what God always intended us to be.[3] Being part of a strong faith-based community in the church provides another form of spiritual support and accountability that the Holy Spirit will use to help you along that journey.[4]
So, with these things in mind, let’s review each of the elements of CHRISTIAN LOVE that Paul referenced. First, he tells us that “LOVE IS PATIENT.” 1st Corinthians 13:4 (NIV) The Greek word used for “patient” (makrothumein) relates to our dealing with other people—particularly when those people are being difficult, unfair or hateful in their dealings with us. Note that this kind of “patience” is mentioned in Galatians 5 as one of the “fruits of the Spirit.”[5] It is a spiritual attribute that allows us to harness our anger when we are treated badly by others. Rather than exploding in rage, we can exhibit the peace of God that radiates His LOVE.[6] The early church father, Chrysostom, viewed “patience” as a virtue that enables someone who has been wronged to avoid seeking revenge and to opt for forgiveness instead. And so, “patience” is what God shows to us and we, in turn, must show to others. In the eyes of the world, we might be viewed as being a wimp. But, in the eyes of God, it is a sign that His LOVE has taken root in your heart. As such, it is not a sign of defeat, but one of victory.[7]
Let me give you an example. Abraham Lincoln and Edwin Stanton met for the first time six years before the Civil War when they were hired to work together as attorneys in a lawsuit involving patent rights. Stanton saw himself as a powerful, big-city lawyer. But, he regarded Lincoln as a country bumpkin with highly questionable legal skills. (Of course, Stanton was completely wrong in his assessment.) And so, because of his prideful attitude, Stanton openly made fun of Lincoln and referred to him as a “a low cunning clown.” Stanton bitterly joked that an explorer was combing the continent of Africa in search of a gorilla when all the explorer needed to do was visit Springfield, Illinois where he could easily find “the original gorilla” in the form of Abraham Lincoln. How did Lincoln respond to such insults? The answer is: He didn’t. Lincoln said nothing at all. And yet, when Lincoln was later elected President of the United States the tables were turned. Now, had he desired, Lincoln was the one who could have easily gotten back at Stanton. But, again, he didn’t do that. Instead, Lincoln made Stanton Secretary of War for the simple reason that he was the most qualified man for the position. Lincoln treated Stanton with the utmost courtesy and respect. And, as the war years wore on, Stanton realized that he himself was the “clown” who had acted with the manners of a gorilla. On the night Lincoln was shot, Stanton’s opinion of Lincoln had drastically changed. As the President was lying there on his deathbed, Stanton tearfully gave this revised assessment of Lincoln: “There lies the greatest ruler of men the world has ever seen.” Do you see what a difference the “patience of love” made here? When we are called “clowns,” “gorillas” or an assortment of other nasty names, Jesus calls us to display HIS LOVE by relying on the spiritual gift of patience.
Paul goes on to give us a second attribute of CHRIST-LIKE LOVE. He said simply this: “LOVE IS KIND.” 1st Corinthians 13:4 The Greek word for “kind” (Χρηστεύομαι, chrêsteuomai) indicates our duty to do good to others through acts of kindness. In other words, the demands of LOVE call us to ease the pain, anxieties and fears of others.[8] Too often, this aspect of LOVE is lacking among those who consider themselves the most religious. In this regard, there was an incident when the Jewish religious leaders caught a woman in the act of adultery. (John 8:1-11) They dragged the woman before Jesus to see if He would condemn her. But, the kindness that abounded in Jesus’ LOVE caused Him to confront those religious leaders. And so, Jesus asked who among them was so sinless that he could throw the first stone. Jesus showed the woman kindness as a step toward restoring her relationship with God. The British theologian, William Barclay, alluded to this incident and concluded: “There is in so many ‘good’ people an attitude of criticism. So many ‘good’ Church people would have sided with the rulers and not with Jesus if they had had to deal with the woman taken in adultery.”[9] We cannot afford to be like that. For as Paul told the Corinthians in a follow-up letter: “We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our PATIENCE, our KINDNESS, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere LOVE.” 2nd Corinthians 6:6 (NLT2) While we do not coddle sin, neither can we be so lacking in kindness that we forget that we were all once lost sinners bound for Hell.[10]
At this point, Paul switches over to the negative by describing what LOVE IS NOT. To repeat, He stated: 4 “[LOVE] does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” 1st Corinthians 13:4-6 (NIV) There is no doubt about it—when it comes to the LOVE OF CHRIST in my heart, I certainly need to work on developing PATIENCE and KINDNESS. And, when reviewing all the things that Paul said are the OPPOSITES OF LOVE, I have really needed the help of the Holy Spirit to weed out three of them in particular: Rudeness, being easily angered and keeping records of wrong.
