Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
To bear all things is to put up with everything with long patience, to endure faults and suffering cheerfully without shrinking or murmuring. To believe all things and hope all things is to trust for the best and hold to hope through everything, believing what is pure and good rather than evil reports, and to endure all things is to keep holding out under every trial. This love is heaven-born, Christlike love of heavenly origin, patient, steadfast and kind, cleansed from bitterness and envy, active only for good and strong with courage and firm principle rather than weakness. It filled the whole life of Christ, who bore long with ingratitude and wrong without withdrawing love, and it is the image of Jesus stamped on the heart in place of selfishness, attained by beholding Him and keeping His commandments. It must be practiced every day and lived rather than merely claimed, bearing true witness in unity among believers, in tenderness at home, and in patient mission service that refuses to give up the erring.
Words And Setting
Beareth means putting up with everything with long patience and forbearance, bearing with the faults of others and cheerfully accepting whatever suffering or inconvenience that forbearance requires. It is love bearing and enduring others day by day with patience, kindness and forbearance, requiring constant effort to curb bad tempers and evil propensities, which only Jesus can strengthen to fully overcome, so as to become like Christ as His servant in character. So lived, it makes a person agreeable, courteous, kind and forbearing even in business relations, showing the meekness of Jesus and His ruling spirit, patient, kind and pitiful toward fellow humanity, thoughtful and unselfish, always asking what can be done to bless others and willing to be inconvenienced to do them good. Lifted out of passion and impulse, this love becomes spiritualized and shows itself in words and acts as sanctified tenderness without impatience or fretfulness, with rude harsh manners softened by grace.
Believeth and hopeth mean trusting for the best and keeping hope through everything, believing and hoping all that is pure and good and of good report rather than believing evil or false reports. That bearing, believing, hoping and enduring is love, patience and long forbearance put into practice in accordance with the principles of truth, for truth is ever pure in its working, ever kind, unselfish, breathing a heavenly fragrance. To surmise evil and to be impatient and unforgiving is the opposite of this charity, lying against the truth while claiming to believe truth yet representing Satan and denying Christ in spirit, words and deportment. Believing and hoping all things means being true, pure, holy, sympathetic, loving and loyal, true to one another and manifesting the fruit of the Spirit, thinking well and speaking well of brethren, looking for what is good and true rather than doing the accusing work of tearing down. It refuses evil speaking, unjust suspicions and evil surmising, puts suspicions about brethren out of the heart, refuses to misjudge their motives as selfish or as courting sympathy or unsettling confidence to build up self, and instead believes and hopes the best rather than cherishing feelings of being unappreciated or seeking to vindicate self.
Believeth and hopeth also mean faith that presses forward in obedience when God says go forward, even when danger surrounds, the way is dark, cold waves are about the feet, and the outcome cannot be seen, not waiting until every uncertainty is removed. At the Red Sea Israel advanced to the water in response to God's command and after they did what they could God opened a path through the sea, showing that obedience to God brings victory. Obstacles that hinder progress never disappear before a halting doubting spirit, and those who defer obedience until every shadow of uncertainty disappears and no risk of failure or defeat remains will never obey, while unbelief whispers to wait until obstructions are removed and the way is clear. Endureth means keeping on holding out under every trial, a pure and perfect love proved under testing that trusts God through present hardship and fear of future want instead of shrinking, murmuring, despondency and continual fear of coming to want. This heaven-born sanctified love is of great value to God, and without it every other qualification is worthless.
The verse belongs to a chapter that is a lesson of utmost importance to be practiced, read every day, committed to memory, written in mind and heart, studied and digested, and lived rather than merely claimed. Its beginning work is self-examination and the continuous humbling of self, with the critical taking of self in hand. The chapter is God's message to those who claim to be His servants, especially responsible men in publishing institutions, that they need humility and must become learners in the school of Christ so the softening subduing power of God can come into their lives, for the Spirit cannot work with them until then. The figure of members composing the body represents the church of God and the relation its members should sustain to one another in love, given for those brought together in church capacity so they will be united understandingly and intelligently, showing the way to be shut in with God so the wicked one has no power by faithfully doing one's own appointed work without finding defects in another's work so all move in harmony.
Charity is the heavenly grace adapted to the eternal state that will exist forever as the crowning glory of immortal life, the greatest of faith, hope and charity. It never fails and never loses value, and its possessor will carry it as a precious treasure through the portals into the city of God, because it is the attribute of heaven. Prophecies, tongues and knowledge as special gifts belong to the present imperfect childhood state of seeing through a glass darkly and knowing in part, and they will fail, cease and vanish away as no longer needed when that which is perfect is come and Christians know face to face even as they are known.
Nature Of Heavenly Love
The love described is heaven-born, sanctified, Christlike love of heavenly origin, of great value to God. Without it as the prevailing sentiment of the heart every other qualification is worthless. Zeal and generous deeds cannot make a person like Christ or a laborer together with God, for God is love.
It is a patient, steadfast, heavenly principle found in renewed hearts, flowing out toward others and distinguishing Christians from worldly people. It is long-suffering and kind, does not envy or boast or puff itself up, is self-denying and generous, free from jealousy and cold indifference, and does not assume evil motives in others. It governs character and impulses, controls passions, overcomes enmity and subdues hostility, and leads people to endure toil and suffering for the good of others whether circumstances are pleasant or difficult, reaching beyond home and beyond those who repay kindness. Joined to not acting shamefully, not seeking its own, not being quickly angered, not thinking evil, and not rejoicing in wrong but rejoicing in truth, it keeps self-control even under provocation and feels deep concern when sin is found among disciples.
A right heart living this love is cleansed from bitterness, wrath, envy, jealousy, and evil surmising. It has a meek and quiet spirit that is calm and considerate of others and happy in temper, not made irritable by sickness nor disturbed by weather or circumstances. A heart living the opposite proves it is defiled and not right and needs to be purified, and unless the course is entirely changed it will end in becoming fallen. Faith working by this love purifies the soul and produces humility, patience, forbearance, long-suffering, peace, joy, and willing obedience, with patience, kindness, forbearance, and love coming only by the divine touch to make believers laborers together with God. When this grace rules the heart, doing good becomes spontaneous, words and actions testify of fellowship with Jesus, and religion bears much fruit to glorify the Father.
It is an active power that works only for good, grows through action, and perseveres to overcome evil where argument, authority, and force fail. It makes Christians steadfast to withstand trial and temptation, is revealed in sacrifice that puts Christ's honor and glory first and gives up all for Him, and can reform family character and guide conduct rather than quickly marking small mistakes. This love comes from God, cannot live and flourish in the natural heart, and grows as it is exercised.
Enduring all things does not mean weakness or passivity but belongs with courage and strength of character, force, energy, perseverance, firm principle, and positive influence that resists evil. Enduring charity is an essential passive grace of Christian life, belonging with gentleness, patience, meekness, kindliness, and readiness to give the soft answer, shown in humble, tactful, unselfish, unboastful endurance in honorable work. Yet this endurance alone is not complete Christian character; it must be joined with active virtues of courage, force, energy, perseverance, and noble spirit so influence becomes a positive power for good.
Genuine charity is heaven-bred and incorruptible, first pure then peaceable, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy, love in active exercise rather than sentimentalism. It hates sin but loves the sinner, warns faithfully of danger and points to the Lamb of God to take sin away, seeking to take sin away rather than cloaking it. It does not heal hurt slightly by saying peace when there is no peace, does not confederate to call sin holiness, does not cover evil with a mantle of false charity, does not say to the sinner it shall be well with him, and does not blunt the sword of the Spirit so that it does no execution. It is a resistless power obtained only by living connection with God, requiring personal culture of heart religion and actual contact with the God of love.
