Building Christian Relationships (Message 2) - 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 2nd 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 13:5-6)

by Dr William Harding (Professor Emeritus of Old Testament and Practical Biblical Theology, Biblical Theological Seminar)

1 Cor 13:5-6
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

v5a
Love does not act in an unbecoming, improper manner. It always maintains a proper decorum.

True biblical love results in good manners.

Example of the Apostle Paul of his conduct in the market place our in front of kings.

v5b
Love does not seek to please itself... cf 1 Cor 10:33

Love is not selfish. It doesn't ask, "what's in it for me?"

Live for others!

v5c
Love is not easily provoked by the injurious things done to it.

We will have hurtful things done to us but if we have biblical love, we will not be roused to anger. Take it in stride!

v5d
Love does not impute evil to the perpetrator. It's not resentful.

Love forgives on a personal level. ("personal" included to show how it IS to be done on such a level but excludes the punishment that follows a crime, for example.)

v6a
Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness. It grieves over unrighteousness.

Do I grieve over unrighteousness?

If I don't, have I become so hardened? So desensitized?

Love does not sympathize with unrighteousness.


Is that a picture of me? What does my picture look like?