It still bothers me to look back years ago on a public hearing for a major rezoning case I was involved with. I represented the property owners who wanted to convert several hundred acres of farmland into a huge residential subdivision. Of course, the neighbors came out in mass (as well they should have) to voice their opposition. As I made my presentation, there were a number of hecklers who said some fairly ugly things about me personally and about my representation. Until the night of that hearing, I had never been publicly called a “pimp” for developers before—that one really stung. There’s an old line in a Jerry Clower comedy routine that described a man’s anger as being his “redneck carnal nature.” Let’s just say my “redneck carnal nature” had reached a boiling point by the end of the meeting. When I was preparing to leave, I was approached by two ladies who were definitely not fans of residential subdivisions. They apparently thought even less of attorneys. They made it quite plain that, in their opinion, I was one of the rudest people they had ever met and that they wouldn’t hire me if I was the last attorney on earth. I, in turn, informed them that I would never represent them if they were the last two potential clients on earth. And, to this day, I regret that response because it violated about every aspect of “PATIENCE” and “KINDNESS” that Paul was trying to impress upon the Corinthians. My angry, rude words also displayed the worst of some of those negative characteristics Paul mentioned. We are to keep no record of wrongs with respect to any mistreatment others heap upon us. But, my response to those two women showed no CHRISTIAN LOVE whatsoever. Ironically, it is a record of my wrong to them that haunts me to this day. While God has forgiven me, I have no way of apologizing to those two ladies for being a consummate jerk that night. Through the grace of God and the help of the Holy Spirit, I have made some progress over the years in refraining from such LOVELESS actions. But, as my wife can attest, I still have occasional lapses when someone cuts me off in traffic or a weed-eater fails to crank after multiple pulls.
So, again, don’t feel like the Lone Ranger when you fail to live up to God’s standard of LOVE. But, never give up trying to imitate Jesus’ model for LOVE given throughout His earthly ministry and as fully demonstrated by His sacrifice on the Cross. And, when Paul says that we are to keep no records of wrongs, do not take that lightly. What kind of people are those who “keep records of wrongs”? They are unforgiving people. But, if you claim to be a Christian, you can’t be like that. It is difficult not to keep records of wrongs when someone has hurt you terribly. But, Christ was treated in the most unjust and barbaric way when He was nailed to the Cross. And yet, He prayed: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34 (ESV) And, know this: Our failure to heed what Paul is saying will have eternal consequences, for Jesus taught: 14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14-15 (NLT2)
So, think about all those negative things that Paul mentioned—envy, boastfulness, pride, rudeness, self-centeredness, anger and unforgiveness. They are the devil’s way of trying to suffocate the LOVE that Christ wants you to cultivate in your heart. These negative things are like viruses that make your LOVE grow sick. Jesus is the only one who has a cure, for as the Scriptures affirm: “He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and WITH HIS WOUNDS WE ARE HEALED.” Isaiah 53:5 (ESV)
Before leaving these negatives to LOVE, let’s consider verses 5 and 6 to make sure we understand what Paul is talking about. In verse 5, the New International Version translates it as: “[LOVE] is not self-seeking.” Or, as the New Living Translation puts it: “[LOVE] does not demand its own way.” As a practical matter, Paul was telling the Corinthians, as he tells us today, that we’d all be better off if we’d stop being so adamant about insisting upon having our way in every little thing. William Barclay expressed it well when he wrote: “Love does not insist upon its rights. In the last analysis, there are in this world only two kinds of people—those who always insist upon their privileges and those who always remember their responsibilities; those who are always thinking of what life owes them and those who never forget what they owe to life. It would be the key to almost all the problems which surround us today if men would think less of their rights and more of their duties. Whenever we start thinking about ‘our place’, we are drifting away from CHRISTIAN LOVE.”[11] Can you imagine what a better world it would be if we didn’t always insist upon getting our way? There’d be no more pushing and shoving, or jockeying for positions in the checkout lines at Walmart. Anger would be reduced significantly as people stop cutting in front of us on I-64. Frustrated ladies would stop getting snarky remarks from rude attorneys at public hearings. What a wonderful world it would be!
