The word unbecomingly comes from the Greek word askemon and it means deformed, indecent, unseemly. Love is not deformed or indecent. It is only love when it lines up with the design of God… His form… His image. Love does not act unbecomingly.
Love is not found outside the boundaries of God’s divine image and definition… outside the boundaries of our God is only lust and it is easily recognizable because it’s not sacrificiall, it’s not patient… it’s selfish and unseemly.
…it does not seek its own,
is not provoked,
1 Corinthians 13:5
Provoked comes from the Greek word paroxuno and it means to make sharp, sharpen, to stimulate, spur on, urge, to irritate, provoke, arouse to anger, to scorn, despise, provoke, make angry, to exasperate, to burn with anger. Love is not provoked.
It’s amazing how much more gentle and understanding we are when we realize that the world does not revolve around us and our wants and desires. If we are not after getting our own way we are so much less likely to burn with anger… it’s when we are looking out for our own self-interest that tempers flair.
…does not take into account a wrong suffered,
1 Corinthians 13:5
The word wrong in the Greek is kakos and it means of a bad nature, not such as it ought to be, of a mode of thinking, feeling, acting, a base wrong, wicked, troublesome, injurious, pernicious, destructive, baneful.
Love does not add up all the wrongs no matter how wicked or troublesome, injurious they might be and judge another by them. Love does not take into account a wrong suffered.
…does not rejoice in unrighteousness,
but rejoices with the truth;
1 Corinthians 13:6
Love does not take into account a wrong suffered, yet it still does not rejoice in unrighteousness. It doesn’t act like it never happened. It rejoices in the truth. It is truth that sets you free.
…bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:7
All things in the Greek is pas and it means individually, each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything, collectively, some of all types. Love puts up with the individuals that hurt us, it forgives the church that failed us, it hopes in the face of every obstacle, it endures any circumstance… It believes love will have the victory.
Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:8
Fails in the Greek is pipto and it means to descend from a higher place to a lower, to fall (either from or upon), to be thrust down, to fall under judgment, came under condemnation, to descend from an erect to a prostrate position, of those overcome by terror or astonishment or grief or under the attack of an evil spirit or of falling dead suddenly, the dismemberment of a corpse by decay, to be cast down from a state of prosperity, to fall from a state of uprightness, to lose authority, no longer have force, to perish, i.e come to an end, disappear, cease, to be removed from power by death.
Love is not removed from its power by death. It always has force. It never loses its authority. Love does not perish. It does not disappear. It does not end. It never falls from it place of uprightness. It can not be degraded. It cannot be destroyed. It can not die. It will never decay. Love never fails.
Friend, if it fails… it wasn’t love.
So, precious one, what do you know of love?
Do you love?
Are you willing to really love?
Love can only be known by the actions it prompts. ~ W.E. Vine
Here in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 God has clearly laid out the actions that real love prompts and yet He has gone even further than to just put it in writing…
But God demonstrates His own love toward us,
in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