To surmise evil and to be impatient and unforgiving is the opposite of this charity and is lying against the truth, claiming to believe truth while spirit, words, and deportment represent Satan and deny Christ. True love is a plant of heavenly origin that is pure and holy, not unreasonable and not blind, in accordance with truth which is ever pure in its working, ever kind, unselfish, and breathing a heavenly fragrance. It stands opposite selfish earthly sensual passion that lives only to please self, indulges passion, is headstrong, rash, defiant of restraint, makes its object an idol, takes unfair advantage, and breaks purity. In steps toward marriage it takes God into all plans, is in harmony with the Spirit of God, and shows modesty, simplicity, sincerity, morality, and religion without becoming so absorbed as to lose interest in prayer and religious service.
Bearing, believing, hoping, and enduring are fruits growing upon the precious tree of love, which is of heavenly growth, evergreen, immortal and eternal, watered continually by the dews of heaven, with branches that do not decay and leaves that do not wither. They must be brought forth with liberality to be accepted as followers of Christ, and no offerings to God can atone for defects in that character. Bearing and enduring include mildness, gentleness, forbearance, long-suffering, and not being easily provoked, patiently and calmly waiting for those who cannot weigh evidence quickly without urging, censure, bearing down, or a denunciatory spirit, and without becoming discouraged and restless when expectations are not realized. Cultivated daily where God can bestow it by seeing in every fellow man the purchase of Christ's blood, this love guards words and conversation, refuses evil-speaking, kindly checks it, empties the heart of defilement, talks of truth and blessed hope, seeks to build up a brother in faith, and guards one another's interests with kindness, patience, and forbearance, thereby increasing love for God, evidencing sonship to the world, and creating church unity that influences unbelievers.
Christ The Perfect Standard
The charity that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things filled the entire life of Christ without exception amid a proud and selfish world, in total forbearance, trust, hope, and endurance. He so loved fallen men, His enemies, that He gave His life as a ransom to redeem them, with tenderness and forbearance that when beaten back by rocky sin-bound souls returned in stronger waves of light and affection, and that could not be quenched by many waters nor drowned by floods nor extinguished by opposition. He bore much with the dullness of His disciples, and though often grieved loved them still, never failing nor becoming discouraged.
He bore long with blemishes, neglect, forgetfulness, ingratitude, disobedience, and ill-treatment of His goodness without withdrawing love, without failing in mercy, and without growing impatient, still working to save. He endured far greater wrongs than the trivial grievances people must endure from one another. Believers are therefore to copy that love by tender thoughtfulness for those around them, not looking sharply and critically or condemning harshly, but delighting in mercy, recounting what He has borne, bringing truth into life and character, showing its graces and loveliness in sympathy and kindness for all, having peace with God and an indwelling Saviour, never magnifying the defects of others but looking at the best and not the worst features in character, with unselfish love going out to others in deeds, cheerful and uplifted to God.
The verse means the love of God taking the place of selfishness written on the human heart and stamping life and character with the image and superscription of Jesus Christ. It is the fruit of the grace of God and the Spirit of Christ that every follower of Christ will manifest in life and reveal in character. Where those manifestations are wanting there must be most earnest seeking of God, and by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ the spirit of Christ specified in the verse can be received, so that a person may indeed be called a child of God and not a child of the wicked one, with greater faith bringing more of Christ.
Bearing, believing, hoping, and enduring all things are the measure and specifications of a character imbued with the love of Christ, bearing His marks and likeness. This love is given to make known the possibilities and the heights that may be reached in and through Jesus Christ. The standard it presents and that Christ dictates for all for whom He died is perfection in Him, attainable through His merits. That change comes by beholding Christ, being changed from glory to glory, with the eye lifted higher and still higher from common and earthly things to heavenly things, until full knowledge face to face by a living experience and knowledge of God. Coming short of it comes from being content to look at earthly things rather than at heavenly things.
The verse expresses the obedience of all who love God and keep His commandments, and it is brought into action in the life of every true believer. As the new commandment to love one another as Christ loved, it means a charity that puts up with everything, trusts for the best, keeps hope, and holds out through everything, joined with long patience, kindness, humility, unselfishness, and rejoicing in truth. It is put to work in restoring one overtaken in fault in meekness while guarding oneself from temptation, going tenderly and respectfully directly to one thought to be in error as one would wish to be treated instead of telling someone else, making surmisings, listening to reports, or taking up reproach against a neighbor. That direct approach gives opportunity to explain because reports may be false and difficulties may be adjusted by simple explanation, remembering that all have the same sinful nature and are liable to make mistakes with none perfect and none righteous, and that Christ died for the erring that they might be forgiven because He came not to condemn but to save.
Unity Among Believers
Those who believe the truth are called to believe and obey love by bearing, believing, hoping, and enduring all things instead of separating into factions. Unity in love bears the true witness to the truth and testifies to its power, while discord and strife bear a false witness. This is the Christian character to cultivate, especially in church relationships, where love counters selfishness and supports patience and forbearance. Love learned in Christ keeps hearts drawn together so they can never get very far apart and puts an end to controversy at home and in church. Shared concern for salvation makes petty differences lose importance and puts an end to jealousy, fault-finding, envy, dissension, and rivalry, bringing believers into sympathy with one another.
When Jesus is in the midst by the controlling Spirit, this charity governs all plans and decisions. Bearing, believing, hoping, and enduring in every circumstance belong together with seeking not one's own, not being easily provoked, thinking no evil, and rejoicing in truth rather than iniquity. This charity is manifested together with the wisdom from above that is pure, peaceable, full of mercy and good fruits, and cannot err. When self is hidden in Jesus, this love prevents one-sided judgment and supports dispassionate, righteous decisions.
The verse defines true courtesy as unselfish spirit, gentle grace, and winsome temper mirroring Christ, from whom all real tenderness and courtesy in the world comes even among those who do not acknowledge His name. Christ purposes these traits to be perfectly reflected in His children so that men behold His beauty in them, and this teaching on manners is to be fixed in the memory of every person young and old. Where the Spirit of Christ is cherished in the heart it is manifested in refined disposition, holy character, comely manners, and words without guile, for courtesy is a grace of the Spirit and an attribute of heaven. Like the angels who never fly into passion and are never envious or selfish and from whose lips no harsh or unkind word escapes, companionship with angels requires the same refinement and courtesy. Truth designed to elevate refines taste and sanctifies judgment to produce this love, which is tender, kind, and thoughtful of others rather than harsh, uncourteous, and wounding to feelings. Speaking harshly and then justifying it as always telling just what one thinks exalts a wicked trait as a virtue, a cruel practice born of Satan and not at all akin to heaven that should be firmly rebuked as shameful.
