In this episode, join Bible teacher David Hawking as we delve into the profound depths of 1 Corinthians 13, uncovering the true nature of love as God defines it. Far from the superficial feelings often celebrated in society, God’s love is a powerful, transformative force characterized by selflessness, kindness, and truth. Walk with us as we learn how to embody this divine love, casting aside jealousy, arrogance, and selfishness to embrace a life of genuine compassion and understanding.
If you rejoice in the terrible things that have happened to somebody, you don’t have God’s love. God’s love never rejoices in the tragedies of people’s lives. And if you feel good that somebody you didn’t like anyway really got theirs, there’s no love of God in your heart in that situation.
SPEAKER 02 :
This is Hope for Today. It’s great to have you with us for today’s study in God’s Word. Love is easy to talk about, isn’t it? It’s easy to talk about, but hard to live. The world turns love into a feeling, and the church can turn it into a word we throw around without ever letting it search our hearts. 1 Corinthians 13, however, will not let us hide. It shows us love the way God defines it. Pure, strong, selfless, rooted in truth. It’s not about appearance. It’s about what really comes out of a life that’s submitted to Jesus Christ. Today, Bible teacher David Hawking continues his message called How Love Really Works as he takes us deeper into the kind of love that doesn’t seek its own way, doesn’t keep records of wrongs, and doesn’t let go of what is true. Stay with us. We’ll be back in our First Corinthians series in just a moment. First, though, our current radio series in 1 Corinthians 13 is titled Love is the Greatest. And for additional study, you can get David’s book by that same title, Love is the Greatest. This gives you a print record of all the lessons on godly love that we’re learning in this special radio series from 1 Corinthians 13 and additional material that we won’t have time to include on radio. This is a very strong resource to have on hand as you follow along with David, and it’s a wonderful tool to give away on love. David’s book, Love is the Greatest, is yours for just $15, and you can order at 1-800-75-BIBLE in the U.S. In Canada, call 888-75-BIBLE, Bible by the numbers 24253, or visit us online at davidhawking.org. Let’s get back to 1 Corinthians chapter 13 now. And here’s David with day three of How Love Really Works.
SPEAKER 03 :
When a carpenter in ancient times made a yoke for oxen, he cut it perfectly and sanded it down so it would fit over the experienced ox. They would tie that yoke firmly to him. Often he would practice plowing without anything on the other side. When you wanted to train an inexperienced ox, you brought him under the other side of the yoke and just loosely tied it. The inexperienced ox was not carrying the load at all. The experienced one was. Jesus said, take my yoke. He’s the experienced ox in the illustration upon you. You are the inexperienced ox and you need to learn from me. So you walk alongside of me learning about how to carry burdens. And in the process, my yoke is kind. My burden is light. Listen, the Lord said in Psalm 55, 22, cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you. 1 Peter 5, 7, cast all your care upon him for he careth for you. Our Lord relieves our burdens, does he not? In Philippians 4, it says, be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Let your requests be made known unto God and the peace of God that passes understanding will keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ. Is that wonderful or what? He will take your burdens. We often have those old hymns, take your burden to the Lord and leave it there. And that’s what we should do. Cast all your care upon him, for he cares for you. That is kindness. That is love. And that’s the character of God. He is long-suffering and he is kindness. But back in 1 Corinthians 13, we got eight things here that are contrast to that. And we’ll look at them briefly and quickly. Eight negatives in verse 5 and 6. This is what it’s not. And when I read this list, that’s what I see in our world. This is the way people are. And yet God’s love is not like this. We’re told immediately in 1 Corinthians 13, verse 4, that it envieth not. One of the first contrasts with God’s love, how you can really tell it’s not there, is when somebody is envious. Put down the word jealousy if it helps you. Similar. Envious. You’re envious of what someone has, or honors they’ve received, or how they are treated by others, and you’re not. Envy is a terrible thing. Do you remember the story of Joseph, Genesis 37? It tells us not only did his brothers hate him for the way his father, Yaakov, or Jacob treated him, but we know also that they envied him, says the Bible in Genesis 37, 11. In Stephen’s message in Acts 7, verse 9, he quotes that passage and mentions again, they were envious, they were jealous of him. The particular word used here is also in Galatians 5.20 when we read about the works of the flesh. Not the work of the spirit, but man without God’s help operating in his own natural state is very envious. He’s filled with jealousy. James 3.14 and 15 says this wisdom doesn’t come from God. It is sensual and demonic, says James 3. Envy and strife, that’s where the demonic world works. They want you to be jealous of what others have or do or how others treat them and not you. Don’t be envious. The Bible says this is not God’s love. Secondly, in 1 Corinthians 13, verse 4, it says it doesn’t vaunt itself. Vaunteth not itself. A new American standard