Love is not merely a declaration, but actions we take towards what we treasure. If we truly love something, it is professed from our lips and seen in our subsequent actions. God is our model as Jesus Christ is the evidence of this truth bestowed upon us by our Father in Heaven. We are called to live out a love that reflects and imitates the nature of God who is love (1 Jn 4:8).
Paul concludes this short section on his discourse on Biblical love by describing such adoration and affection that is not a noun, but rather a verb that shows us how the act love is actually expression of our thoughts and actions. He summarizes four major characteristics of “agape” (ἀγάπη) love.
Love bears all things. It is a type of disposition we have towards people where we don’t give up easily on them by enduring their faults and difficulties. We are slow to cut people off and quicker look beyond a persons offenses against us for the purposes of loving them as God loves us. We are aligned with God in this way when our desire to love is supreme over our need for justice and equity in a relationship. Remember Peter’s words (1 Pt 4:8), “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
Love believes all things. Here, Paul is not promoting that a Christian become gullible in our relationships. We do not ignore the reality of truth in our bonds with others, for a Biblical love does not lack the qualities of wisdom and discernment. Our belief in all things is directed towards God, not man. Meaning, as we love a person, we have faith in God that he will work his divine plan in our relationships for good, especially when we actively participate as extension of his love and grace towards others.
Our love trust in God (in the present and future) to repair what is broken; to make uneven ground level; and to make the rough places in our relationships smooth. In other words, we fix our eyes on the steadfast and perfect character of God, while we love through the flawed nature of our brethren. Solomon observations rightly apply here (Prv 3:5-6), “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on you own understanding. (6) In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Hallelujah!!!
Love hopes all things. This companion attribute of love is essential in being able to patiently trust in God’s activity in our lives. It looks upon the immutable characteristics of God and is (as a result) filled with healthy optimism that is informed by his Scriptures. Our hope is in God while we operate in a world with people (in what appears to be) in hopeless conditions.
Love endures all things. My father recently told me, “God’s people are to be a resilient people.” This is Biblical truth as we called to be able to preserve and show tenacity in all things concerning the will of God. We know we are operating in Biblical love the more we began to grow more in enduring pain, suffering, and hardships of living for God in our relationships with people. It is this type of love that is pleasing unto God, for Peter writes (1 Pt 2:20), “…but if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.” Why? Because Jesus did the same for us on the cross. He endured gross injustices of OUR shame and judgement that we shall inherit the glory of salvation from our Father.
Paul’s overall point is this: The Christian life includes both glory and suffering (Rom 8:17). While faith and hope are integral in our walk with the Lord, love is the greatest of them all. His teaching here is a gold mine for us, as it reminds us how radically different Biblical love is in comparison to the world. Nevertheless, it is a way of life (love) we are called to. Let us not take our que’s on this from the world’s of men, but instead look directly to God who does not simply gives us wisdom and knowledge, but the power (by his Spirit) to walk in it. Amen.
Blessings,
Dr. Jason S. Price, Th.D.
www.springoflivingwaters.com