Boldness in preaching is joined with a tender heart ever kind and thoughtful of others, not harsh and impolite, and a cold unfeeling nature violates this love and needs to be aroused by divine grace lest it fail to recommend truth and be respected and feared but seldom loved. When the love of God is in the heart it leads to gentle words only He can approve, not thinking evil, not being easily disturbed or provoked, and not giving loose rein to passion, but a life yoked with Christ under the restraining power of His Spirit. In daily life it is a kind look, a lowly spirit, a contented disposition, sincere interest in others' welfare, and faithful daily duties rather than splendid talents, without determination to have its own way, stubborn unwillingness to be pleased, imagined slights, or supposed martyrdom over position. Kindness and amiability of temper exalt a person, and this heart-healthfulness even sustains bodily health. The love of Jesus filling the soul shapes words, manners, looks, and expression to give hope, courage, and serenity, breathing deeply its atmosphere and reflecting its warmth with calm cheerfulness and sweet joy instead of gloom. Carefully cultivating the garden of the soul to bring forth only pure, sweet, fragrant flowers, with words of love, tenderness, and charity, sanctifies influence, reveals Christ's Spirit, awakens desire for a better life, strengthens fainting souls, comforts those struggling against temptation, throws sunshine, leaves a clear path toward heaven, and constantly impresses especially the youth, for the countenance mirrors the life within.
Believing and hoping all things means being true, pure, holy, sympathetic, loving, and loyal, thinking well and speaking well of brethren and manifesting the fruit of the Spirit. It means believing and hoping all that is pure and good and of good report rather than believing evil or false reports, looking for what is good and true in others and hoping for the best. It requires patience, courtesy, kindness, tender forgiveness, brotherly kindness and forbearance, giving brethren credit for conscientiousness, showing good will with a kind conciliating spirit, and laying aside suspicion, jealousy, censuring, and blame. It puts away faultfinding, evil speaking, and magnifying trifles and supposed defects, refuses to act as sin-bearer and judge, attributes good motives as desired for oneself, and reveals a tender Christlike spirit that strengthens feeble hands and knees and makes straight paths so the lame is healed rather than turned aside. It means bearing patiently with one another's errors, being kind and forbearing, directing sharp criticism toward oneself rather than treating fellow believers harshly, avoiding hasty judgment and doing to others as one would have them do, with gentleness, tender courtesy, mutual affection, no harsh speech and no harsh judgment. By living this love believers follow Christ's own life and practice, represent and glorify Him, become consecrated vessels unto honor for His service, and are made happy.
Applied to the erring, love does not surmise evil, is not impatient and unforgiving, does not credit hearsay, and does not spread evil reports, nor does it search for faults and make them seem worse. It requires going directly to the one supposed to have erred in brotherly kindness and meekness of wisdom, learning facts from the accused, seeking explanation that may remove unfavorable impressions by simple adjustment, and giving opportunity to explain because reports may be false. It shows tender compassion and forgiving courtesy and sows peace to preserve oneness and unity, restoring one overtaken in fault in meekness with Christ's healing balm rather than sternness, rebuke, or an inquisitorial spirit. A loving word of encouragement can subdue a hasty temper and wilful disposition more effectively than faultfinding and censure, and patient faithful service promotes the welfare of God's people. When a wrong must be addressed it is spoken to the person with mercy and then left with that person and God, bearing long with perversity as Christ bears long and reaching a strong firm hand to weak hands because precious souls cost too heavy a price to be easily given up. Bearing all things refuses evil speaking, unjust suspicions, and evil surmising, and enduring all things allows no variance, discord, emulation, or strife but remains loyal and true with sympathy and affection even when a mistake is supposed, drawing heavenly angels near as a most precious phase of perfection of Christian character, while listening to secondhand suggestions and acting on supposed superior discernment produces a wrong record and forfeits complete victory.
Bearing, hoping, and enduring are fruit growing upon the precious tree of love, which is of heavenly growth, evergreen, immortal and eternal, watered continually by the dews of heaven, with branches that do not decay and leaves that do not wither. They mean patiently and calmly waiting for those who cannot weigh evidence and see truth as readily, without urging them to see and act at once, without censure, bearing down, or a denunciatory spirit, and without becoming discouraged, restless, and wishing a change when expectations are not realized. Ardor and zeal are proper when graced with humility, but rash zeal and denunciation, especially in a youth of short experience, are unbecoming and destroy influence. They mean bearing patiently with less experienced fellow workers, taking beginners by one's side to teach and educate them and enduring their slowness and faults without sharp words and unkind criticism that close the heart. They forbid making a fixed groove for others or dictating how every laborer must work, require receiving help through any channel God sends, let the love of God rule in the heart and be communicated to associates while each keeps learning and advancing, and show themselves in not finding defects in another's entrusted work but faithfully doing one's own appointed work so all move in harmony shut in with God where the wicked one has no power.
The Lord's unceasing tenderness must be revealed in tenderness toward one another, especially in counsel speaking good words to help and strengthen brethren instead of standing apart in self-confidence to criticize and condemn. Genuine Christians true to faith and duty unite in service and jealously guard one another's interests even though mistakes are made. Love that bears and endures is frank and free from suspicion, evil-thinking, blame, and accusation, and readiness to blame and accuse is offensive to God. Where this love is lacking hearts are not right with God, the people are left strengthless, and alienation from God brings a burdened condition upon institutions, calling for the heart to be softened and subdued by love. Meekness, mutual forbearance, and charity reconciled Whitefield and the Wesleys despite doctrinal differences to remain united in winning souls. Love readily receives every sign of confidence and affection, blots past wrongs from memory, believes pledges of support, hopes with cheered and softened heart in a bright view of the future, and trusts that past lessons were not learned in vain.
Love At Home
Between husband and wife the verse means believing the best, holding hope, and patiently bearing all things. It requires the husband to cherish his wife's happiness as a sacred jewel, to cultivate devotion to her, and to bring the gentleness and protecting love that a woman's heart requires. He is to become less selfish, critical, cold and silent, and more tender, affectionate and open, giving words of praise and endearing attentions and speaking no sharp, cold, unsympathizing words. Both husband and wife are to be faithful to their holy trust, to help each other overcome what bewilders and perverts, to build up God-given womanhood, to encourage confiding love, and to be all in all to each other. That unselfish and constant love leads a husband to consider his wife's happiness, show her kind attention, and value her company rather than pursue his own pleasure without regard for her.
As houseband who binds the family together and as priest carrying accountability and responsibility, the husband must exercise pity when his wife errs in his judgment. He must show patience like the patience Jesus and God have shown toward his own errors and sins, with a tender, pitiful, long-suffering kindness. This is the opposite of being hardhearted and unsympathetic, exacting and fault-finding, expressing the natural heart, and blaming wife and brethren for trials caused by an unconverted heart. Without this love a man cannot take his home and church spirit into heaven, where he would find fault with God and holy angels and resist discipline. He must be entirely renewed in heart and mind, die to self, and become a new man in Christ to be saved.
In marriage this love is expressed through patience, kindness, consideration, courtesy, and freedom from selfish control. It seeks the other person's good rather than trying to compel agreement. Christ's grace enables this kind of love, which can bind hearts in a lasting bond that withstands wear, tests, and trials. True love does not lessen affection between husband and wife but sanctifies it, making the chief joy to be in Christ and to glorify God in all actions. It stands opposite selfish, earthly, sensual love that lives only to please self, indulges passion, takes unfair advantage of married life, and breaks purity of marriage vows.
That sanctified love controls evil passions, brings the body under for the sake of Jesus, refuses sensual gratification, and keeps thoughts in captivity to Christ. It is a plant of heavenly origin that is pure and holy, not unreasonable and not blind, in perfect harmony with the Spirit of God, opposite to the passion of the natural heart which is headstrong, rash, unreasonable, defiant of all restraint, and makes the object of its choice an idol. In steps toward an alliance in marriage it takes God into all its plans and shows the grace of God in all deportment through modesty, simplicity, sincerity, morality, and religion. It does not become so absorbed in each other's society as to lose interest in the prayer meeting and the religious service.
