RLBC Tamil Fellowship
Love- Bible Study
I. THE NECESSITY OF LOVE
A.AS DESCRIBED BY PAUL...
1. Necessary in the exercise of spiritual gifts - 1 Co 13:1-2
2. Necessary in the exercise of great sacrifice - 1 Co 13:3
-- Without love, such things are of no value!
B. APPLIED BY US TODAY...
1. Without love, any ability we have is of little value (teaching, preaching, etc.)
2. Without love, any knowledge we obtain will only hurt us - 1 Co 8:1
3. Without love, any service rendered is not pleasing to God - Re 2:1-5
-- Love is truly a necessary virtue!
II. THE QUALITIES OF LOVE
A.LOVE …….
1. Suffers longs - endures slights and wrongs patiently and long, like God Himself
2. Is kind - obliging, willing to help or assist
3.Rejoices in the truth - "with the truth"; truth is personified as is love, and when love sees truth manifested in the lives of others, love greatly rejoices along with it,
4. Bears all things - "covers, protects"; but as used by Paul elsewhere, it can also mean to endure thus in regards to the sins or failings of others, there is willingness to bear with them patiently
5. Believes all things - to believe that they may be actuated by good motives, and that they intend no injury
6. Hopes all things - that all will turn out well.
7. Endures all things - bears up under, sustain, and do not complain. Bears up under all persecutions at the hand of man.
B. LOVE...
8.Does not envy - is not jealous of what others have
9.Does not parade itself - does not brag or boast of one's abilities or possessions
10.Is not puffed up - swelled with pride and elated with a vain conceit of himself
11.Does not behave rudely - to behave in an ugly, indecent
12.Does not seek its own - does not seek its own happiness to the injury of others
13.Is not provoked - does not fly into a rage, but keeps the temper under control
14.Thinks no evil - puts the best possible construction on the motives and the conduct of others; not malicious, censorious, disposed to find fault
15.Does not rejoice in iniquity - does not take delight when they are guilty of crime, or when, in any manner, they fall into sin
III. THE PERMANENCY OF LOVE: 16
A. LOVE NEVER FAILS...to fall away, to fail; to be without effect, to cease to be in existence.
Spiritual gifts (e.g., prophecies, tongues, and knowledge) will fail, cease, vanish away - 1 Co 13:8-12
a. Such gifts were to reveal and confirm the Word - Mk 16:19-20; He 2:3-4
b. Once the Word was completely revealed and confirmed, the need for such gifts ceased - 2 Ti 3:16-17; 2 Pe 1:3; Ju 3
B. LOVE ABIDES...
1. Along with faith and hope - Spiritual gifts like prophecies, tongues, and knowledge would cease, yet the virtues of faith, hope and love would "abide"
2. Greater than faith and hope -
a. We now walk by faith, not by sight - 2 Co 5:7
b. We now hope for what is unseen - Ro 8:24-25
CONCLUSION
1. Love is truly "a more excellent way"
2. When properly defined and understood, love is also "the way of Christ"...
a. For in Paul's description of love, we see a picture of the character of Christ
b. As Disciples of Christ, we are to walk in the way of love as well
3. How does our conduct measure up to Paul's description of love...?
In our dealings with others, whether they be friends or foes?
Remember, without love, our labour means nothing!
Are we committed to walking in "The More Excellent Way of Love"...?
Link for download the above as PDF
http://sites.google.com/site/worldchristianfellowshipsite/love