translate does not brag. It’s simply the word boast. So we’re looking at contrast. Here’s the way to know when love’s not there. When they’re envious and when they’re boastful. The Bible says in Proverbs 27, 2, let another man praise you, not the words of your own mouth. The Bible says, he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord. It says it over and over again. He who glories, let him glory in the Lord. Not unto us, says Psalm 115, not unto us give glory, but only to thy name. And what do we see? We people going around bragging, boasting about everything under the sun. Number three, we read here in verse, at the end of verse four, is not puffed up. Now the trouble with this particular word, it’s only used here, nowhere else. So there’s nowhere else to go to find any help. But the interesting thing in the Greek language is in the middle voice. A Greek like English has active and passive. I do it, that’s active, it’s done to me, passive. Middle voice means I do it in and of myself. It’s like our English reflexive pronoun, I did it myself. There was no outside influence whatsoever. That’s interesting to me on this word. Not puffed up means you do it to yourself. In other words, it’s from within. According to some of the leaders of the early church who tried to describe this word, they said it refers to the inflation of one’s importance, abilities, appearance, or achievements. You simply inflate it a little bit. God’s love, in other words, is not arrogant. Here we’re learning what God’s love is not, but we’re also learning what long-suffering and kindness means. They certainly are not envious, they are not boastful, and they are not arrogant. The fourth one is very interesting. In verse 5, doth not behave itself unseemly. Our English word scheme or schematic comes from referring to a plan. But it’s translated as shameful also. It means rude and improper. Or we would use the word crude or just downright ugly. But there’s a very interesting usage in Romans 1 verse 27. In talking about what people get into who reject the God of creation and how they defile their own lives, Romans 1 27 says, likewise the men discussing homosexuality, it says, leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their lust one to another, men with men working that which is unseemly. That’s the same word here. It has no shape or plan from God. It’s out of whack. It’s not correct. And I think the word shameful belongs. We have so far envious, boastful, arrogant, shameful. Look at the next one, 1 Corinthians 13, 5. Seeketh not her own. It is flat out unselfish. When you are manifesting God’s love, it is selfish through and through when you’re not. In Philippians chapter 2, verse 3 and 4, we are reminded about not seeking our own things. And a lot of us can hardly carry on a conversation without wanting to get our point across. We want to get our agenda out on the forefront. We want people to hear what we’re thinking about and what we want to say. And that is the big issue. In Philippians 2, 3, and 4, we have this admonition. Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory. But in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. You see, love that is unselfish will always seek its own. But love that is what God says in this book we need will always be concerned about what other people are concerned about. So far we’ve learned that God’s love, and in terms of contrast, it’s not envious, it’s not boastful, it’s not arrogant, it’s not shameful, it’s not selfish. And then he says, is not easily provoked. By the way, there’s not one single variance in any Greek manuscript of this verse that puts the word easily in there. Makes you wonder about the old King James guys as they were writing this. They could hardly believe that love is never provoked at all, ever, under any circumstances. So they wrote in, well, it’s not easily provoked. They wanted to crack the door open for in case you might get provoked once in a while. No. The truth of the matter is it’s a compound word. The word sharpen, the word alongside of, and it’s in the middle voice again. You’re causing it in yourself. You are literally being provoked by your own attitudes because love is not there. And sometimes it can be the words people say or the deeds that they do or some situation that turned out wrong for you at work or in your marriage or your family. And all of a sudden you’re provoked. You are ticked off. You’re angry. You’re losing control. And God says there’s no love there. And that’s why it’s happening. And you’re doing it to yourself. Wow. Pretty powerful. Wow. On one occasion, Paul and Barnabas got provoked over John Mark, a man who had left them on the first missionary journey. And the contention was so sharp, provoked between the two of them, it’s our same word here, they split up. Some people say, well, it turned out pretty good. Listen, God can take the wicked ways of man and praise his name. God takes the wrath of men to praise his name. So God can take our mess and make it into something beautiful. And by the way, the Apostle Paul certainly had a different attitude later in his life as he spoke kindly of Mark. But look please again at our text in 1 Corinthians 13. There’s a seventh negative here that maybe we don’t want to face. And it’s… It says it thinketh no evil. It thinketh no evil. The New International tries to help us here. It’s very difficult. I’ll tell you why. Because it’s a mathematical term of an accountant who calculates on debits and credits. The New International says he keeps no record of wrongs. The New American Standard says does not take into