True love overlooks many mistakes and does not discern them, and as a plant it needs culture to make a peaceful, happy union and escape future misery and sorrow. It is patient with mistakes instead of critical, overbearing, and dictatorial, and it keeps loving with respect, kindness, and attention after the novelty of marriage is over. Before yielding her affections a woman should test it by asking if her lover has a mother, what the stamp of her character is, whether he recognizes his obligations to her, is mindful of her wishes and happiness, and respects and honors her, because that shows whether he will manifest the same love to his wife. Bearing all things at home means passing by every provocation with Christlike meekness and forbearance, made possible by grace in the heart as oil in the heart.
That bearing forbids impatient words, because one impatient utterance leads another to retort in the same spirit, followed by retaliation and self-justification, manufacturing a heavy, galling yoke. Such bitter words return in a baleful harvest to the soul, bringing shame, loss of self-respect, loss of self-confidence, and bitter remorse and regret for losing self-control, so it is far better that words of that character never be spoken. Right words in the home, with meekness, kindness and courtesy, are home religion, and without them testimony in the church amounts to nothing and religion is in vain. Where love reigns in a Christian home it finds expression in words and acts of thoughtful kindness and gentle courtesy, with no harsh words spoken and with family worship made pleasant and interesting.
The same principles of courtesy and gentlemanly kindness practiced in home life are carried into the church, while a lack of courtesy, a moment of petulance, or a single rough thoughtless word mars reputation and closes doors to hearts. Love learned in the school of Christ keeps hearts drawn together so they can never get very far apart and puts an end to the spirit of controversy at home and in the church. In family life parents should express love in their looks, words, and actions, and cultivate a kindly, forbearing spirit in themselves and their children. This loving, cheerful home atmosphere promotes children's health and vigor of mind and body.
When self is dead and the life is hid with Christ in God, love bears and endures all things and continues to believe and hope. It means no longer living to guard self from mortification and insult, taking no neglect or slight to heart, being deaf to reproach and blind to scorn and insult. This patient, trusting, hopeful endurance belongs to a long-suffering, kind, humble, unselfish love that is not provoked and keeps no account of evil, opposite to love of self which destroys peace. It gives constant and abiding peace that does not depend on circumstances, worldly goods or earthly friends, because Christ is the fountain of it.
Manifested as meekness in the home, it makes the inmates happy, provokes no quarrel, gives back no angry answer, soothes the irritated temper, and diffuses a gentleness felt by all. In daily life that bearing, trusting, hoping, enduring love is shown through consideration, tenderness, thoughtfulness, and unselfish care. Especially in the home it can encourage a spouse and become a blessing to others.
Love In Mission Service
Faith, hope, and love are the great moral powers of the soul that must control ministers, and unless they are active no earnest and zealous labor will be accepted or do good to the church. Love is the golden chain that binds believing hearts to one another in willing bonds of friendship, tenderness, and faithful constancy and binds the soul to God, inclining every power to nourish and protect the sheep like a faithful true shepherd. Bearing and enduring all things means remembering ministers are but men liable to err, of like passions with their brethren, persevering with pity and love to do them good, coming to their hearts and helping them where they are weak and need help most. It means meeting toils and conflicts, self-denials and secret heart-trials, tears and sorrow for sin, constant struggles and watchings mingled with remorse and shame for deficiencies, breaking the hard, proud, unbelieving heart in order to see the same need in brethren, not burdening them with unnecessary censure but being very compassionate and tender and weeping over the erring and backslidden. This is because Christ did all for the helpless bound in chains of darkness, sin, and despair who could do nothing for themselves, and through faith, hope, and love souls come nearer the standard of perfect holiness, for the soul is of infinite value measured only by Calvary.
Supreme love to God that bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things, joined with love that does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, and rejoices in truth rather than iniquity, must control everyone connected with the office of publication, keeping them under unfaltering, steadfast integrity and truth so they can walk humbly with God as workers under His eye. This charity that bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things is to govern every worker's life, with self hidden in Christ. Teachers must abound with the love and gentleness of Christ in their hearts, doing their best to impart to students the blessings given them, working with deep earnest desire to help them, carrying them over the ground of knowledge, and coming close to them. Without this bearing, believing, hoping, enduring love, teachers will manifest too much of the spirit of a harsh, domineering master. In educating and guiding youth, ministers, teachers, and parents must show self-control and kindness, for patient long-suffering love is required and impatience or harshness can damage a soul and weaken its influence.
Believing all things and hoping all things is the spirit for winning souls, requiring personal effort rather than general efforts at a distance. It approaches men and women with personal interest and love for their souls, taking hold of them in earnest and refusing to give them up even when they are in darkness and error under Satan's power and do not come to inquire for truth. It works in prayer and love, with faith and unwearied patience, in order to win souls. In personal missionary work this love means laboring without selfishness, with love and patience toward everyone encountered, showing no impatience and speaking not one unkind word, keeping the love of Christ in the heart and kindness on the lips, and speaking of the Saviour's love from a warm heart while visiting neighbors and the sick and suffering and scattering books and papers.
Genuine love that bears, believes, hopes, and endures in all things is the selfless love seen in Christ's life and character; it purifies the soul, rejects pride and idols, and constrains believers to serve and carry the gospel beyond familiar fields. In the work of God there is no excuse for a rough, coarse, discourteous, unkind spirit under any circumstances or pressure, for a calm, even, kind, forbearing spirit that believes and hopes all things with self-forgetful, tender, thoughtful character that thinks no evil carries rough work through better than a stormy, furious one. Sin, falsehood, impurity, and whatever dishonors God may be met with the strongest denunciation and earnest rebuke whether in the rich, those in responsible positions, or the lowly, but the rebuke must still bear this kind spirit. Hasty, overbearing, fretting, passionate men may be used in reform not because of those faults but in spite of them, as they are connected with God to learn of Christ and become disgusted with their own defects, and they could be used with tenfold more power if converted to a mild, humble, forbearing spirit.
Fervent charity is to be cultivated and lived daily among fellow believers with steady purpose in the good fight of faith, encouraging peace and thinking healthful thoughts, taking periods of rest and quietness of mind in order not to fail or become discouraged, and obtaining every possible advantage to bring sunlight into life to bless others as well as self. Love must be brought into daily experience at all times and under all circumstances, with a stronger love for one another and a growing interest in one another, and a strong love for Christ producing Christlike affection. Self must be crucified and surrendered to God so that a strong, steady, broad and comprehensive belief in the truth, taking in the whole plan of salvation with its purpose and purposes of love and mercy, uproots from the heart all enmity and all petty differences and transforms indifference and coldness into love. The deeper the love for Christ the deeper the love for one another, so discourtesy, drawing apart, and lack of love and sympathy cannot remain where this love is in the heart, and the talent of speech is used only in words that bless and strengthen. Bearing all things is reflected in carrying responsibility with humility and care, recognizing the limits of knowledge and learning under experienced guidance. Love that keeps hoping, trusting, praying, and waiting holds on through perplexity, delay, unpaid workers, and long anxiety about means, believing light has begun to come and will not cease shining until the perfect day and that all will come right soon, and when strength almost fails girding up by faith to keep hoping, trusting, praying, and waiting.
