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The Definition of Love – Not Puffed Up

Love is longsuffering, love is kind, love is not jealous, love does not brag, is not puffed up … 1 Corinthians 13:4

The concept of being puffed up is typically viewed as a person that is conceited. They have and are showing an excessively high opinion of themselves. As an example to the saints in Corinth, Paul used himself and Apollos to show that no one should be puffed up about themselves.

Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other. – 1 Corinthians 4:6

We are not to let our freedom in understanding of false idols puff us up, for let us not forget we also followed them before God saved us. You never followed a false idol? Never bowed down to a statue of stone or wood? Do you think that those who are idolaters are ignorant and simpletons to do such a thing? Have you ever coveted what another person has?

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, wrong desire, and the covetousness, which is idolatry. – Colossians 3:5

Yes, it is true that idols are nothing, but let us not allow our knowledge to puff us up.

Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. – 1 Corinthians 8:1

And do not let those who follow idolatry persuade you into it also by using false humility and the worship of angels while intruding into things that are not seen and […]

The Definition of Love – Not Puffed Up2023-12-14T08:34:00-08:00

The Definition of Love – Does not Brag

Love is longsuffering, love is kind, love is not jealous, love does not brag … 1 Corinthians 13:4

Bragging is when someone uses adulations or employing rhetorical embellishments in excessively praising another. Love does not brag about itself. It is not a characteristic of a person’s attitude and actions that desires to be noticed and praised for what it is doing. Those who brag about how much their church gives to the poor, or the different social events and projects they are involved in, or how much they help out their community, are not expressing love. Why? Because, by their boasting they are showing that their actions are not about seeking the best for those who are loved, but getting accolades.

God’s quality of love seeks the best for the one loved, so by its very nature it will not push itself forward to be praised, and certainly will not embellish on its accomplishments. This type of trait comes from a mind that is framed correctly and humble while giving preference to others.

In the fondness unto one another affectionately giving preference to the honor of one another – Romans 12:20

Rejoice with rejoicing, weep with weeping, while considering the same unto one another, not while framing the mind on the high things, but while associating with the humble. Do not be caused to become wise alongside yourselves, while not paying back wrong for wrong, giving prior thought to proper before all men. – Romans 12:15-17

Love is going to withhold its anger against unreasonable people and make others feel at ease by its benevolent nature, while not bragging about itself. This is God’s quality of love. Remember, the world system thinks it can express love without God and many churches today have fallen victim to replacing […]

The Definition of Love – Does not Brag2023-12-14T08:34:36-08:00

The Definition of Love – Not Jealous

Love is longsuffering, love is kind, love is not jealous … 1 Corinthians 13:4

Jealousy is wanting what another person has. It is not just being resentful or angry of another’s good fortune or achievements, but a strong desire to possess them. Unlike zeal, which is an enthusiastic devotion to a cause or goal making someone eager and determined to do something, jealousy takes this type of attitude and uses it in a way that damages others to get what they have. So one who is jealous will be zealous to obtain what another person has.

Jealousy will produce actions that are harmful to others.

“And the patriarchs, becoming jealous, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him – Acts 7:9

We also see an example of jealousy in Galatia where men came down from Jerusalem who sought to make Paul look bad to the saints there as though he was their enemy so they could exclude the saints to themselves. This is a very common tactic of false teachers and those seeking to usurp a position of authority even today.

They jealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them. – Galatians 4:17

Because of jealousy for their father’s love, the brothers of Joseph sold him into slavery. Because of jealousy for the saints, false teachers came into Galatia teaching that they had to keep the law to be saved, not for the sake of those they sought to persuade but so these false teachers could look good before others and get them to only follow them. Jealousy always leads to hurting others. The Jews were very jealous of Paul when he would teach […]

The Definition of Love – Not Jealous2023-12-14T08:35:00-08:00

The Definition of Love – Longsuffering

Love is an aspect of God’s nature which is manifested in seeking the best for the one loved. This attribute of His nature was shown to the disciples in the person of Jesus and shared with all those who believed their message so that even today we see the love of God manifested through the Church. This character is not from humans and in all actuality before God showed us love humans did not know what it was. At best our quality of love only seeks the best for the one loving – we sacrifice for something we want, not for the benefit of another. Now that the world has seen God’s quality of love through the Church, today the world has decided it can show this type of love without God. However, since the world can only mimic what is sees from Christians, for it does not know God, it perverts the love of God into that of human love and tries to claim it is at the very least as good of a love, if not better – for it is all inclusive. Sadly, many assemblies today have accepted this worldly love in place of God’s love. But allowing someone to continue doing things that are harmful to themselves is not love at all. Since we have a lot of “fake” love today, it is important for us to know what classifies as the love of God. That is, we need to know the real thing so that we can easily identify when it is being expressed by a Christian and when an unbeliever, or carnal Christian, is trying to mimic it with a human quality of love.

In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 we are […]

The Definition of Love – Longsuffering2023-12-14T08:36:55-08:00

The Definition of Love – Seeking to Usurp the Love of God

If with the tongues of men and angels I speak, but do not have love, I become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophecy and I perceive all mysteries and know all things, and I have all faith so that to move a mountain, but do not have love I am nothing. And if I give all my goods and if I give my body in order to be burned, but do not have love, it profits nothing – 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

As Christians, we are instructed to love one another as Christ loved us. Our commandment is to love the brethren and when we are loving we will not violate any law. However, there is also a love related to the world system that often gets mixed into the true love we are to show towards those of the Church.

A new commandment I give to you, in order that you should love one another just as I have loved you, in order that also you should love one another – John 13:34

I recently encountered an example of this worldly type of love in a story of a barber that goes down to the local park in his city each week, bringing his own power and supplies, to offer free haircuts to the homeless. Now at first this may seem like a wonderful thing to do. Even perhaps an expression of love. But is it God’s quality of love, or a human love that is seeking to usurp the love of God?

The love of God seeks the best for the one loved. Is offering a benefit to those who refuse to work an expression of God’s love or human […]

The Definition of Love – Seeking to Usurp the Love of God2023-12-14T08:37:21-08:00
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