Title: Love Appears in Christian Fellowship
Contents
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1. Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scorners.
2. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
3. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; in all that he does, he prospers.
4. The wicked are not so; but they are like chaff that the wind blows.
5. Therefore the wicked will not stand judgment, nor will sinners enter the assembly of the righteous.
6. All the ways of the righteous are approved by the LORD, but the ways of the wicked will be destroyed.
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4. Love is patient, love is gentle, does not envy, love does not boast, is not arrogant,
5. It is not rude, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6. Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth.
7. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Content
Subject: Love in Christian Fellowship
Text: Psalm 1:1-6, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
The Apostle Paul, the father of faith, sings songs to the children of the Corinthian church who are suffering. It's a love song. It is a love song that hopes that children who are excited about useless things while listening to the song will fall asleep quietly and wake up for the morning of a new life. ‘Go to the highest place in your life without failure! Walk the path of love that leads directly to God!’ All of them were drawn together by a new and strange power. It was a group of people from all walks of life with different temperaments and prospects. They came together with elements of inconsistency rather than agreement. The gifts of the Holy Spirit that they experienced were also diverse. Conflict was a natural phenomenon. How can we overcome conflicts and build a desirable community? He tells them to walk the path that is led by the ‘love of Jesus’ that each of them has already experienced.
Here are 15 characteristics of love in Christian fellowship. It is also called “the essence of Christian love”. These are things that come from living with the unconditional love of God, that is, the love of the cross in our hearts. 7 positives and 8 negatives. The positives are 1) long-suffering, 2) meekness, 3) rejoicing with the truth, 4) enduring all things, 5) all-belief, 6) all-desiring, 7) all-suffering. Negative is 1) not being a speculator, 2) not boasting, 3) not arrogant, 4) not rude, 5) not self-seeking, 6) not angry, 7) not thinking of evil, 8) It does not rejoice in injustice. Negative things are foolishness that is easy to commit in the name of love. These are gestures of love unique to Christianity that are manifested by God's unconditional love as the driving force (Psalm 1:1-6).
The principle of nature, “You reap what you sow,” also applies to the spiritual world. It is essential to ‘live according to the Spirit’, the Spirit of love (Galatians 6:7,8). Because love is the product of relationships, it sprouts and grows in receiving and giving. Following the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16-18), it is a life of putting aside the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). So the fruit that is borne is love. If we call God's unconditional love 'unconditional love', we will call the love of thanksgiving for this 'disgraceful love'. In this sense, ‘love to love’ is conditional. “Your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 19:19) is another form of disgraceful love. While the works of the flesh are plural, the fruits of the Spirit are singular (Galatians 5:22,23). Because they are the fruits of the work of one Holy Spirit. The best commentary on love, the firstfruits of the Spirit, is 1 Corinthians 13 (Hymns of Love).
All relationships that bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit share the grace of salvation. Heaven's joy abounds. It is a grace necessary for couples, parents, children, brothers and sisters, families, churches, countries, and international relations. Of all the Christian virtues, love is supreme. Because God is love (1 John 4:8,16). The journey of life is the way to find God the Father, who is such love itself (Ecclesiastes 3:11). It is not only the prodigal son who has left home to be immature. It was because the eldest son who stayed at home was also immature (Luke 15:11-32). At that time, if there was no father's 'long-suffering' and 'love of waiting', what would be the result? The story should have ended with an unhappy family, a home without joy, and a home without festivals. 'Love is patient, love is gentle..believes all things...and endures.' Amen.