true Love in aN age of tolerance

1 cor 13:6

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (ESV)

 

Sermon Introduction

 

If I were to ask you what our culture deemed more valuable, truth or tolerance, what would you say? To emphasize the purpose for the question, consider the following three illustrations.

Case 1. Recently, I had a conversation with a young man about Christianity. He listened closely to what I had to say about how Jesus Christ had saved me from my sin, but immediately became very defensive when I tried to suggest that he too had that same need for Christ as his Savior. He explained to me that because we live in a pluralistic society, all religions are equally valid roads to God. "You're just being too closed-minded," he said. "Jesus works for you, just like Buddha works for someone else. So if you want people to respect what you have to say, you need to be more tolerant of beliefs unlike your own."

Case 2. Last year, a dean at Stanford University began to pressure evangelical Christian groups on campus to stop the practice of "proselytizing other students." Ironically, what angered the dean was not the content of the message that was being shared, but the practice of sharing itself. He believes that in approaching someone with the Gospel, you are implying that the person's beliefs are inferior to your own. Such an implication is unacceptable because it is self-righteous, biased, and intolerant.

Case 3. Graduate student Jerome Pinn checked into his dormitory at the University of Michigan to discover that the walls of his new room were covered with posters of nude men and that his new roommate was an active homosexual who expected to have partners in the room. Pinn approached the Michigan housing office requesting that he be transferred to another room. Listen to Pinn's own description of what followed: "They were outraged by this [request]. They asked me what was wrong with me--what my problem was. I said that I had a religious and moral objection to homosexual conduct. They were surprised; they couldn't believe it. Finally, they assigned me to another room, but they warned me that if I told anyone of the reason, I would face university charges of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation."{1} In their mind, Jerome had no right to a new room because he was being intolerant. Scott Scruggs Truth or Tolerance?, http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/truthtol.html

 

 

 

 

 

1.      Does not rejoice with evil:

1 Corinthians 13:6 (ESV)
6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.[1]

 

1.1.       Exegesis

1 Corinthians 13:6

Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament

Young's Literal Translation

New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update

The King James Version

English Standard Version

The New International Version

The New Century Version

Reina-Valera Actualizada

6 οὐ χαίρει ἐπὶ τῇ ἀδικίᾳ, συγχαίρει δὲ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ·

6 rejoiceth not over the unrighteousness, and rejoiceth with the truth;

6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

6 Love is not happy with evil but is happy with the truth.

6 No se goza de la injusticia, sino que se regocija con la verdad.

 

·                     Does not find its joy in the wrong, does not find happiness in evil, is not delighted with unrighteousness.

·                     Love leaves no room for the possibility of rejoicing with evil.  Remember, true love is rooted in God himself.  This is the whole context of this passage.

·                     Paul is not talking about nebulous love, this isn’t a poem to love, an ode to love.  This is an exhortation set in the context of a local church that has experienced life transforming change in the gospel by the power of the Spirit.  Something happened in the preaching of the cross.  Paul set before them true wisdom – Christ crucified.  Christ died for my sins.  The five word truth.  The five fingered truth.  This message had led to something miraculous.  They had experienced in this truth the power of Christ.  They had found life in Christ – they had found true wisdom – that is righteousness, sanctification and redemption in Jesus Christ.

·                     Only in that context is their any appeal to live a life of love.  For this love comes from God, a holy and perfect God!

1 John 4:7-12 (ESV)
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

·                     He is the author and giver of love.  He defines love.

1 John 4:9-10 (ESV)
9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

·                     His glory is greatly shown in His love.

Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV)
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

·                     Love has everything to do with who God is.  You cannot know true love apart from God.  Your love must have a basis.  God is the basis, the foundation of love – the sustainer of love.

·                     You cannot create love, you cannot sustain it, you cannot attain it.  It comes from God and truly only comes and flows through Jesus Christ.

·                     Love is fundamental to the nature of God as is holiness.  They are in symphony in his character and therefore love can have nothing, absolutely nothing to do with evil!

·                     The contrast of love and rejoicing with evil.

·                      

1.2.       Application

·                     Corinthians – adultery going on and they thought it was good to be tolerant!

1 Corinthians 5:1-2 (ESV)
1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

·                     They neglected to resist evil and discipline their own who strayed into willful open sin.

1 Corinthians 5:11 (ESV)
11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.

·                     They took lightly their associations with the world – neglecting to be in the world though not part of it, they partook in the practices of open idolatry.

