Characteristics of Christian Love (Part 3 of 4)

First Corinthians chapter 13 says love does not record of wrong. So does that mean we should just sweep offenses under the carpet without dealing with them today on Truth for Life. Alistair Begg explains how mob gardens and guides us were continuing a message titled characteristics of Christian all rights to the church at Rome and he says blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him. Not even the possibility that it will count against us because he'll have his eyes when an everlasting love when people come to confess to send reminders of things we need to remember that we been treated with such grace in response to the enormity about offenses that surely we are to forgive and forget the offenses done against us. Seems to me that one of the great arts in life is learning what to forget. It's part of our fallenness and the perversity is nonnuclear that in our life but in a whole, or in a church that harbors the record of wrongs. So we proceed through the minefield of first Corinthians 13, you will never again believe this to be a cozy chapter up to which you can't never again it is one of the most challenging sections in the whole line next. Love does not delight in evil are rejoices not in iniquity, as the King James version sets now well so somebody we can just gloss over this one. It's not a problem. Is it well think it out. There's a part of their streak in human nature, which actually is intrigued by it even enjoys evil, especially in others and in turn you halfway through jeopardy. If you watch Jeopardy and have one of those 22nd promo is from one of our famous little news channels to which we all look forward 11 o'clock at night I'm sure on asking a question.

When that little 22nd thing comes on, you can run your own check on this. How often do they come on to tell you something good. Not often came to me vividly because I was in preparation for this during last week I was thinking along these lines, I'm watching jeopardy. It cuts away.

The man's face comes up and goes and it shows a picture of some gentlemen and it says grandfather involved in the molestation on his grandchildren.

More about this 11 o'clock all yes sure I want to stay on for more of that filthy trash out of the gutters of life and yet there is a perversity in human nature that says something else to do that but that evil, including vicariously involved in other people's back next stand in the grocery line and look at the folks try to sell his magazines even the little Reader's Digest is in it now. They'll leave it permanently on that. I've noticed that one of these sticky sheets that they put on the front of it amusing that the content often goes away and then you can keep the Reader's Digest in your bathroom and no one will know what it said on the front but then into it now as well because that boring little miss a visit appears is going to need to get jazzed up next to people and cause all and all the others what's on the cover, adultery, indecency, cheating, lies, corruption felt because it sounds why because men and women of an appetite for you see the transforming power of Jesus Christ is what Paul is addressing here and he saying when the love of Christ in the hands of fellowship is going to transform all this stuff about coming to the temples of demons is going is going to transform the way we relate to one another is going to make is the kind of people who learn to live in love and therefore rejoice not when evil is exulted is Philippians 4 essentially and their seed whatsoever things are true and whatsoever things are holy, whatsoever things are of good report, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable if there's any excellent or praiseworthy think about such things. And yet, we can too easily. As Christians fall into the trap of delighting not in those things, but actually in what is murky and sordid I'm a tell you one of the key ways in which it happens in the life of the Christian gossip, gossip any time eyeglasses I violate this facet of agape love because usually when I gossip I take a vicarious delight in passing on bad news or poor news concerning another person.

I somehow managed to elevate myself about it by mentioning it, and thereby distancing myself from it, but there is a perversity even in the heart of the Christian that kind of likes to send that news down the line and often under the disguise of a prayer chain or some known if you have a prayer chain for goodness sake thing that I know about your prayer chain that I don't know about your prayer chain but I do know about prayer chains in the past and the more gossip is down telephone lines under the disguise of prayer and I've had hot dinners because when we gossip, we gloat over the sins and shortcomings of others and we derive a perverse form of satisfaction from restating so what Paul is saying instead of condoning sin by passing it on where to confront sin. That's why in Matthew 18 we have the nature of church discipline so that we may confront sin in the lives of one another and go directly to them and bring before the witnesses and bring into the church because if you don't do that and I charge the charges gossips about some the greatest antagonism that I faced over the years here has been directly related to what we've done or attempted to doing church discipline. How could you possibly do that. People say is supposed to be a loving church we were following the words of the loving Christ who said to lovingly do this because if we don't do this.