Moving on to verse 6, Paul tells us something quite profound about LOVE. He states: “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” What does that mean? William MacDonald touches upon the meaning by commenting that: “There is a certain mean streak in human nature which takes pleasure in what is unrighteous, especially if an unrighteous act seems to benefit one’s self. This is not the SPIRIT OF LOVE. Love rejoices with every triumph of the truth.”[12] And, Barclay adds: “It is one of the [odd] traits of human nature that very often we prefer to hear of the misfortune of others rather than of their good fortune.”[13] If you watch the major networks that give the evening news, we can see what the Apostle Paul, William MacDonald and William Barclay are describing. Tune in to CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN or PBS and you will quickly see how their news anchors and reporters gloat over any missteps or failures of conservative leaders—whether they are political leaders or religious leaders. Now, if I am going to get in trouble with the left, then I might as well get in trouble with the right as well. So, switch the station to FOX News, The Glenn Beck Show, or similar conservative news outlets and you will observe the very same thing happening—but in the opposite direction. These conservative news outlets take delight in the failures of those whose political or religious philosophies lean toward the left.
Now, ask yourself why do these news outlets (both those on the left and those on the right) take such approaches. The answer is quite simple. They do this because their respective viewers love it! If the technology had been available, the members of the church in Corinth would have tuned in with glee to the very same news presentations that Americans delight in consuming. Why is that the case? It is because Americans today (including many in the churches across this country) exhibit the very same lack of CHRISTIAN LOVE that was evident among the Corinthians to whom Paul was writing. You see, it is a very common thing to observe people in delight over the downfall of their perceived enemies. But, that is NOT LOVE. What did Jesus say? He commands that we LOVE OUR ENEMIES and PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PERSECUTE US[14]—not to be overjoyed by their misfortunes. As one Christian commentator so rightly put it: “Love rejoices in the virtue of others, not in their vices. Sin is an occasion for sorrow, not for joy. Basically, to exhibit GOD’S KIND OF LOVE, we must have God’s perspective on sin and righteousness. The better we understand LOVE, the more we will sorrow over those who commit sin. The more we LOVE THE TRUTH, the better we can LOVE those around us.”[15]
The best way I can summarize what Paul is telling us about LOVE is found in another letter. But, it isn’t one of Paul’s letters. Rather, it was a letter written by the Apostle John to the churches in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey).[16] John wrote: 7 “Dear friends, let us LOVE ONE ANOTHER, for LOVE COMES FROM GOD. Everyone who LOVES has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because GOD IS LOVE. 9 This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. 10 THIS IS LOVE: Not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to LOVE ONE ANOTHER. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and HIS LOVE IS MADE COMPLETE IN US.” 1st John 4:7-12 (NIV)
If your life does not reflect the LOVE OF GOD as preached by Paul and John, and as demonstrated in the life of Jesus Christ, it’s not too late. Don’t merely switch the channel on the evening new show. Rather, switch the channel in your heart. Turn to Christ and accept HIS LOVE and tune into the Holy Spirit—for only then can you “rejoice in the Truth” and the Truth will set you free![17]
Let us pray.
Darvin Satterwhite, Pastor
Forest Hill Baptist Church
February 2, 2025
©2025 All Rights Reserved as follows:
Anyone is at liberty to use this sermon or any portions thereof for educational or religious purposes, with or without credit. The pastor believes the material presented herein to be true to the teaching of Scripture, and desires to further, not restrict, its potential use as an aid in the study of God’s Word. The publication of this material is a grace ministry of Forest Hill Baptist Church in Louisa, Virginia.
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[1] 1st John 4:8b “God is Love.” (NIV)
[2] Matthew 5:48 “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (NIV)
[3] Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (NLT2)
[4] Bible Hub, Matthew 5:48, https://biblehub.com/study/matthew/5-48.htm (accessed January 29, 2025).
[5] Galatians 5:22-23 22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (NIV)
[6] Carson, D. A., ed. (2018). NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible. Zondervan.
[7] William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series, The Letters to the Corinthians, The Westminster Press: Philadelphia (Revised Edition 1975).
[8] Ronald Trail, Exegetical Summary of 1 Corinthians 10-16, An, (Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2001, 2008), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 175.
[9] William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series, The Letters to the Corinthians, The Westminster Press: Philadelphia (Revised Edition 1975).
[10] Romans 5:8 “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (ESV)
[11] Ibid. William Barclay.
[12] William MacDonald, Believer's Bible Commentary: A Thorough, Yet Easy-to-Read Bible Commentary That Turns Complicated Theology Into Practical Understanding, ed. Arthur Farstad, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 1796.
[13] William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series, The Letters to the Corinthians, The Westminster Press: Philadelphia (Revised Edition 1975).
[14] Matthew 5:44 “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (ESV)
[15] Gotquestions.org, 1st Corinthians 13:6, https://www.gotquestions.org/love-not-delight-evil-rejoices-truth.html (accessed January 30, 2025).
[16] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. 1st John, Thomas Nelson Publishers (2006).
[17] John 8:32 “And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.” (NLT2)