To bear all things is to put up with everything with long patience, to endure faults and suffering cheerfully without shrinking or murmuring. To believe all things and hope all things is to trust for the best and hold to hope through everything, believing what is pure and good rather than evil reports, and to endure all things is to keep holding out under every trial. This love is heaven-born, Christlike love of heavenly origin, patient, steadfast and kind, cleansed from bitterness and envy, active only for good and strong with courage and firm principle rather than weakness. It filled the whole life of Christ, who bore long with ingratitude and wrong without withdrawing love, and it is the image of Jesus stamped on the heart in place of selfishness, attained by beholding Him and keeping His commandments. It must be practiced every day and lived rather than merely claimed, bearing true witness in unity among believers, in tenderness at home, and in patient mission service that refuses to give up the erring.
Words And Setting
Beareth means putting up with everything with long patience and forbearance, bearing with the faults of others and cheerfully accepting whatever suffering or inconvenience that forbearance requires. It is love bearing and enduring others day by day with patience, kindness and forbearance, requiring constant effort to curb bad tempers and evil propensities, which only Jesus can strengthen to fully overcome, so as to become like Christ as His servant in character. So lived, it makes a person agreeable, courteous, kind and forbearing even in business relations, showing the meekness of Jesus and His ruling spirit, patient, kind and pitiful toward fellow humanity, thoughtful and unselfish, always asking what can be done to bless others and willing to be inconvenienced to do them good. Lifted out of passion and impulse, this love becomes spiritualized and shows itself in words and acts as sanctified tenderness without impatience or fretfulness, with rude harsh manners softened by grace.
Believeth and hopeth mean trusting for the best and keeping hope through everything, believing and hoping all that is pure and good and of good report rather than believing evil or false reports. That bearing, believing, hoping and enduring is love, patience and long forbearance put into practice in accordance with the principles of truth, for truth is ever pure in its working, ever kind, unselfish, breathing a heavenly fragrance. To surmise evil and to be impatient and unforgiving is the opposite of this charity, lying against the truth while claiming to believe truth yet representing Satan and denying Christ in spirit, words and deportment. Believing and hoping all things means being true, pure, holy, sympathetic, loving and loyal, true to one another and manifesting the fruit of the Spirit, thinking well and speaking well of brethren, looking for what is good and true rather than doing the accusing work of tearing down. It refuses evil speaking, unjust suspicions and evil surmising, puts suspicions about brethren out of the heart, refuses to misjudge their motives as selfish or as courting sympathy or unsettling confidence to build up self, and instead believes and hopes the best rather than cherishing feelings of being unappreciated or seeking to vindicate self.
Believeth and hopeth also mean faith that presses forward in obedience when God says go forward, even when danger surrounds, the way is dark, cold waves are about the feet, and the outcome cannot be seen, not waiting until every uncertainty is removed. At the Red Sea Israel advanced to the water in response to God's command and after they did what they could God opened a path through the sea, showing that obedience to God brings victory. Obstacles that hinder progress never disappear before a halting doubting spirit, and those who defer obedience until every shadow of uncertainty disappears and no risk of failure or defeat remains will never obey, while unbelief whispers to wait until obstructions are removed and the way is clear. Endureth means keeping on holding out under every trial, a pure and perfect love proved under testing that trusts God through present hardship and fear of future want instead of shrinking, murmuring, despondency and continual fear of coming to want. This heaven-born sanctified love is of great value to God, and without it every other qualification is worthless.
The verse belongs to a chapter that is a lesson of utmost importance to be practiced, read every day, committed to memory, written in mind and heart, studied and digested, and lived rather than merely claimed. Its beginning work is self-examination and the continuous humbling of self, with the critical taking of self in hand. The chapter is God's message to those who claim to be His servants, especially responsible men in publishing institutions, that they need humility and must become learners in the school of Christ so the softening subduing power of God can come into their lives, for the Spirit cannot work with them until then. The figure of members composing the body represents the church of God and the relation its members should sustain to one another in love, given for those brought together in church capacity so they will be united understandingly and intelligently, showing the way to be shut in with God so the wicked one has no power by faithfully doing one's own appointed work without finding defects in another's work so all move in harmony.
Charity is the heavenly grace adapted to the eternal state that will exist forever as the crowning glory of immortal life, the greatest of faith, hope and charity. It never fails and never loses value, and its possessor will carry it as a precious treasure through the portals into the city of God, because it is the attribute of heaven. Prophecies, tongues and knowledge as special gifts belong to the present imperfect childhood state of seeing through a glass darkly and knowing in part, and they will fail, cease and vanish away as no longer needed when that which is perfect is come and Christians know face to face even as they are known.
Nature Of Heavenly Love
The love described is heaven-born, sanctified, Christlike love of heavenly origin, of great value to God. Without it as the prevailing sentiment of the heart every other qualification is worthless. Zeal and generous deeds cannot make a person like Christ or a laborer together with God, for God is love.
It is a patient, steadfast, heavenly principle found in renewed hearts, flowing out toward others and distinguishing Christians from worldly people. It is long-suffering and kind, does not envy or boast or puff itself up, is self-denying and generous, free from jealousy and cold indifference, and does not assume evil motives in others. It governs character and impulses, controls passions, overcomes enmity and subdues hostility, and leads people to endure toil and suffering for the good of others whether circumstances are pleasant or difficult, reaching beyond home and beyond those who repay kindness. Joined to not acting shamefully, not seeking its own, not being quickly angered, not thinking evil, and not rejoicing in wrong but rejoicing in truth, it keeps self-control even under provocation and feels deep concern when sin is found among disciples.
A right heart living this love is cleansed from bitterness, wrath, envy, jealousy, and evil surmising. It has a meek and quiet spirit that is calm and considerate of others and happy in temper, not made irritable by sickness nor disturbed by weather or circumstances. A heart living the opposite proves it is defiled and not right and needs to be purified, and unless the course is entirely changed it will end in becoming fallen. Faith working by this love purifies the soul and produces humility, patience, forbearance, long-suffering, peace, joy, and willing obedience, with patience, kindness, forbearance, and love coming only by the divine touch to make believers laborers together with God. When this grace rules the heart, doing good becomes spontaneous, words and actions testify of fellowship with Jesus, and religion bears much fruit to glorify the Father.
It is an active power that works only for good, grows through action, and perseveres to overcome evil where argument, authority, and force fail. It makes Christians steadfast to withstand trial and temptation, is revealed in sacrifice that puts Christ's honor and glory first and gives up all for Him, and can reform family character and guide conduct rather than quickly marking small mistakes. This love comes from God, cannot live and flourish in the natural heart, and grows as it is exercised.
Enduring all things does not mean weakness or passivity but belongs with courage and strength of character, force, energy, perseverance, firm principle, and positive influence that resists evil. Enduring charity is an essential passive grace of Christian life, belonging with gentleness, patience, meekness, kindliness, and readiness to give the soft answer, shown in humble, tactful, unselfish, unboastful endurance in honorable work. Yet this endurance alone is not complete Christian character; it must be joined with active virtues of courage, force, energy, perseverance, and noble spirit so influence becomes a positive power for good.
Genuine charity is heaven-bred and incorruptible, first pure then peaceable, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy, love in active exercise rather than sentimentalism. It hates sin but loves the sinner, warns faithfully of danger and points to the Lamb of God to take sin away, seeking to take sin away rather than cloaking it. It does not heal hurt slightly by saying peace when there is no peace, does not confederate to call sin holiness, does not cover evil with a mantle of false charity, does not say to the sinner it shall be well with him, and does not blunt the sword of the Spirit so that it does no execution. It is a resistless power obtained only by living connection with God, requiring personal culture of heart religion and actual contact with the God of love.
