CHARACTERISTICS OF LOVE

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Text : 1Cor 13:4.

Love is always patient; love is always kind; love is never envious or arrogant with pride. Nor is she conceited.* 

Love is not a thing, it is a being. Love is not so much about what we do, but who we are. I John 4:8 says God is love, so anyone who doesn't have God cannot truly love. 

In reality, no natural man can satisfy all the characteristics of love as enumerated in 1 Cor. 13:4-13. It's only a man who has surrendered his life to God through Christ that can truly fulfil the demands of love. 

 *Love is patient :* One proof of patience in your life is how slow you are to getting angry. King James version of 1Cor.13:4 says love suffers long. That is, patience in this regard is your ability to suffer long (especially the inadequacies of men). Patience talks about your ability to endure without losing your cool and calmness.

 *Love is kind :* The International standard Version of 1 Cor. 13:4 says love is ALWAYS KIND. *if it is love, your kindness will always be constant.* It wouldn't be a seasonal kindness. If God is the source of your love, He will ALWAYS produce the fruit of kindness in you. 

 *Love is never jealous or envious :* By nature, man is always envious, even when what you have is better than your neighbors' you'll still envy his. But when love takes control, he will deal with all the root of envy and jealousy in you. 

 *Love is never boastful or proud :* To be boastful is to loudly brag and give exaggerated appraisal of oneself. While pride is a silent, unspoken exaggerated high opinion of oneself. Now, can you sincerely say you are free of either or both of these two vices? The only antidote to it is the God kind of love. 

Time will not allow us to talk of rudeness, anger, keeping records of wrongs and every other vices inherent in human nature that can only be uprooted by Love. 1 Corinthian 13:4-13.

It is crystal clear now that love is not a feeling, it is a being. A supreme being. GOD IS LOVE. John 4:8. Anyone who is not a child of God does not have the capacity to love. And being a child of God only comes through Jesus. And having confessed Jesus as your Saviour and Lord, you must allow the Holy Spirit do his work of fruit bearing(Love)in you. Holy Spirit is the one to bear and bring forth LOVE in you.

However, to all who received him(Jesus), those believing in his name, he gave authority to become God’s children,John 1:12 ISV. All of God's children has the Spirit of God in them.

It is this Spirit who produces the fruit of love in them. Rom. 5:5.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Gal. 5:22-23. 

Basically, the fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in us is love, which in turn produces the rest. 

 *It is only this kind of love that is pure and without hypocrisy because it is from above. James 3:17* .

 *PRAYER FOCUS* 

1. Ask the Lord to reveal His Love to you, that its fruit may be evident in your life. 

Bible Reading: 1John 4:7-12, 1 Cor. 13:1-13.

CIA CAMPUS MOVEMENT PUBLICATION, +233241109074, +233558355977

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