Characteristics of Love: Love is Patient
1 Corinthians 13:3-4 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
1 Corinthians 13:3-4(NLT) If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud
Introduction: I greet you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that enemy will not destroy our lives and homes in Jesus name.
We are starting to look at characteristics of Love which will help us to disable the Devil when he attempts to use his arsenal to kill, steal and destroy our lives and marriages as he did in the Garden of Eden for Adam and Eve the first couple.
Looking at characteristics of Love arises from questions and answers in the Church about valentines love during February teaching service. The love exhibited to Eve by Adam before the fall was God’s kind of Love.
Genesis 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Adam saw Eve as his bone and flesh, meaning she is part and parcel of him, whatever hurt Eve will hurt him, this is God’s kind of Love.
When Satan brought sin into the life of the first couple, God’s love became corrupted, and Adam saw Eve as unsolicited woman given by God.
Genesis 3:12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
Adam now saw Eve as an entity different from himself, and that it was God who put Eve with him and brought evil to him. Instead of admitting they both disobeyed God and obeyed the Serpent, Adam separated himself from wrong. Sin therefore generated selfishness in humanity and brought separation after God’s glory departed.
I now want you to know that the Love we are talking about is God’s original love exhibited by Adam before the fall which Christ came to restore. It is referred to as “Agape Love” and it comes from God, though unknown by inhabitants of the world unlike Sensual love from the prince of this world known by the world.
1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
This Agape Love is different totally from valentine or worldly love originated from Idolatry.
Valentine love is from the world, earthly which is associated with envy, strife and evil works and that is why it is sensual.
Worldly love is selfish with “nothing goes for nothing” a worldly philosophy and foundation which exhibits works of the flesh that may look good but hypocritical and unacceptable to God.
James 3:15-16(NLT) For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.
Agape Love is from God for genuine Christians who receive token of Love given by God, that is Jesus Christ.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Therefore, ONLY those who receive this GIFT of God will be able to constantly exhibit God’s kind of Love, firstly to God then to spouse and others.
Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ will possess Agape love from God and exhibit this love to spouse and fellow believers. There is no way anyone will love God and not reflect genuine love to spouse and others.
1 John 5:1-2(NLT) Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments.
God’s requirements; Fear God, Love God, Obey God, Please God and Serve God (FLOPS) will be fully met by Christians that Love God. All the five requirements are embedded in One; that is Love.
Matthew 22:37-38 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.
Romans 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Possessing God’s kind of Love makes it impossible to hurt or pĺan evil for spouse and others. Now, we must know characteristics of God’s love so as to use it as a barometer of love from Above written in the Bible the sure words of God.
James 3:17(NLT) But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.
First characteristic: Love is Patient.
Ephesians 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love
Ephesians 4:2(NLT) Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.
Ephesians 4:2(GNS) Be always humble, gentle, and patient. Show your love by being tolerant with one another.
Ephesians 4:2(AMP) Living as becomes you with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another
Patience is embedded in Love being the fruit of the Spirit that every believer MUST bear as written in Galatians 5:22-23.
Patience is ability to stay calm and not get annoyed or react angrily to slightest provocation.
❓Do you know that in patience, you will possess and be in control of your soul?
Luke 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.
Ability to control the soul is putting the flesh or Human nature under subjection so as not to fulfil its lusts written in Galatians 5:19-21.
Since patience is embedded in God’s Love, promises of God is certain in the life of believers with God’s kind of Love.
Hebrews 10:36(NLT) Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.
Because one of the characteristics of Love is patience, there will be perfect satisfaction in marriage without lack of good things.
James 1:3-4 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Temperance, that is having strong mind to control intakes; and patience, ability to stay calm; lead to godliness that produces love and kindness which brings about fruitfulness in the knowledge of Christ Jesus.
2 Peter 1:5-8 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ
✍ Finally brethren, God’s kind of Love makes allowance for wrong doing. One of the practical step towards exhibiting patience in love is to courageously control what we say in the face of provocation.
We can start from our spouse, as the saying goes “Charity begins at home”.
Although love is communicated in a number of ways, our words often reflect the condition of our heart. Let us start by taking steps and resolve to demonstrate patience and to say nothing negative to our spouse at all. If the temptation arises, choose not to say anything. It’s better to hold your tongue than to say something you’ll regret.
Proverbs 17:28(NLT ) Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.
Proverbs 17:28(MSG) Even dunces who keep quiet are thought to be wise; as long as they keep their mouths shut, they’re smart.
✋ Maranatha