To surmise evil and to be impatient and unforgiving is the opposite of this charity and is lying against the truth, claiming to believe truth while spirit, words, and deportment represent Satan and deny Christ. True love is a plant of heavenly origin that is pure and holy, not unreasonable and not blind, in accordance with truth which is ever pure in its working, ever kind, unselfish, and breathing a heavenly fragrance. It stands opposite selfish earthly sensual passion that lives only to please self, indulges passion, is headstrong, rash, defiant of restraint, makes its object an idol, takes unfair advantage, and breaks purity. In steps toward marriage it takes God into all plans, is in harmony with the Spirit of God, and shows modesty, simplicity, sincerity, morality, and religion without becoming so absorbed as to lose interest in prayer and religious service.
Bearing, believing, hoping, and enduring are fruits growing upon the precious tree of love, which is of heavenly growth, evergreen, immortal and eternal, watered continually by the dews of heaven, with branches that do not decay and leaves that do not wither. They must be brought forth with liberality to be accepted as followers of Christ, and no offerings to God can atone for defects in that character. Bearing and enduring include mildness, gentleness, forbearance, long-suffering, and not being easily provoked, patiently and calmly waiting for those who cannot weigh evidence quickly without urging, censure, bearing down, or a denunciatory spirit, and without becoming discouraged and restless when expectations are not realized. Cultivated daily where God can bestow it by seeing in every fellow man the purchase of Christ's blood, this love guards words and conversation, refuses evil-speaking, kindly checks it, empties the heart of defilement, talks of truth and blessed hope, seeks to build up a brother in faith, and guards one another's interests with kindness, patience, and forbearance, thereby increasing love for God, evidencing sonship to the world, and creating church unity that influences unbelievers.
Christ The Perfect Standard
The charity that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things filled the entire life of Christ without exception amid a proud and selfish world, in total forbearance, trust, hope, and endurance. He so loved fallen men, His enemies, that He gave His life as a ransom to redeem them, with tenderness and forbearance that when beaten back by rocky sin-bound souls returned in stronger waves of light and affection, and that could not be quenched by many waters nor drowned by floods nor extinguished by opposition. He bore much with the dullness of His disciples, and though often grieved loved them still, never failing nor becoming discouraged.
He bore long with blemishes, neglect, forgetfulness, ingratitude, disobedience, and ill-treatment of His goodness without withdrawing love, without failing in mercy, and without growing impatient, still working to save. He endured far greater wrongs than the trivial grievances people must endure from one another. Believers are therefore to copy that love by tender thoughtfulness for those around them, not looking sharply and critically or condemning harshly, but delighting in mercy, recounting what He has borne, bringing truth into life and character, showing its graces and loveliness in sympathy and kindness for all, having peace with God and an indwelling Saviour, never magnifying the defects of others but looking at the best and not the worst features in character, with unselfish love going out to others in deeds, cheerful and uplifted to God.
The verse means the love of God taking the place of selfishness written on the human heart and stamping life and character with the image and superscription of Jesus Christ. It is the fruit of the grace of God and the Spirit of Christ that every follower of Christ will manifest in life and reveal in character. Where those manifestations are wanting there must be most earnest seeking of God, and by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ the spirit of Christ specified in the verse can be received, so that a person may indeed be called a child of God and not a child of the wicked one, with greater faith bringing more of Christ.
Bearing, believing, hoping, and enduring all things are the measure and specifications of a character imbued with the love of Christ, bearing His marks and likeness. This love is given to make known the possibilities and the heights that may be reached in and through Jesus Christ. The standard it presents and that Christ dictates for all for whom He died is perfection in Him, attainable through His merits. That change comes by beholding Christ, being changed from glory to glory, with the eye lifted higher and still higher from common and earthly things to heavenly things, until full knowledge face to face by a living experience and knowledge of God. Coming short of it comes from being content to look at earthly things rather than at heavenly things.
The verse expresses the obedience of all who love God and keep His commandments, and it is brought into action in the life of every true believer. As the new commandment to love one another as Christ loved, it means a charity that puts up with everything, trusts for the best, keeps hope, and holds out through everything, joined with long patience, kindness, humility, unselfishness, and rejoicing in truth. It is put to work in restoring one overtaken in fault in meekness while guarding oneself from temptation, going tenderly and respectfully directly to one thought to be in error as one would wish to be treated instead of telling someone else, making surmisings, listening to reports, or taking up reproach against a neighbor. That direct approach gives opportunity to explain because reports may be false and difficulties may be adjusted by simple explanation, remembering that all have the same sinful nature and are liable to make mistakes with none perfect and none righteous, and that Christ died for the erring that they might be forgiven because He came not to condemn but to save.
Unity Among Believers
Those who believe the truth are called to believe and obey love by bearing, believing, hoping, and enduring all things instead of separating into factions. Unity in love bears the true witness to the truth and testifies to its power, while discord and strife bear a false witness. This is the Christian character to cultivate, especially in church relationships, where love counters selfishness and supports patience and forbearance. Love learned in Christ keeps hearts drawn together so they can never get very far apart and puts an end to controversy at home and in church. Shared concern for salvation makes petty differences lose importance and puts an end to jealousy, fault-finding, envy, dissension, and rivalry, bringing believers into sympathy with one another.
When Jesus is in the midst by the controlling Spirit, this charity governs all plans and decisions. Bearing, believing, hoping, and enduring in every circumstance belong together with seeking not one's own, not being easily provoked, thinking no evil, and rejoicing in truth rather than iniquity. This charity is manifested together with the wisdom from above that is pure, peaceable, full of mercy and good fruits, and cannot err. When self is hidden in Jesus, this love prevents one-sided judgment and supports dispassionate, righteous decisions.
The verse defines true courtesy as unselfish spirit, gentle grace, and winsome temper mirroring Christ, from whom all real tenderness and courtesy in the world comes even among those who do not acknowledge His name. Christ purposes these traits to be perfectly reflected in His children so that men behold His beauty in them, and this teaching on manners is to be fixed in the memory of every person young and old. Where the Spirit of Christ is cherished in the heart it is manifested in refined disposition, holy character, comely manners, and words without guile, for courtesy is a grace of the Spirit and an attribute of heaven. Like the angels who never fly into passion and are never envious or selfish and from whose lips no harsh or unkind word escapes, companionship with angels requires the same refinement and courtesy. Truth designed to elevate refines taste and sanctifies judgment to produce this love, which is tender, kind, and thoughtful of others rather than harsh, uncourteous, and wounding to feelings. Speaking harshly and then justifying it as always telling just what one thinks exalts a wicked trait as a virtue, a cruel practice born of Satan and not at all akin to heaven that should be firmly rebuked as shameful.
