Spiritual Love (14) - Love Endures All Things
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December 16, 2012 |
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 "Love is patient…bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
(1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee
The 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians talks about the characteristics of spiritual love. It says, "[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
In the previous edition, I explained that 'to bear all things' means to bear with everything that is not right according to love. To believe all things is to trust in somebody because we believe in him or her. To hope all things is to wait and look forward to what we believe until it comes true.
If we hope all things with faith, we can bear all things. Also, by bearing all things, we can endure all things. Then, what is the spiritual meaning of 'to endure all things'? How can we achieve spiritual love completely?
1. What is it to bear all things?
When we bear with all things that are not in accordance with spiritual love, there will be some aftermath from it. After there is a billowing of waves on sea, there will be ripples remaining running on the shore. The aftermath of bearing all things is something like these ripples. When we bear with all things, it will not just end by bearing them. There will be aftereffects from it like trials or heartaches.
As Jesus said in Matthew 5:39, "But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also," even if somebody slaps you on the right cheek, you do not fight back, but just endure it. But there might be aftereffects from it. You will have pain.
Of course, people have different reasons for experiencing heart-felt pain. Some people feel the pain because they think they've been slapped for no reason, and they are angry. Also, some may have pain in heart feeling sorry that they made the other person angry. Some may feel sorry seeing a brother who cannot hold his temper, but expresses it physically right away.
The aftermath of bearing with something can also come by way of external circumstances. For example, let's say that somebody slapped you on the right cheek and you turned the other according to the Word. Then, he hits you on the left cheek, too. You bore with it following the Word, but the situation seems to get worse in reality. You might have felt that the problem should be resolved because you bore with it, but why did the trial come after it? It's because the God of love wants to make us perfect and give us amazing blessings.
As believers we become true children of God like 'wheat' through the times of bearing and enduring. God's providence of human cultivation is such that we come forth as true children of God through such trials. An example is when somebody acts with evil against you and you bear it on the outside, but still have ill-feelings on the inside and think 'I don't want to see him. I don't understand'. The enemy devil and Satan know this and bring accusations against you for those feelings. Then, trials may come according to the accusation.
Until it is acknowledged that we don't have evil in our heart, there will be big and small tests. Of course, even after we cast off all sins and become completely sanctified, there can be trials. This kind of trial is allowed to give us blessings. Through this, we don't just stay at the level of having no evil but we will accomplish greater love and more perfect goodness.
It's not only for personal blessings. The same principle applies when God accomplishes His kingdom more greatly. For God to show great works, the justice has to be met. By showing great faith and deeds of love, we have to prove that we have the vessel to receive the answer. This is right according to justice so that the enemy devil cannot object to it. So, God sometimes just allows them to occur. If we endure with only goodness and love, God lets us give glory to Him more greatly with victory.
2. To bear, believe, hope, and endure all things
If we bear, believe, and hope all things in the truth because we love God, we can endure any kind of trials. Then, how do we believe, hope, and endure all things specifically?
1) We have to believe the love of God even during the trial
God allows trials for us so that as a result we will be eligible and able to gain praise, glory and honor at the end of our lives (1 Peter 1:7). Also, to live according to the Word of God completely and not to compromise with the world, you are sometimes faced with unjust sufferings. Then, each time, you have to believe that you are receiving special love of God. Then, you will be thankful because God is leading you to a better dwelling place in Heaven.
But if our trial is severe and it goes on for a long time, we may think, "Does God really love me?" But in these times, we have to remember the love of God and endure the trials. We have to believe that God the Father wants to lead us to better heavenly dwelling place because He loves us. If we believe the love of God and endure until the end, we will finally be blessed to become a perfect person (James 1:4).
2) We have to believe that the trials are a shortcut to fulfill our hopes
Romans 5:3-4 says, "And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope". As said, the tribulation of trials is like the shortcut to accomplish our hope. You may think, 'Oh, when can I change!' But, if you endure the trials and keep on changing again and again, you will finally become a true and perfect child of God resembling Him. It is like stones becoming glittering jewels through the processes of repeated grinding and polishing.
Therefore, when a trial comes, you should not avoid it but try to pass it with your best efforts. Of course, it is natural desire for a man to take the easy way. But if we try to avoid trials, we will arrive at the desired destination much later. For example, there is a person who gives you problems constantly and in every matter. You do not openly show it on the outside, but you have discomfort whenever you meet that person. So, you just want to avoid him. In this situation, you should not just try to ignore the situation, but you have to overcome it actively. Likewise, each of the trials will become the stepping stones and the shortcut on your way to fulfilling your hopes.
3) We have to do only good
From a fleshly view, tests or trials seem to be coming from other people or from some situations. But spiritually, all trials of faith are brought by the enemy devil and Satan. Namely, tests and trials are battles between good and evil. Thus, to win the victory in this spiritual battle, we have to fight according to the rules of the spiritual realm: goodness overcomes evil. If we act in goodness this way, it may seem that we face loss and we lose at the moment, but in fact, it's the opposite. As recorded in Romans 12:21, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good," goodness wins for sure when we act in goodness because God is goodness.
Does someone around you behave badly and don't you understand him whatsoever? Why don't you try with your heart to extend a little more goodness to him? There isn't anyone your can't endure if you cultivate true love in your heart. You will be able to love others as yourself and understand and embrace all things concerning them if you do as commanded in Matthew 22:39 saying, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself".
Dear brothers and sisters. When a foreign object like sand or seaweed comes into its body, a pearl oyster changes it into precious pearl. I hope you will endure pain of bearing with faith and hope and form the beautiful pearl called 'spiritual love'. I pray in the name of the Lord that, when you pass through the pearl gates, you will be able to confess to the Father God, "Thank You for bearing, believing, hoping, and enduring with all things for me."
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