User:AmeliaHake
We are not called to hate the world -- sin, yes, the world, no. We must remember that God intends to change the world by eradicating sin. So, we must not become cynical, even in the midst of a world where there are very good and sound reasons for cynicism. Cynicism, not the world, must be rejected. Christian love is the antidote to cynicism. Christian love is not irritable or resentful, even in the face of irritability and resentfulness. It is not cynical, even in the face of cynicism. Love turns its back on irritability and resentment, and refuses to engage or express them, regardless of our personal feelings.
Love, as Paul has defined it here, is not a function of feelings. Christian love is simply not subject to human feelings. Rather, love is a commitment, a commitment to Christ first and foremost and then to His people, come what may. Love is commitment to biblical principles regardless of how we feel in the moment. Love understands that its commitment to these things -- to Christ, to God's people and to Scripture -- is greater than life itself. Love understands that commitment to Christ will survive this temporal life and continue into eternity.
Paul goes on to say that love "does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth" (1 Corinthians 13:6). Other translations translate the Greek word as "unrighteousness" or "iniquity." Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness. Love does not rejoice in iniquity. The word literally means injustice. Love hates injustice, unfairness, unrighteousness and iniquity. But love loves truth -- verity, equity, fairness, justice and righteousness. And how could it be otherwise? Because true love loves Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is the manifestation of verity, equity, fairness, justice and righteousness. Because Christians love Christ first and foremost, they love these things -- the things of Christ -- first and foremost, more than other things. Christians rejoice in these things. These things provide joy for those in Christ.
This great Love Chapter provides a call to faithfulness that cuts through the fog of theology and doctrine without denying or belittling theology and doctrine. It makes Christian love real, more than words, more than feelings, more than commitment to an ideal or a cause. "And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments" (2 John 1:6).buy a paper
