For the last couple of months, our church family is hearing a series of sermons in 1 Corinthians 13 — the “chapter of love” — on the characteristics of the biblical love. Thinking through each one of them, I decided to make an exercise and cross-reference the characteristics of love from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NASB) to the love that God showed towards us in Christ. Take a look!
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love is patient,
“Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.” 1 Timothy 1:16
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love is kind and is not jealous;
“But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,” Titus 3:4–5
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love does not brag and is not arrogant,
“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5–8
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does not act unbecomingly;
““Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”” Matthew 11:28–30
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it does not seek its own,
“For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.”” Romans 15:3
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is not provoked,
“When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.” Luke 23:33–34
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does not take into account a wrong suffered,
“Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18–19
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does not rejoice in unrighteousness,
“the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8
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but rejoices with the truth;
“So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”” John 8:31–32
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bears all things,
“and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” 1 Peter 2:24
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believes all things,
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;” Ephesians 2:8
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hopes all things,
“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.” 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17
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endures all things.
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing,” — nothing — “will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38–39
What a perfect love that God has loved us in Christ! Let us praise Him and love our neighbors in the likeness of Christ!
“We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” 1 John 3:16