Boldness in preaching is joined with a tender heart ever kind and thoughtful of others, not harsh and impolite, and a cold unfeeling nature violates this love and needs to be aroused by divine grace lest it fail to recommend truth and be respected and feared but seldom loved. When the love of God is in the heart it leads to gentle words only He can approve, not thinking evil, not being easily disturbed or provoked, and not giving loose rein to passion, but a life yoked with Christ under the restraining power of His Spirit. In daily life it is a kind look, a lowly spirit, a contented disposition, sincere interest in others' welfare, and faithful daily duties rather than splendid talents, without determination to have its own way, stubborn unwillingness to be pleased, imagined slights, or supposed martyrdom over position. Kindness and amiability of temper exalt a person, and this heart-healthfulness even sustains bodily health. The love of Jesus filling the soul shapes words, manners, looks, and expression to give hope, courage, and serenity, breathing deeply its atmosphere and reflecting its warmth with calm cheerfulness and sweet joy instead of gloom. Carefully cultivating the garden of the soul to bring forth only pure, sweet, fragrant flowers, with words of love, tenderness, and charity, sanctifies influence, reveals Christ's Spirit, awakens desire for a better life, strengthens fainting souls, comforts those struggling against temptation, throws sunshine, leaves a clear path toward heaven, and constantly impresses especially the youth, for the countenance mirrors the life within.
Believing and hoping all things means being true, pure, holy, sympathetic, loving, and loyal, thinking well and speaking well of brethren and manifesting the fruit of the Spirit. It means believing and hoping all that is pure and good and of good report rather than believing evil or false reports, looking for what is good and true in others and hoping for the best. It requires patience, courtesy, kindness, tender forgiveness, brotherly kindness and forbearance, giving brethren credit for conscientiousness, showing good will with a kind conciliating spirit, and laying aside suspicion, jealousy, censuring, and blame. It puts away faultfinding, evil speaking, and magnifying trifles and supposed defects, refuses to act as sin-bearer and judge, attributes good motives as desired for oneself, and reveals a tender Christlike spirit that strengthens feeble hands and knees and makes straight paths so the lame is healed rather than turned aside. It means bearing patiently with one another's errors, being kind and forbearing, directing sharp criticism toward oneself rather than treating fellow believers harshly, avoiding hasty judgment and doing to others as one would have them do, with gentleness, tender courtesy, mutual affection, no harsh speech and no harsh judgment. By living this love believers follow Christ's own life and practice, represent and glorify Him, become consecrated vessels unto honor for His service, and are made happy.
Applied to the erring, love does not surmise evil, is not impatient and unforgiving, does not credit hearsay, and does not spread evil reports, nor does it search for faults and make them seem worse. It requires going directly to the one supposed to have erred in brotherly kindness and meekness of wisdom, learning facts from the accused, seeking explanation that may remove unfavorable impressions by simple adjustment, and giving opportunity to explain because reports may be false. It shows tender compassion and forgiving courtesy and sows peace to preserve oneness and unity, restoring one overtaken in fault in meekness with Christ's healing balm rather than sternness, rebuke, or an inquisitorial spirit. A loving word of encouragement can subdue a hasty temper and wilful disposition more effectively than faultfinding and censure, and patient faithful service promotes the welfare of God's people. When a wrong must be addressed it is spoken to the person with mercy and then left with that person and God, bearing long with perversity as Christ bears long and reaching a strong firm hand to weak hands because precious souls cost too heavy a price to be easily given up. Bearing all things refuses evil speaking, unjust suspicions, and evil surmising, and enduring all things allows no variance, discord, emulation, or strife but remains loyal and true with sympathy and affection even when a mistake is supposed, drawing heavenly angels near as a most precious phase of perfection of Christian character, while listening to secondhand suggestions and acting on supposed superior discernment produces a wrong record and forfeits complete victory.
Bearing, hoping, and enduring are fruit growing upon the precious tree of love, which is of heavenly growth, evergreen, immortal and eternal, watered continually by the dews of heaven, with branches that do not decay and leaves that do not wither. They mean patiently and calmly waiting for those who cannot weigh evidence and see truth as readily, without urging them to see and act at once, without censure, bearing down, or a denunciatory spirit, and without becoming discouraged, restless, and wishing a change when expectations are not realized. Ardor and zeal are proper when graced with humility, but rash zeal and denunciation, especially in a youth of short experience, are unbecoming and destroy influence. They mean bearing patiently with less experienced fellow workers, taking beginners by one's side to teach and educate them and enduring their slowness and faults without sharp words and unkind criticism that close the heart. They forbid making a fixed groove for others or dictating how every laborer must work, require receiving help through any channel God sends, let the love of God rule in the heart and be communicated to associates while each keeps learning and advancing, and show themselves in not finding defects in another's entrusted work but faithfully doing one's own appointed work so all move in harmony shut in with God where the wicked one has no power.
The Lord's unceasing tenderness must be revealed in tenderness toward one another, especially in counsel speaking good words to help and strengthen brethren instead of standing apart in self-confidence to criticize and condemn. Genuine Christians true to faith and duty unite in service and jealously guard one another's interests even though mistakes are made. Love that bears and endures is frank and free from suspicion, evil-thinking, blame, and accusation, and readiness to blame and accuse is offensive to God. Where this love is lacking hearts are not right with God, the people are left strengthless, and alienation from God brings a burdened condition upon institutions, calling for the heart to be softened and subdued by love. Meekness, mutual forbearance, and charity reconciled Whitefield and the Wesleys despite doctrinal differences to remain united in winning souls. Love readily receives every sign of confidence and affection, blots past wrongs from memory, believes pledges of support, hopes with cheered and softened heart in a bright view of the future, and trusts that past lessons were not learned in vain.
Love At Home
Between husband and wife the verse means believing the best, holding hope, and patiently bearing all things. It requires the husband to cherish his wife's happiness as a sacred jewel, to cultivate devotion to her, and to bring the gentleness and protecting love that a woman's heart requires. He is to become less selfish, critical, cold and silent, and more tender, affectionate and open, giving words of praise and endearing attentions and speaking no sharp, cold, unsympathizing words. Both husband and wife are to be faithful to their holy trust, to help each other overcome what bewilders and perverts, to build up God-given womanhood, to encourage confiding love, and to be all in all to each other. That unselfish and constant love leads a husband to consider his wife's happiness, show her kind attention, and value her company rather than pursue his own pleasure without regard for her.
As houseband who binds the family together and as priest carrying accountability and responsibility, the husband must exercise pity when his wife errs in his judgment. He must show patience like the patience Jesus and God have shown toward his own errors and sins, with a tender, pitiful, long-suffering kindness. This is the opposite of being hardhearted and unsympathetic, exacting and fault-finding, expressing the natural heart, and blaming wife and brethren for trials caused by an unconverted heart. Without this love a man cannot take his home and church spirit into heaven, where he would find fault with God and holy angels and resist discipline. He must be entirely renewed in heart and mind, die to self, and become a new man in Christ to be saved.
In marriage this love is expressed through patience, kindness, consideration, courtesy, and freedom from selfish control. It seeks the other person's good rather than trying to compel agreement. Christ's grace enables this kind of love, which can bind hearts in a lasting bond that withstands wear, tests, and trials. True love does not lessen affection between husband and wife but sanctifies it, making the chief joy to be in Christ and to glorify God in all actions. It stands opposite selfish, earthly, sensual love that lives only to please self, indulges passion, takes unfair advantage of married life, and breaks purity of marriage vows.
That sanctified love controls evil passions, brings the body under for the sake of Jesus, refuses sensual gratification, and keeps thoughts in captivity to Christ. It is a plant of heavenly origin that is pure and holy, not unreasonable and not blind, in perfect harmony with the Spirit of God, opposite to the passion of the natural heart which is headstrong, rash, unreasonable, defiant of all restraint, and makes the object of its choice an idol. In steps toward an alliance in marriage it takes God into all its plans and shows the grace of God in all deportment through modesty, simplicity, sincerity, morality, and religion. It does not become so absorbed in each other's society as to lose interest in the prayer meeting and the religious service.
