Characteristics of love

1 Corinthians 13
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Yesterday we had P. Mau Rivera lead us in study about "Characteristics of Love", passage taken from 1 Corinthians 13.

We praise God for the 11 people who came in for the fellowship and for Marc and Claire as our early birds.

Summary of the message is as follows:

I. Love is Essential - 13:2

1. Love is more important than prophecy. The Bible is full of prophecies but combined they are not as great as love. Prophecy covers the whole range of eternity from creation to the end of Revelation. Prophecy is excellent, but it is useless without love.

2. Love is more important than mysteries. This includes the whole range of the unknown: Trinity, Incarnation, Election, etc. A knowledge so great that could understand all these is useless without love.

3. Love is more important that knowledge. This includes the whole range of possible learning: schools, universities, and or college degrees. These are all wonderful if they are accompanied by love, the dynamic of life.

4. Love is more important than faith- the whole range of the inward devotional of man. Faith as a grain of mustard seed would be wonderful, but useless without love. Without love, man is nothing. He is a nonentity, a nobody.

II. Love is Generous (13:3)

Giving without love is useless. To give with a harsh spirit is useless. God manifests His love by giving. The gift of Christ to man was bathed in love. Christmas gift may be without love - just as a matter of courtesy.

1. Utmost possible sacrifices of property are useless if the action is not governed an immersed in love.

2. Utmost possible sacrifices of one's person (martyrdom) is useless without being impregnated with His love, divine love, the love of God.

III. Love is Able to Suffer (13:4a)

Most outstanding quality of love.

True love says, I love you and will go through fire, sorrow and trouble for you. True love is able to endure suffering and yet remain sweet and kind.

The Christian pathway is one of the suffering, yet the Christian learns to love. Through suffering his Christian character matures and deepens.

Love that turns to hate overnight was mere human love or perhaps only infatuation. This is well illustrated in the story of 2 Samuel 13:15.

True love involved a Calvary. God loved us so much that His great love could find expression in nothing less than the suffering of Calvary.

IV. Love is not... (13:4b-6a)

1. Envious "It does not envy." True love does not envy success, gifts, talents, and possessions of others.
2. Boastful "It does not boast." It does not show off. It maintain humility.
3. Conceited "It is not proud." True love always prefers the other one to self.
4. Rude "It is not rude." It is never coarse or offensive. True love is courteous at all times.
5. Selfish "It is not self-seeking." Love sacrifices and gives generously.
6. Irritable "It does not easily angered". True love is not touchy. It absorbs much.
7 Censorious "Does not delight in evil." It is not critical, reproving, carping, nagging suspicious or blaming.
8. Sin loving "rejoice not in iniquity." True love hates and abominates sin.

V. Love is... (13:6b-8a)

1. Truthful "rejoice in the truth." Love delights to tell the truth.
2. Sustaining "beareth all things." True love does not collapse under strain, emotional, mental or physical.
3. Trusting "believeth all things." True love thinks good motives, not suspicious.
4. Hopeful "hopeth all things." True love always expects the best.
5. Enduring "endureth all things." It endures through time, exceptions and even death.
6. Successful "love never fails." This is true because Romans 8:28 is true.

VI. Love is Eternal (13:8b-12)

1. Love will outlive prophecy.
2. Love will outlive tongues.
3. Love will outlive knowledge.

God is love- 1 John 4:16. Love is an attribute of the Almighty. Heaven and earth mat pass away but love will abide. Love is eternal. When manhood comes, verses 9-12, we put away childish things for the adult things. We put away the fleeting things of the youth for the mature knowledge of adulthood.

VII. Love is Supreme

1. Love is greater than faith. Salvation is wrapped up in faith, yet love is far superior. Love was the movie and power under girding salvation.
2. Love is greater than hope. Romans 8:24 "For we are saved by hope..." Heaven is so different from earth for it is controlled by love.

Christ, the One who indwells us desires that daily we should manifest this love. The world is dying for a little bit of love. Let us share His love with others.