What happens is that people pass it on my way of God's challenge is clear we are to gauge our reading or viewing or listening habits from this positive perspective, let's go one more love rejoices in the truth does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth and to give you Philips it does not keep account of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people. On the contrary, it is glad with all good men. When truth prevails, the wonderful paraphrase what is love like is glad with all good men. When truth prevails. So it rejoices in seeing truth joy and truth and love are interwoven love cannot rejoice when truth is denying the guy says to his girlfriend.

You know I really love you and I want you to do this, but it violates to it as a lover of talent to take a hike for love and truth are interwoven and there is no rejoicing that is indifferent to moral considerations is one of the great ways in which love falls down and this is where first Corinthians is so helpful to us. Love and righteousness cannot be separate or well I'm hopelessly falling in love with you I was going to the singles the other night I was quoting this song. I don't know the fellow is rescinded a bunch of nonsense you've heard it on the radio and I don't care what's right or wrong and I don't know what will happen next, but I'm hopelessly falling in love with you all will wind when walking the wire.

But now I'm going down the other side because I'm hopelessly falling in love with you to somehow another. This hopelessly falling experience legitimizes any kind of lifestyle until now. Many marriages are breaking down under that kind of silliness even in Christian churches love rejoices when all good men see truth exulted something that we need to hold onto and understand clearly. Let me just quote to hear from John who was the apostle of love in second John, he writes, it is given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth. Just as the father commanded us. And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning.

I ask that we love one another, and then he defines it, and this is love that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning. His command is that you walk in love. So how do we know where and lot.

When we walk in obedience to this, it simply an anti-love relationship between a husband or wife, a boy or girl, a brother or sister members in the family of God that does not walk in obedience to God's command is less than the love that is here described in the encouragement that is that by the impulse of the Holy Spirit walking in the truth of Scripture we may enjoy this kind of love, and indeed we should settle for nothing less than so in contrast to the previous facet which is a denial of that which is evil.

He returns it. On the other side and he says love is seem to focus on the good on the true and on the wholesome. It doesn't embrace wrongdoing. It doesn't embrace heresy that may be embraced by weakness by sentimentalism or by foolishness, but not my life. What are we doing you want to put your name in there yet. Parkside church is not easily angered, is not full of a bunch of touchy people were always bursting into animosity Parkside church keeps no record of wrong that is discipline. It is within a card with Scripture, it is done is dealt with. It is passed over, and it is gone. Parkside church does not delight in evil doesn't it's not a hotbed for gossip being passed around concerning what people have done in terms of offense Parkside church rejoices with the truth, and finally will just take one more Parkside church is a protective place to be because love always protects, if you have a King James version it reads love being with all things Philips. Love knows no limit to its endurance. The Greek word is stag. I which actually means to cover as a roof or to bear him Lord as a roof would do different is variously translated to bear patiently or to protect in relationship to itself. Love endures in relationship to others and protect reminders of the words of Solomon Proverbs 10 he says hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all wrong doesn't mean sometimes we will follow follow this to say it's the same as you get the New Testament love covers a multitude of sins are love covers all wrong. They see that in terms of lifting on the corner of the carpet and shaman a bunch of stuff underneath all love covers all wrong. I see you don't talk about it. You don't expose it. You don't deal with it. You don't confess it. You don't ask for forgiveness for because love covers all wrong. There you stick it under the carpet and you just fall the carpet over Internet to do that too many times to little instructional talk, and every church that tries to pull that stunt will eventually fall on its face again does not mean that it doesn't mean that love is in any way dishonest. It doesn't mean that love justifies or conceals sin rather love warns love corrects love exhorts love rebukes, love disciplines, that's what loved ice lime risks, friendships, love puts itself on the lying in order to bear another's burdens in order to protect.

