“Do All Things in Love”


BIBLE READING:1 Corinthians 13- 2 Corinthians 1

                 Although we are very familiar with I Corinthians 13 being Paul’s chapter of love, that isn’t the only place that Paul addresses the subject.  As Paul concludes his letter to the church at Corinth, he includes this summarization of love.  “Let all that you do be done in love.” (I Corinthians 16.14).  If you think about it, that is exactly what Paul had done with this letter.  Did he rebuke them?  Yes, on their issues concerning their division and sexual immorality among other things.  Yet the driving force behind his rebuke was always love; his love for Christ, his love for the church, his love for the brethren in Corinth.  Sometimes we must do some unfortunate and uncomfortable things because of our love for others.  Solomon said, “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.” (Proverbs 13.24).  That means if parents truly love their children, they will discipline them when needed, in hopes of teaching them.  Otherwise, if they allow improper behavior to continue, they are jeopardizing their eternal status.  Christ also shows the correlation between love and discipline in his letter to the church at Laodicea, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” (Revelation 3:19).  If we live our lives based on the premise of living a life that is rooted in love, there will be times we have to rebuke and discipline in order to bring about repentance.  However, the key factor for this rebuke and discipline to succeed is love.  It is true that “love can cover a multitude of sins” (I Peter 4.8)

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