1 Corinthians 10:21-22 (ESV)
21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

·                     They quarreled, gossiped and slandered other believers and leaders.

1 Corinthians 1:11-13 (ESV)
11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

 

2 Corinthians 12:20-21 (ESV)
20 For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. 21 I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.

 

·                     Now we can crack on the Corinthians and totally miss what the Spirit of God would say to us, here at King of Grace in the modern day Corinth – Greater Boston.

·                     The Corinthians rejoiced in evil in these many ways – such a huge and inappropriate contrast.  Love and evil are polar opposites.

·                     Yet, what about us?  Do we delight in evil?

·                     Pornography and immodesty – those commercials – they know what they are doing.  Do we find ourselves looking forward to the latest?  Belly buttons and cleavage abound.  Is this really how we should treat the human body?  Is this really how we should treat women?  Is this love in any way?  The world may say it is – at least freedom and love.  But it is not love.  Love does not rejoice in evil.  Sexual exploitation and greed are not love.  But it is everywhere.  Immodesty is normalcy, modesty is old school.  I guess

1 Timothy 2:9 (ESV)
9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire,[2]

·                     Commercials, fashion, movies, television, comedy.  Oh how easy it is to rejoice in evil along comedy.

·                     I love comedy – there is nothing like a really funny situation or a really funny story or joke.

·                     Laughter is from God and it is a manifestation of joy.  May we be a people who laugh much!

·                     Seinfeld – really funny – analyzing American life from a really funny perspective.  The soup Nazi for instance.  So funny.  Like real life – some people are just really hard to deal with but they benefit us in some substantial way so we put up with their craziness.  That’s a funny comment on life.  Kramer is just a riot in all that he does.  Gerry is a genius.  But….  There are aspects of the show that are not good and not laughable.  The frequent girlfriends and boyfriends, the sex in the city stuff – that is not funny, it is dangerous and wrong and unloving and not funny.  But we can get hooked on the other funny things and find ourselves laughing at things that God doesn’t find funny.  Love does not laugh at evil.  Don’t be like the frog in the frying pan – slowly boiling to death without realizing the heat is turned on and you need to jump out.

·                     Look at reality TV.  That is another example.  This is a whole new genre.  Much is okay and very interesting – drama that is edifying.  I love great drama – reading about the journey of ups and downs someone endures and seeing how they turn out.  All the classic literature and movies and songs celebrate these type of things.  Like the movie Cast Away or Swiss Family Robinson.  But what about the sleazy side of reality TV?  Aspects of Oprah, Jerry Springer. What about finding pleasure in hearing the sad stories of sin?  Can’t we be tempted to find some sort of perverted pleasure in the sultry stuff?  Isn’t that why this stuff is on TV?!

·                     We must be very careful about television.  The media is not benevolent.  The media is a business – exchanged on the NYSE.  People get into media for money and power.  That is the bottom line. 

“A capitalist will sell you the noose by which to hang yourself.”

·                     Watch out you don’t buy a noose.  The media is interested in selling stuff and making money.  They have studied human nature and know how to make money.  They pray on the felt needs and common perversions of humanity.  The propensity to rejoice in evil is one of them.

Fox news features: Greta Stern on Monica Lewinsky or Scott Peterson or…,else on Michael Jackson, Natalee Holloway (in Aruba) etc.,

·                     You don’t have to watch TV to be guilty of rejoicing in evil.  Gossip is a too common manifestation of this sin and the chief sin of the church.  Gossip is simply spreading information about someone that is unhelpful or at best empty.  It is usually something negative or evil about the person, and, oh how we love it!

Proverbs 18:8 (NIV)
The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.

One of the most common forms of rejoicing in sin is gossip. Gossips would do little harm if they did not have so many eager listeners. This sin, which many Christians treat lightly, is wicked not only because it uncaringly reveals the weaknesses and sins of others, and therefore hurts rather than helps them, but because the heart of gossip is rejoicing in evil. Gossip that is true is still gossip. It is the way unfavorable truth is passed on, and often simply the fact that it is passed on, that makes gossip gossip. It has been defined as vice enjoyed vicariously. The essence of gossip is gloating over the shortcomings and sins of others, which makes gossip a great sin itself. A person is never helped by spreading the news of his sin.[3]

·                      Have you ever been guilty of this?  Have you ever passed on a bad report about someone that wasn’t necessary to convey?  Yes, there are times when it is necessary to let someone know bad news. 

