The Demonstration of Love

Love in thought - attitudes, motives and disposition

Bible text - 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 TPT

1 If I were to speak with eloquence in earth’s many languages, and in the heavenly tongues of angels, yet I didn’t express myself with love,[b] my words would be reduced to the hollow sound of nothing more than a clanging cymbal.

2 And if I were to have the gift of prophecy with a profound understanding of God’s hidden secrets, and if I possessed unending supernatural knowledge, and if I had the greatest gift of faith that could move mountains, but have never learned to love, then I am nothing.

3 And if I were to be so generous as to give away everything I owned to feed the poor, and to offer my body to be burned as a martyr, without the pure motive of love, I would gain nothing of value.

If nothing works outside of love, what then is the importance of love? what are the characteristics of love?

So WHAT DOES LOVE BRING

God is love

He, therefore, exhibits the characteristics of love as found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

1. Love is large and incredibly patient.

what is patience?

Patience is bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint

manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain

steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity

So love is forbearing with others even in the face of provocation and never add complaints to your acts of love.

“This means that, contrary to man’s perspective, the Lord is not late with his promise to return, as some measure lateness. But rather, his “delay” simply reveals his loving patience toward you, because he does not want any to perish but all to come to repentance.”

2 Peter 3:9 TPT

Ephesians 4:2

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

2. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all.

Kindness is a sympathetic or helpful nature

Kindness arises from or is characterised by sympathy or forbearance.

so to love means to be sympathetic and helpful towards others.

“But— When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.”

Titus 3:4-5 NLT

1 Peter 3:14

Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble.

Colossians 3:12

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

3. Love refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else.

hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage

Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have

Zeph 3:17

The LORD your God is in your midst, A Warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with joy; He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins], He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

4. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. Love is not proud or conceited. Doesn’t have a swelled head

“Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what.

Philippians 2:5-6 MSG

Phil 2:3

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit [through factional motives, or strife], but with [an attitude of] humility [being neither arrogant nor self-righteous], regard others as more important than yourselves.

5. Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honour.

Selfishness is a common sin you see in everyone. It’s always ‘me first, love is not self-centred

Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.” Phil 2.6-8

Ephesians 5:21

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Love means to consider others before self

6. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offence.

Irritable means easily exasperated, offended, easily angered, impatient, easily fly off the handle. This will lead to rudeness. Love is not rude or touchy

Psalm 103:8

The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love

7. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. It does not rejoice at injustice.

Love does not keep a record of wrongs or sins

Psalm 130:3

If You, LORD, should keep an account of our sins and treat us accordingly, O Lord, who could stand [before you in judgment and claim innocence]

Jesus forgave even on the cross

Luke 23:34

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.

Forgiveness

Ephesians 4:32

Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you.

Love justice

Micah 6:8

He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you Except to be just, and to love [and to diligently practise] kindness (compassion), And to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]?

8. Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love bears all things that it puts up with anything

God is love so He is a place of shelter

Proverbs 18:10 the name of the Lord is a strong tower

Proverbs 30:5

Every word of God is tested and refined [like silver]; He is a shield to those who trust and take refuge in Him.

“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].”

1 Corinthians 13:7 AMPC

9. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up.

Love never assumes someone cannot change, it keeps hoping, trying and praying

“He will keep you steady and strong to the very end, making your character mature so that you will be found innocent on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is forever faithful and can be trusted to do this in you, for he has invited you to co-share the life of his Son, Jesus, the Anointed One, our King!”

1 Corinthians 1:8-9 TPT

10. Love never stops loving. It extends beyond the gift of prophecy, which eventually fades away. It is more enduring than tongues, which will one day fall silent.

Love never dies, it transcends time and space

Jer 31:3

Long ago the LORD said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love, I have drawn you to myself.

Psalm 136:1-2 His love endures forever

“LET LOVE for your fellow believers continue and be a fixed practise with you [never let it fail].”

Hebrews 13:1 AMPC

Love remains long after words of knowledge are forgotten.

The acts of love are not easily forgotten

We sometimes don’t remember all our teachers but we do remember the kind ones who impacted our lives

Reasoning like a child in the time of ignorance or limited knowledge

When I was a child, I spoke about childish matters, for I saw things like a child and reasoned like a child. But the day came when I matured, and I set aside my childish ways.

1 Cor 13:11

When we didn’t understand love or what it means, we were doing whatever pleases us. Like a child wouldn’t understand the consequence of their action.

Even at that time of ignorance and folly, God loved us and still loves us

Romans 5:8

But Christ proved God’s passionate love for us by dying in our place while we were still lost and ungodly!

1 Cor 13:13

Until then, there are three things that remain: faith, hope, and love—yet love surpasses them all. So above all else, let love be the beautiful prize for which you run.”

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 TPT

Call to repentance and re-dedication

God has promised a new heart to anyone who asks for it. so if you are struggling to love and would really love to be Christ-like, let these words be your assurance and pray with it.

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.”

Ezekiel 36:25-27 NLT

Prayers

Holy Spirit, spur my heart to love

Stir me up to love as you do

Give me the grace to love

Let my heartbeat with love

Help me to readdress my attitude towards love

Watch the full sermon below on the Demonstration of love