Characteristics of Love: Love celebrates godliness
1 Corinthians 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
1 Corinthians 13:6 (GNS) Love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth.
Introduction: I bow down before the glorious God who has granted us opportunity to see another week of Speaking Scriptures. While I thank God for everyone that esteems His words more than necessary food, your questions, contributions and words of encouragement are valuable in this end times.
Scriptures speak in Job 23:12; Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.
🙏 I pray that Holy Spirit will make us to pant after His words as the hart pants after the water brooks in Jesus name.
📎 The 34th characteristic of God’s kind of Love this week is: Love celebrates godliness
Godliness is being godly. To be godly is being obedient to God.
Our text says; Love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth.
In the incidence that occurred to a couple, Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5, can we say there was God’s kind of love among them? (Read and answer)
▶️ God’s kind of Love will only be happy with the truth. If you know the truth, stand by the truth even before your spouse no matter the emoluments that come from lies.
A Nigerian was sometimes apprehended in U.S. for serial robbery. Prior to his arrest, he had a society wedding where money was lavishly spent. The wife, who met the arrested robber in church, danced and fared sumptuously. Will you exonerate her that she knows nothing about the proceeds from robbery? If you do, God cannot.
🛑 After Jesus Christ made a revelational statement about truth to the world before He was crucified, Pilate asked a vital question “What is truth?” The answer was already in the statement of Jesus Christ at His trial.
John 18:37-38 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
▶️ Only those that are of the Truth Hear the voice of the Master. The voice of Jesus Christ can be ignored for worldly pleasure but No one can deny His voice.
No one can know the truth nor get to God without Jesus Christ, therefore anyone without Jesus Christ dwells in darkness.
John 14:6 Jesus told him, ” I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
🛑 Anyone that says he/she does not know the truth in making certain decisions in life abides not in the Truth though he/she may be called a Christian. God knows several of His children deliberately turn away from the light of truth for pleasures of sin like Ananias and Sapphira, and the likes of the arrested robber’s wife.
John 3:20-21 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
A man thought he can receive favour from David by rejoicing in the death of Saul an adversary to David.
Hear David’s response and action
2 Samuel 4:9-10 And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity, When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:
▶️ God’s kind of Love celebrates godliness.
❓How often do you search the Scriptures with your spouse in order to admonish one another in this world of abounding iniquity?
Hebrews 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
▶️ We cannot deny the truth, therefore Christian couples are inexcusable if we cannot speak the truth based on the word of God as we love one another no matter how hard and painful the truth is.
❓What practical steps are we to take as we walk in love this week?
▶️ Find a specific, recent example when your spouse demonstrated Christian character in a noticeable way. Verbally commend them for this at some point to encourage godliness.
✍ Finally brethren, [Love] does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. Let us continue to search for the truth in the word of God so as to acquire knowledge that frees from bondage
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
✋ Maranatha