account a wrong suffered. By the way, the word evil has a definite article in front of it. It’s the evil that came to you. Not talking about evil in general. Don’t take into account. Don’t continually remember and bring up the evil that was done to you. That is so clear. In fact, we’ll call this contrast revengeful. Because that’s what it is. You get revenge. You get satisfaction for your wicked heart by bringing it up again. And that’s not the love of God. The last one is in the end of verse, or is verse 6. And it’s kind of interesting how people deal with this. It says, Rejoiceth not in iniquity. By the way, the Greek word is unrighteousness rather than iniquity. It rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth. In everybody’s remarks about this, it all comes out as gossip. We rejoice in the truth. And people say, well, the truth is he got what he deserved. That isn’t the point. You don’t rejoice in any unrighteousness that happens to anybody. You rejoice in the truth that will sustain that whole situation and build it up, not tear it down. So look at this ugly list. These are contrasts. Envious, boastful, arrogant. Wow, all of these are characteristics. Shameful, selfish, provoking, revengeful, gossiping. But one final thing in verse 7. We’ve looked at the character of God’s love, that it suffers long and it serves the needs of others. It’s long-suffering and kind. And we looked at some contrasts of God’s love. But in verse 7, notice the word, all things. appears four times. Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. All the rest of these that we have studied are our attitudes toward people. This is the one verse in the whole Bible that shows us how God’s love reacts to circumstances. The circumstances that need God’s love. Four things I’ll tell you based on those four phrases. Number one, if you’ve got God’s love… in your circumstances, it reflects God’s protection. It reflects God’s protection. When this verse said, beareth all things, it’s a bad English translation because the actual Greek word is still used today as it was 2,000 years ago. It refers to the roof of a house, a covering, a You see, we learn from Proverbs 10, 12 that love covers a multitude of sins. We learn it in 1 Peter 4, 8, where we’re told to have fervent love toward one another because love covers a multitude of sins. It reflects God’s protection. Secondly, it rests in God’s purpose. It believeth all things. The point of it, that true love from God makes everybody who has it know that God has a purpose and a plan behind the all things that are happening in my life. And what a wonderful thing to know that when God’s love is controlling you, it reflects not only God’s protection, but it rests in God’s purpose. Romans 8.28, we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. And third, when it says hopeth all things, it relies upon God’s promises. Romans 8.18 says, I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed. It tells us that we’re saved by hope. Hope that is seen is not hope. Why would a man wait for it? No, we’re talking about hope that’s grounded in God’s promises. Hebrews 6 says of that hope, it’s a sure anchor to the soul. It’s steadfast to your heart. And it encourages you constantly because you know that God will never go back on his word. Number four. where it says endureth all things. That’s that second word for patience, not towards people, but towards circumstances. Hupomeno means to bear up under pressure. You see, God’s love also reveals God’s patience. He never needs this. He already has it. toward everything that happens. And James 1 says, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the trying of your faith worketh what? Patience. That’s the word to bear up under the load. Look, for all I know, something’s going to happen to you yet this week that’s going to be hard for you to take or to understand. And you might ask why? Sometimes I don’t know why, but when God’s love is controlling me, I will reflect God’s protection no matter how I’ve been hurt. I will rest in God’s purpose, knowing that He’s going to use it all for His glory. I will rely upon God’s promises, for I have a great future promised to me, and it will reveal God’s patience in me as I bear up under it and realize God has a purpose, God has a plan. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He will strengthen your heart. Amen?
SPEAKER 02 :
Amen and amen. That’s Bible teacher and author David Hawking bringing us the uncompromised Word of God here on Hope for Today. And David will be back in a moment or two with a very special time of prayer asking the Lord to help us remember and apply what we’ve learned. Stay right there. First, his son Matt’s here, and Matt, we have a few resources that folks might just want to add to their home Bible study libraries.
SPEAKER 01 :
This month, we are offering an incredible bundle resource that includes sermon notes for each and every teaching series by my dad in the Old Testament.
SPEAKER 02 :
35 message series in this pack. in the Old Testament are listed in our online catalog. And what listeners are going to receive with this bundle is a pack of your dad’s original sermon outlines and notes for each message in every series. And these are the notes your dad used when he preached these messages back in the day.
SPEAKER 01 :
The cost is just going to be $75. And Jim, the sermon notes are much more than a straight line one, two, three point list. For any given message, my dad’s sermon outline and notes will begin with an introduction that includes any relevant history, a key verse for the passage, a theme.
