Building Christian Relationships (Message 3) - A Portrait of Love

This church camp, we will study how to BUILD CHRISTIAN RELATIONSHIPS. There are 4 conditions we need if we are going to BUILD CHRISTIAN RELATIONS.


[This is the 3rd message about the first condition]

Building Christian Relationships

1. A Portrait of Love (Part 1) 
2. A Portrait of Love (Part 2) 
3. A Portrait of Love (Part 3) 
4. That Little Piece of Flesh That Dwells Between Our Jaws (Part 1) 
5. That Little Piece of Flesh That Dwells Between Our Jaws (Part 2) 
6. How to Have Unity in the Church 
7. How a Christian Brother Who Sins Against Us is to be Treated 

A Portrait of Love (1 Cor 13:6-7)
by Dr William Harding (Professor Emeritus of Old Testament and Practical Biblical Theology, Biblical Theological Seminar)

1 Cor 13:6-7
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

v6b
Love rejoices with righteousness.

"With" is used... Interesting.
Note how Paul makes a contrast with the first part of verse 6.

True, biblical love rejoices when righteousness is done.

v7a
Love patiently bears all the troubles and annoyances that come to us.

Bear in the Greek means a roof, the idea that of a roof sheltering against the elements.

v7b
Love believes the best regarding the things that happen.

"Benefit of a doubt"

Doesn't mean we condone evil but we recognize it though we still must forgive on a personal level.

v7c
Love expects the best regarding all the things that others do. It is optimistic.

We expect the best and should be genuinely disappointed if the best does not happen.

v7d
Love bravely and calmly bears all sufferings and persecutions that come to it.

Do not retreat from our position of love!

This is surely tough thing... A battle of endurance.


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Wow. What a difference from the world's standard!