Evening School of the Bible

Love and All Things

What are the “all things” that love is directed at in 1 Corinthians 13:7?

Love bears all, 1 Corinthians 13:7

“All” is restricted by the verb “to bear”, which comes from a word that means, “to put a roof on”, “to keep silent” or “to cover”. It is used four times in Scripture and is typically translated in the context as “remaining silent”. Love does not speak out even when it had the right to demand that which legitimately belongs to it, 1 Corinthians 9:12 (Many translation us the word “suffer”; however, this is not the Greek word for “suffer”, but rather the one for “remaining silent”)

Love believes all, 1 Corinthians 13:7

Belief comes from faith. Scripture defines faith as that which gives hope substance and is the evidence of accomplished deeds not seen, Hebrews 11:1 (Note: Although many of the translations use the word “things”, the original language does not. Faith is the substance of that which is hoped for, the evidence of accomplished deeds not seen.). Since a promise is always the basis for hope, faith is taking God at His Word, Romans 8:24, 25.
Because a promise is the basis for faith, the “all” has to be restricted to that which has been promised. Since love is directed at other believers, John 13:34, 1 John 3:23, 24, it will take a person at his or her word.
The abuse of love is not justified here, for if saints are continually doing wrong they are to be admonished and if they refuse to change their minds (repent) other saints are to separate from them. Romans 16:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:14. This is also an expression of love, by seeking the best for the one loved, which can require separation […]

Love and All Things2023-12-14T12:32:16-08:00

Overcoming the Enemy Within

But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will in no way bring to completion the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these oppose one another in order that that which you should desire, this you do not do, Galatians 5:16, 17

The sin nature is one of the more predominate enemies that we face each day of the three that seek to thwart our Christian walk. Unlike Satan, who will flee if we resist him, or the world system, which is designed to rock us to sleep like a little baby, the sin nature never goes away. Morning, noon, and night, it is always there. It seeks to keep us in slavery and demands that we fulfill it desires. So how do we overcome such a formidable foe?

We do not fight the sin nature with law, for the law gives it strength. No, in all actuality, we do not fight the sin nature at all. It is too strong for us! So how do we gain freedom from its grip? By governing our lives according to the Spirit.

You see, in Christ we are dead to the sin nature. We died with Christ and have been raised to walk in newness of life. We need to recognize this truth and act appropriately. As we govern our lives according to who we are in Christ the desires that the Spirit produces in us will make us slaves to righteousness, which is totally contrary to the desires from the flesh, which seek to make us slaves to unrighteousness. The two desires do not mix. You cannot be Spiritual and carnal at the same time. Therefore, […]

Overcoming the Enemy Within2012-12-29T15:10:01-08:00

We are who We are in Christ because of God’s Grace

1 Corinthians 15:10 But, by the grace from God I am who I am. And His grace, the one upon me, will not come to be without results, but I toil more abundantly than all of them. Indeed, not I but the grace from God, the one with me.

Paul received the position of an Apostle because of God’s attitude by which He gives a benefit without consideration of merit (grace). A position that Paul felt he did not deserve because he persecuted the church, yet, God saw fit to place him in it. Understanding this, Paul states that this grace will not come to be without result, for he labored intensely far above the other Apostles. However, Paul does not give himself credit for the toil, for it was not him, but the grace that was with him.

What part of the body did God place you in? All to often we get our minds focused on the things of this world and forget who we are in Christ; forget to see things as they really are. We are who we are in Christ because God chose to give us a benefit without consideration of merit. We did not earn it, but that does not mean we should not use it. Will His grace come to be without result in you? Or will you live a life that glorified Him by showing forth who you are in Christ?

Since you have been raised with Christ, set your mind on the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, not on the things of this earth and put on the new man, the one being renewed unto a full experiential knowledge […]

We are who We are in Christ because of God’s Grace2016-10-12T06:02:47-07:00
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