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Love Does Not Envy or Boast

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I am on vacation for the rest of the month and therefore away from blogging. In effort to continue to provide some content I have asked the other elders at Emmaus Bible Church if I could post the notes from our weekly confession of sin on Sunday morning. It is always a rich time together as we prepare our hearts for worship by considering what God requires and what Christ has done. In these posts I will post the material from 1 Cor 13 reminds us of what the Bible says about love. It is teaching us about where we need to repent even as it teaches us how we must treasure Christ. Each day will unpack a section of the passage. May these serve you just as they served us at Emmaus!


 

“Love does not envy or boast” (1 Cor. 13:4b)

There are certain positive characteristics of what love is. Paul now list several characteristics of what love is not. The indicative active verbs tell us that love does not in fact habitually behave in these ways. These following things dare not be an ongoing pattern of our behavior. Love does not envy; love does not boast.

Love does not envy

Love finds contentment in whatever state it finds itself; therefore to envy or be jealous of another is to declare discontentment with who you are or what you have. That basically is saying, God you have made a terrible mistake; your providence has not been kind to me. Therefore, I will be jealous of others. In the case of the Corinthians, they were jealous of those in the congregation who had gifts they lacked.

Envy can easily apply to anything – good looks, status in life, musical talent, someone’s spouse and just about anything that you think you have been short changed by God. But further, this word envy, can lead to a deep longing to the betterment of oneself while also be willing to harm the person you envy. For example, make yourself look good by tearing down the reputation of the person you envy. Love does not envy.

But notice, the other side of envy.

Love does not boast

Rather than be jealous about others, just brag about yourself. This is the only occurrence of this word which means to be a braggart or a windbag. It is an inordinate desire for drawing attention to or having an overestimation of oneself, your group, your leader, etc. It is one thing to invite others to rejoice in your accomplishments; your gifts, etc.; it is quite another to go fishing for the praise, the admiration or the applause of men. Love relies on God’s way, as Proverbs 27:2 says, Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

The Corinthians were vaunting the showy gifts. “I speak in tongues.” But some also boasted in their party leader, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter.” Or, “I follow Christ,” as though they were the real deal compared to the other brothers and sisters. Even further, there were others while boasting in themselves were aiming their claims against Paul – we have more wisdom, more knowledge and we are more spiritual. Unfortunately what often happens with this kind of boasting is also the desire to win others to our side. That is why there were divisions in the church at Corinth.  However we may boast, if in anything or anyone other that the Lord, it is not love.  Any attempt to make ourselves or our group look good is in fact diminishing the worth of others that aren’t like us.

In the final analysis, as Paul told the Corinthians, Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. Then he goes on to say, For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. Love does not envy; love does not boast.

Prayer of Confession:

Dear Lord, you know us so well. We are so prone to love ourselves more than we love others. We confess that shows when we are jealous of others and when we brag about ourselves. Forgive us Lord, because at the root of these sins is really tearing others down while making ourselves look good. Remind us that there is none good, no not one. And apart from your grace we are nothing. Teach us to be jealous for your glory and to boast in none other than the Lord Jesus Christ as we pray in his glorious name. Amen!

Assurance of Pardon:  

“And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 1:30-31)

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