If my friend is thinking of contributing money to Jack Abramoff’s lobbying group I’m gonna let him know that he is under indictment but I don’t have to get into spicy detail. 

·                     But so many other times when I’m tempted to share a bad report about someone or something I have to ask – is this helpful and necessary?  Am I rejoicing in evil?

It can be as bold as .. “did you hear that Joe Smith is struggling with pornography”.. to something as subtle as “She isn’t the most mature Christian but that’s okay.” Or “I like that church but the Pastor could grow in his preaching.”

·                     Are we covering over people’s sin and protecting them?  Or are we rejoicing in evil?  There must be a zero tolerance policy towards gossip in each of our lives.  We are not to convey evil reports unless absolutely necessary and helpful.

·                     Another arena where we have to live in true love is in relating to the world.  God calls us to be in the world but not of the world.  We are to be ambassadors for Christ.  We are to walk in his love and his mission to make disciples of all nations.  Jesus ate with sinners.  That is radical!  He invited himself to the house of sinful people who were seeking God in some way.  Take a look at Luke 19!

Luke 19:1-9 (ESV)
1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, ……. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” relating to unbelievers and being in the world, not of the world,

·                     This is to be our approach to life.  Building genuine friendships with unbelievers, loving them and leading them to our great God and Savior.

·                     But we must be careful for they live in a different world than we do.  The natural man does not understand the thigns of God and is naturally oriented towards himself and not God.  Thus, he is under the power of the enemy, the evil one.

·                     We must have compassion and be genuine friends but not love and rejoice in all the things our friends will.  This was the problem with the Corinthians.  They couldn’t pull away from the world in some areas so they went to pagan feasts that were a part of everyday life.

·                     They need to know love does not rejoice in evil.  Love hates evil folks!  We must love folks but not the things they love!

·                     Are you loving the lost in such a way where you may be tempted to love the thigns they love for their sake?  If not you probably aren’t loving the lost.

·                     Secondly, are you loving them but hating their sin?  Love hates.  We must love them sincerely but hate their (and our) sin vehemently!  I encourage you to love sincerely and openly as a Christian.  Let them know of you love and affection for them but also let them know of your greater love for God and his ways.  Let them know humbly and graciously that although you love them, you cannot go clubbing with them or watch that movie in good conscience.  Don’t say it self-righteously – cast in terms of your love for God and your conscience.

·                     Love does not rejoice with evil but rejoices with the truth!

 

2.      Rejoices with the truth:

1 Corinthians 13:6 (ESV)
6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.[4]

 

Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament

Young's Literal Translation

New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update

The King James Version

English Standard Version

The New International Version

The New Century Version

Reina-Valera Actualizada

6 οὐ χαίρει ἐπὶ τῇ ἀδικίᾳ, συγχαίρει δὲ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ·

6 rejoiceth not over the unrighteousness, and rejoiceth with the truth;

6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

6 Love is not happy with evil but is happy with the truth.

6 No se goza de la injusticia, sino que se regocija con la verdad.

 

2.1.       Exegesis:

·                     Truth – truth and goodness.  This is a restatement of the first phrase but in the reverse.  Love does not rejoice with lies but with the truth.  All evil is a lie.  Love does not rejoice with evil but rejoices with the good.  All truth is the good.

·                     Truth as used in the NT is linked to THE TRUTH – that is the gospel.  Once again we see that true love is truth love.

 

2.2.       Application

2.2.1.           The fallacy of the love/truth paradox. 

·                     If we are not careful we can believe the common misperception that truth and love are discordant. I have seen statements on church web sites that oppose these two.  While in theory they might be they are not in reality.  They are interwined.

·                     Some talk about truth but don’t demonstrate love.  If this is the case they do not know as they ought to know.

1 Corinthians 8:1-3 (ESV)
1 Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.[5]

“I don’t care how much you know until I know how much you care”

·                     This is not true truth and not true love.

2.2.2.           Love loves truth

·                     Some say they love but their love is non-discerning – without any truth claim attached.  Yet scripture clearly says love rejoices with the truth.  Love is not repulsed by the truth nor even dampened by the truth.  Rather, true love is created, sustained and perfected in the truth.

·                     Without truth you don’t have true love but a semblance of true love that will eventually crumble and fall under the burden of dealing with the harsh realities of life.

·                     Tolerance as the highest virtue versus love. 