I read the letter this week, written by a young man to his friend and his friend is is is on the very brink of the total destruction of his married the young man wrote to him to say I love you too much to allow you to do this, it would be like sitting on a railway line with a locomotive coming at you and I am prepared to risk your friendship for the sake of seeing your weekly covering up of sin is the exposing of sin and the protection and the bearing someone put it like this. Guard pardons like a mother who kisses the offense into everlasting forgetfulness. Why like go to your mom when your wee boy giving down over at somebody's house and you you you that apple trees for them and I don't mean you pairing them or printing them your rifle them and you have a dreadful guilty conscience to you.

Your stomach is sore because there were lousy apples. In any case, and even riding your bike around and around and around and you can get yourself sorted out at all and you know you've got to speak to somebody and you go to your mother if she is an end and worthy of the name. She's gonna discipline you and confront you and kiss your outer into everlasting forgetfulness. She will not.

The following Monday when you fail to pick up the towels in the bathroom say to you. Either you go leaving the towels in the bathroom you we center the same way you store that slowly apples from Mrs. Robertson's garden. Why won't she do that because love keeps no record of wrongs.

And when I am offended by my brother or my sister and they put in their videotape and drag up the last five deposits made in the ledger to their accountant in terms of the error of my ways. I know they do not love me and when I do I know that I do not love that when we think of covering for sin. What we think we know the Old Testament we think of them actually see where there was a covering for sin. Speaking of the day of atonement symbolized in all of the Old Testament sacrificial system and then expressing manifestly in Calvary and when Jesus died upon the cross. He threw his where the mantle of his forgiveness over all our evil and of all our rebellion. Love always protects, Peter learned that on the Lakeshore and the gracious response of Jesus and every humble, repentant sinner will learn to how protective do you think is Parkside church is a place of love.

How protective are you as a lover you care enough to I care enough to put my life on the line because of the love I have for someone else stories told of a young girl in the time of Cromwell and with this I conclude in the time of Cromwell engaged to be married to a young man she discovered that her fiancé was under the judgment of the Lord protector, namely Cromwell himself and that he was to be executed.

It was for some relatively trivial offense that was some question as to the legitimacy of the offense, but Cromwell, who was a proud man refused to recant refused to commute the sentence despite the protestations of this girl and he announced that the sounding of the curfew bell. The young man would be put to death.

As the evening shadows fell and the man went to ring the bell and pulling on the rope and never ran in the morning pool, the more he was next.

Simply by deadness and no resounding ring recognizing that there was some problem with the mechanism he gave off, attempting to ring the curfew bell and inception up in the house discovered the body of the young girl wrapped around the clapper in the bell and a two-car beaten, bloodied body down from the Bauhaus and Cromwell commuted the sentence a point put it in this way at his feet. She told her story showed her hands all bruised and torn, and her sweet young face still haggard with the anguish and born touched his heart with sudden pity lit his eyes with misty light go your love our lives said, curfew will not rain tonight. I love you with the love the Lord.

I love you with the love of the Lord as I can see in you the glory of my king and I love you with the love. What a powerful story illustrates the protective nature of love.

Today's message on Truth for Life with Alistair Begg. Be sure to keep Liston Hollister will be back in just a minute to close with prayer. Our current study in first Corinthians demonstrates our commitment to teaching the Bible verse by verse the Truth for Life. We trust that as we do this God will work in the lives of all who listen that unbelievers will be converted.

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I will tell you about an opportunity you have to make your next vacation more than just a vacation this summer you're invited to travel with Alister on a seven-day adventure to Alaska on board a Holland America cruise ship. This trip will afford you a view of the Hubbard glacier. As you travel across the deep blue waters of the Northern Pacific will also be studying God's word each day alongside Alister and join in worship with musicians Laura story on Michael O'Brien learn more by visiting deeper faith cruise.com or by calling 855-565-5519. Now here's Alister to close with prayer father make these truths real in our hearts and lives in our homes and our workplaces and in our church. Forgiveness for constantly replaying the video of offenses caused against us bring about the kind of transformation that only you can bring by your spirit and made it plundering of the love of the Lord Jesus Christ draw those of us who do not know him to his feet in repentance and faith in those of us who due to his feet in adoration and praise for we ask in his lovely name on about Lapine join us again Monday as we continue learning about the characteristics of Christian love. The Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life. Learning is for