True love overlooks many mistakes and does not discern them, and as a plant it needs culture to make a peaceful, happy union and escape future misery and sorrow. It is patient with mistakes instead of critical, overbearing, and dictatorial, and it keeps loving with respect, kindness, and attention after the novelty of marriage is over. Before yielding her affections a woman should test it by asking if her lover has a mother, what the stamp of her character is, whether he recognizes his obligations to her, is mindful of her wishes and happiness, and respects and honors her, because that shows whether he will manifest the same love to his wife. Bearing all things at home means passing by every provocation with Christlike meekness and forbearance, made possible by grace in the heart as oil in the heart.
That bearing forbids impatient words, because one impatient utterance leads another to retort in the same spirit, followed by retaliation and self-justification, manufacturing a heavy, galling yoke. Such bitter words return in a baleful harvest to the soul, bringing shame, loss of self-respect, loss of self-confidence, and bitter remorse and regret for losing self-control, so it is far better that words of that character never be spoken. Right words in the home, with meekness, kindness and courtesy, are home religion, and without them testimony in the church amounts to nothing and religion is in vain. Where love reigns in a Christian home it finds expression in words and acts of thoughtful kindness and gentle courtesy, with no harsh words spoken and with family worship made pleasant and interesting.
The same principles of courtesy and gentlemanly kindness practiced in home life are carried into the church, while a lack of courtesy, a moment of petulance, or a single rough thoughtless word mars reputation and closes doors to hearts. Love learned in the school of Christ keeps hearts drawn together so they can never get very far apart and puts an end to the spirit of controversy at home and in the church. In family life parents should express love in their looks, words, and actions, and cultivate a kindly, forbearing spirit in themselves and their children. This loving, cheerful home atmosphere promotes children's health and vigor of mind and body.
When self is dead and the life is hid with Christ in God, love bears and endures all things and continues to believe and hope. It means no longer living to guard self from mortification and insult, taking no neglect or slight to heart, being deaf to reproach and blind to scorn and insult. This patient, trusting, hopeful endurance belongs to a long-suffering, kind, humble, unselfish love that is not provoked and keeps no account of evil, opposite to love of self which destroys peace. It gives constant and abiding peace that does not depend on circumstances, worldly goods or earthly friends, because Christ is the fountain of it.
Manifested as meekness in the home, it makes the inmates happy, provokes no quarrel, gives back no angry answer, soothes the irritated temper, and diffuses a gentleness felt by all. In daily life that bearing, trusting, hoping, enduring love is shown through consideration, tenderness, thoughtfulness, and unselfish care. Especially in the home it can encourage a spouse and become a blessing to others.
Love In Mission Service
Faith, hope, and love are the great moral powers of the soul that must control ministers, and unless they are active no earnest and zealous labor will be accepted or do good to the church. Love is the golden chain that binds believing hearts to one another in willing bonds of friendship, tenderness, and faithful constancy and binds the soul to God, inclining every power to nourish and protect the sheep like a faithful true shepherd. Bearing and enduring all things means remembering ministers are but men liable to err, of like passions with their brethren, persevering with pity and love to do them good, coming to their hearts and helping them where they are weak and need help most. It means meeting toils and conflicts, self-denials and secret heart-trials, tears and sorrow for sin, constant struggles and watchings mingled with remorse and shame for deficiencies, breaking the hard, proud, unbelieving heart in order to see the same need in brethren, not burdening them with unnecessary censure but being very compassionate and tender and weeping over the erring and backslidden. This is because Christ did all for the helpless bound in chains of darkness, sin, and despair who could do nothing for themselves, and through faith, hope, and love souls come nearer the standard of perfect holiness, for the soul is of infinite value measured only by Calvary.
Supreme love to God that bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things, joined with love that does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, and rejoices in truth rather than iniquity, must control everyone connected with the office of publication, keeping them under unfaltering, steadfast integrity and truth so they can walk humbly with God as workers under His eye. This charity that bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things is to govern every worker's life, with self hidden in Christ. Teachers must abound with the love and gentleness of Christ in their hearts, doing their best to impart to students the blessings given them, working with deep earnest desire to help them, carrying them over the ground of knowledge, and coming close to them. Without this bearing, believing, hoping, enduring love, teachers will manifest too much of the spirit of a harsh, domineering master. In educating and guiding youth, ministers, teachers, and parents must show self-control and kindness, for patient long-suffering love is required and impatience or harshness can damage a soul and weaken its influence.
Believing all things and hoping all things is the spirit for winning souls, requiring personal effort rather than general efforts at a distance. It approaches men and women with personal interest and love for their souls, taking hold of them in earnest and refusing to give them up even when they are in darkness and error under Satan's power and do not come to inquire for truth. It works in prayer and love, with faith and unwearied patience, in order to win souls. In personal missionary work this love means laboring without selfishness, with love and patience toward everyone encountered, showing no impatience and speaking not one unkind word, keeping the love of Christ in the heart and kindness on the lips, and speaking of the Saviour's love from a warm heart while visiting neighbors and the sick and suffering and scattering books and papers.
Genuine love that bears, believes, hopes, and endures in all things is the selfless love seen in Christ's life and character; it purifies the soul, rejects pride and idols, and constrains believers to serve and carry the gospel beyond familiar fields. In the work of God there is no excuse for a rough, coarse, discourteous, unkind spirit under any circumstances or pressure, for a calm, even, kind, forbearing spirit that believes and hopes all things with self-forgetful, tender, thoughtful character that thinks no evil carries rough work through better than a stormy, furious one. Sin, falsehood, impurity, and whatever dishonors God may be met with the strongest denunciation and earnest rebuke whether in the rich, those in responsible positions, or the lowly, but the rebuke must still bear this kind spirit. Hasty, overbearing, fretting, passionate men may be used in reform not because of those faults but in spite of them, as they are connected with God to learn of Christ and become disgusted with their own defects, and they could be used with tenfold more power if converted to a mild, humble, forbearing spirit.
Fervent charity is to be cultivated and lived daily among fellow believers with steady purpose in the good fight of faith, encouraging peace and thinking healthful thoughts, taking periods of rest and quietness of mind in order not to fail or become discouraged, and obtaining every possible advantage to bring sunlight into life to bless others as well as self. Love must be brought into daily experience at all times and under all circumstances, with a stronger love for one another and a growing interest in one another, and a strong love for Christ producing Christlike affection. Self must be crucified and surrendered to God so that a strong, steady, broad and comprehensive belief in the truth, taking in the whole plan of salvation with its purpose and purposes of love and mercy, uproots from the heart all enmity and all petty differences and transforms indifference and coldness into love. The deeper the love for Christ the deeper the love for one another, so discourtesy, drawing apart, and lack of love and sympathy cannot remain where this love is in the heart, and the talent of speech is used only in words that bless and strengthen. Bearing all things is reflected in carrying responsibility with humility and care, recognizing the limits of knowledge and learning under experienced guidance. Love that keeps hoping, trusting, praying, and waiting holds on through perplexity, delay, unpaid workers, and long anxiety about means, believing light has begun to come and will not cease shining until the perfect day and that all will come right soon, and when strength almost fails girding up by faith to keep hoping, trusting, praying, and waiting.