Love... Does Not Delight In Evil
Love does not delight in evil.
1 Corinthians 13:6 (ESV)
Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the Lord see it and be displeased…
Proverbs 24:17-18 (ESV)
For He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
Luke 6:35 (ESV)
On an initial read, I thought the first part of 1 Corinthians 13:6 didn’t apply to me– or my brethren.
Who among us would celebrate evil?
Who would applaud a warlord’s killing spree?
Who would cheer for bullies, liars, and thieves?
Looking deeper, I've been inwardly glad when a nasty person got “taken down”.* But this grim enjoyment opposes God, 'Who wants all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth' (1 Timothy 2:4)…
The same God Who reminds smug believers, 'There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent' (Luke 15:7)…
The same God Who gives undeserved kindness to us, who aren’t one bit clean without His Son’s Blood, because ‘None is righteous, no, not one' (Romans 3:10), ‘And all our righteous acts are like filthy rags’ (Isaiah 64:6)…
The same God Who orders our compassion: 'If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink..' (Proverbs 25:21).** ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you’ (Matthew 5:44).
Since God treats us with undeserved kindness, He tells us to do the same for others.
Actors, models, and talent for Christ:
Religiosity sets Christians up for bad shows of un-Christlike behavior, including pretentious satisfaction when people they don’t like (or approve of) are taken down or humiliated.
But you know, show, and share a better way: God’s way of compassion and forgiveness.
When the King of kings was nailed to the Cross, in between two actual criminals, He didn’t say to them, “You deserve this!” Instead, He continued to offer love, and one dying man chose to love Him back!
That dying man represents you and me. So, let’s humble ourselves and pay it forward.
Love… Does NOT Delight In Evil (Part 19)
* 'Don't rejoice when your enemies fall; don't be happy when they stumble. For the Lord will be displeased with you and will turn His anger away from them' (Proverbs 24:17-18, NLT).
** “Rejoiceth not in iniquity,.... Neither in his own, nor in others; but on the contrary is grieved for it; he mourns over his own iniquities, the corruption of his heart, the infirmities of his life, his secret sins, which none know but God and his own soul; he is greatly troubled at the profaneness and immorality of the men of the world, and the sins of professors cut him to the heart: nor does he rejoice in injustice, as the word used here may be rendered, in any unjust action or injury, that may be done to any, yea, even to an enemy; even as Christ, when Peter, in great zeal for him, drew his sword and cut off the ear of one of the high priest's servants, who was more busy than the rest in apprehending Christ, and showed more malignancy than others, was so far from rejoicing at it, that he was displeased with Peter for doing it, and was moved with so much compassion to that man, though his enemy, as to heal him.” (Gill’s Exposition on)…
1 Corinthians 13:6 Commentaries: does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God! We’re all called to be actors (action stars) for Jesus. We’re all called to models of Jesus, and we all have gifts, talents, and a commission to multiply them in the world for His glory.
P.S. NO DEVOTION, PREACHER, or SERMON… can begin to replace personal time in the Bible. I wholeheartedly and clear-headedly recommend DAILY BIBLE READING.
WARNING: Don’t focus on your favorite verses, because taken out of context, they’re often misinterpreted. I plead with you to READ AT LEAST 1 BIBLE CHAPTER DAILY. How long does it take? An average of 5 to 10 minutes!