SPEAKER 02 :
And then we have outline points to guide your study along with definitions, cross-references, vital notes for the context, and so much more.
SPEAKER 01 :
You know, listeners tell us the sermon notes are outstanding for following along as my dad teaches here on the radio or as they hear a teaching series on our media center.
SPEAKER 02 :
Matt, so many times I hear teaching, there’s a lesson or application that turns on the light of understanding, full wattage, something that provides clarity and encouragement, and I can’t write it down or I can’t remember it later.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, the sermon notes can help you capture the lessons, applications, and encouragement from the message in a comprehensive but concise format.
SPEAKER 02 :
And that’s why we’re offering the bundle of sermon outlines and notes for all of David’s Old Testament series this month. Sermon outlines and notes for 35 teaching series by David in the Old Testament. Just $75. That’s a good deal. I like that. Well, Matt, we also want to mention that our current series in 1 Corinthians 13, this series is called Love is the Greatest. We have the whole series available on an MP3 CD for just $5. On standard audio CDs, $20 for that set. You can also add David’s 1 Corinthians 13 commentary. We mentioned this at the top of the broadcast. It is also titled Love is the Greatest. This book is a wonderful resource to remember what we’ve studied in 1 Corinthians 13 and to pass it on to somebody else. Love is the Greatest. The book is just $15. These are strong biblical resources that can help you go deeper into God’s Word and keep these lessons on godly love in front of you long after the broadcast is over. To order, call 875-BIBLE in the U.S. In Canada, call 888-75-BIBLE. Bible is 24253. Or visit us online at DavidHawking.org. And as you support Hope for Today by a resource purchase or a donation, either way, your giving helps us stay on this station, maintain our website outreach, continue the work of production and outreach, and provide trustworthy resources that point people straight to the truth of God’s Word. That is what this ministry is all about. It helps us reach listeners who may never step into a church, encourage believers, and strengthen those who are hungry, hungry for solid Bible teaching. If the Lord leads you to stand with us, we would be deeply grateful. You can get by phone or online or write to us in the U.S. at Hope for Today, Box 3927, Tustin, California, 92781. In Canada, write to Hope for Today, Box 15011, RPO7OAKS, Abbotsford, B.C., V2S 8P1. And once again, here’s David.
SPEAKER 03 :
Father, thank you for reminding us again of who you are. You are a God who is gracious and merciful and compassionate and long-suffering, and you are kind, so kind. It’s your kindness that leads us to repentance. Lord, thank you that the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love. And so often our sinful attitudes and actions have been a block and a hindrance to the wonderful love of our God. And thank you, Lord, that though sin grieves your Holy Spirit, when we deal with it and confess it and forsake it, your Holy Spirit’s power is released and the love of our God can flow once again through us. Lord, we need a baptism of love here. Love for one another. Love for our enemies. We don’t like what people are doing to the cause of our Lord in this world. The hostility, the anger, the bitterness, the threats, the wars. Thank you that one day the Messiah is coming. And the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and his Messiah. And as all the prophets have foretold. We are seeing that what is happening in your land with your people Israel. Your great timetable for prophecy. We see that all that’s occurring you predicted. Even in the Aliyah with all of them coming from other parts of the world. You’re bringing them to your land. You’re fulfilling your word. And you told us when this happens to get ready. Because soon our Messiah will return. And you will set up the kingdom you promised to Israel. And he will rule on the throne of his father David. And he will rule the world from Jerusalem. And out of Jerusalem will go forth the Torah. And the law to all peoples of the world. And all nations of the world will come to worship the Lord at Jerusalem. Thank you Lord for what you have promised. And what you are going to do. We can count on your word and we trust you. And Lord, I pray for everyone here who’s not sure of their own relationship to you. We know this is a serious matter. You tell us by the prophet Amos to prepare to meet thy God. That we need to circumcise our hearts to get right with God. And Lord, I pray that you would move upon us by your Holy Spirit. That we would turn to you in confession and faith before it is too late. That we put our trust in the Messiah. You call him the Redeemer who will take away our sin. Oh God, I pray you would open up our minds and our hearts to the only one who can save us from sin, death, and hell itself. And we praise you, Lord, for showing us again what your love is all about. For we know that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. We praise you in the blessed name of our Messiah. Amen.
SPEAKER 02 :
Amen. Well, next time, 1 Corinthians 13 shows us a love that doesn’t quit, doesn’t fade, and doesn’t walk away from the truth. That’s next time on Hope for Today.