·                     We live in a culture of tolerance.  We live in a culture confused about true love.  Europe is ahead of us here but we are following.

·                     The context of the religious wars and WWI-II etc.  Church splits etc. has created this. 

Between 1560 and 1715, Europe witnessed only thirty years of international peace. The greatest "international" conflict of the period was the Thirty Years' War (1618-164), a war that had its origins in the complicated religious and political environment of the period

Steven Kreis - http://www.historyguide.org/earlymod/lecture6c.html

·                     Protestant German city of Magdeburg was sacked by HRE Catholics and 25 of 30,000 citizens were massacred.   In Ireland, Protestant Cromwell fought Irish rebels resulting in over 600, 000 fatalities – many of them innocents.

·                     The reply to this is “can’t we all just get along” – can’t we forget our differences and find some way to love each other. As if the absence of truth leads to love.  This is the prevailing thought today.  Tolerance is the chief virtue because it allows people to live in harmony.  Real love is all tolerant.  Love rejoices with tolerance, truth is non-essential.

·                     However, this was the problem in the first place.  The untruth of self-righteousness and arrogance caused these problems under the guise of truth.  It was a truth vacuum that led to lack of love and any truth vacuum – which is a lie infested well – will lead to hate.  Either truth asserts itself or lies do.  Lies lead to hate, truth leads to love.  The moral relativism of the 20th century was the breeding grounds for the worst and most murderous regimes of history.  Hitler had his 6 million, Stalin his 20 million, Mao his 40 million.

·                     Without truth there is not love.  It is biblical Christianity which leads to true love.  It is biblical Christianity that created the environment of freedom with accountability that we now enjoy.  Freedom of conscience comes from the bible.  It is not absolute freedom but freedom to believe sincerely within limits.  Only Christianity can sustain such a system.  Christianity is the author of tolerance.  But tolerance within truth not tolerance detached from truth.  It is called respect.  Respect for those made in God’s image.  Respect, realizing only God can truly change a heart to repent and believe.  There must be freedom of conscience within a basic moral framework.

·                      We must be aware we stew in a culture that values tolerance above all else as ridiculous as that is.  It affects us.  But we must remind ourselves of the unseverable connection between love and truth.  Love rejoices with the truth – for it is its source!

 

·                     The one who builds their love on the rock will endure the storms, not the one who builds his love on the sands of mere human ties.

·                     Love comes from God and his is the God of truth.

·                     The truth that creates, sustains and perfects love is the truth incarnate – Jesus Christ – him crucified, buried, raised from the dead and now reigning with God, and soon returning to reign in perfect redemption over his creation.  That is truth!  That is how we can love.

·                     Have you ever tried to sustain love on your own?  How fast we run out.  We are like a paper cup with a hole in it.  Pour something in and it eventually leaks out.  We need to be constantly filled.  You cannot create sustainable love on your own – at least I can’t – my love is so weak.  Yet, his love sustains me. 

·                     The truth of the gospel creates and sustains love.

·                     Do you want more love?  Rejoice with the truth!  Bask in it.  Think about it!  Jesus and him crucified!

 

What I do when I find my love and life waning.

Speaking the truth in love – to self, to others, from the word, in prayer, on Sundays, in caregroup.

Ephesians 4:15 (ESV)
15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

2.2.3.           True love obeys God.

·                     Love is tied to truth and goodness because the obedience to truth is what love is.

·                     Love is the summation of all the commands of God.  Love flows naturally into obedience to God and his holy ways.

1 John 5:3 (ESV)
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

·                     Love is tied inextricably to truth.

·                     Love rejoices with the truth.  It does not rejoice in evil.

 

3.      Closing

·                     Do you not rejoice in evil? Or

o        Gossip

o        Hidden sin.

o        Impurity?

o        Bitterness?

 

·                     Do you rejoice with the truth?  Or

o        Think love is not linked to truth?

o        Not growing in the truth of God?

o        Try to sustain your own love?

o        Neglect the means of grace and truth?

 

·                     Need to confess, repent and be healed?

 

Prayer

 

 

 

 

 


[1] The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001. Standard Bible Society: Wheaton

[2] The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001. Standard Bible Society: Wheaton

[3]MacArthur, J. 1996, c1984. 1 Corinthians. Includes indexes. Moody Press: Chicago

[4] The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001. Standard Bible Society: Wheaton

[5] The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001. Standard Bible Society: Wheaton