Lesson 65

Study of First Peter Chapter 4

 

 

  Love is not Arrogant

- arrogant = fusio,w  to be puffed up; therefore to be arrogant; it indicates that one has an inflated view one's self.

- Both characteristics, bragging and being arrogant; demonstrate that the individual does not view himself as a product of grace.

 

- In 4:6 it manifested itself in schisms, contention.

As an Apostle, Paul represented Christ and His word and the pride or arrogance that manifested itself in rejecting him was also rejecting the Word.  (4:18,19)

 

- In Col 2:18 he warns the Colossians against becoming arrogant, inflated, and links it to its source, a fleshly mind.  Sin nature ruling the soul.

 

 

2. Love's Conduct  13:5-6

 a. Five negative Qualities of Love's Behavior 

 

vs:5  #1   Love does not act unbecomingly

 

- unbecomingly;  ouvk  avschmone,w; basic idea is to act in such a way as to embarrass someone.

- to be rude, unmannerly, or without tact in our dealing with others

 

- In 1 Cor 13 there are many conditions that are today traced to many and varied psychological causes;  Paul traces them to the absence of love.

 

#2  Love Does Not Seek its Own   (add a blank - own what?)

 

- Is there anything that is more normal or natural than to seek ones own benefit or advantage??

 

- What Paul is saying is not that we don't look out for ourselves but that the balance is in the direction of others not in the direction of ourselves. Phil 2:3-4

 

#3 Love is not Provoked

- this is an attitude that is formed by a reaction; does not occur in a vacuum; for it to be present it takes something to trigger it.

- it means we do not let wrongs embitter us.

 

- The elements for this being provoked, the outburst; common sequence

1.  to be the object of an injustice  (real or imagined)

2.  plus your volition responding to the injustice.

3.  the result is the outburst of emotion.

 

 

- This word is one also that is used in a good sense.  There are times when we ought as thinking Christians to be provoked in a positive way, provoked to righteous indignation.

Acts 17:16  gave his great sermon on Mars Hill.

 

#4  Does not take into account a wrong suffered

 

- The word for wrong suffered, to. kako,n( the evil, indicates a specific definable act or event is in mind.

- Paul says;  Love does not keep a mental notebook of wrongs for which future use or retaliation is planned.

 

 

- Love Paul is saying here, also keeps no ledger entries of wrongs, real or imagined, because love has no place for resentment, no place for grudges.

 

 

- If God so completely and permanently erases the record of our many sins against Him,  how much more should we forgive and forget the much lesser wrongs done against us?     Eph 4:32

 

 

13:6 #5 Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness

- Love does not rejoice over the unrighteousness. th/| avdiki,a|

 

- Sin is an affront to God and if we somehow are rejoicing  or taking pleasure in the fact that someone has sinned and is paying the consequences for that sin; what we are doing is delighting in that which offends and grieves our heavenly Father.

 

- If we enjoy sin either directly or vicariously through seeing others sin, we are proving our lack of love for God at that point.

 

 

b. The Major Quality of Love's Behavior

- After giving us 5 negative qualities of Love's behavior, he now shifts to a positive, major positive quality.

 

 

but love rejoices with the truth.

 

- Some observations:

1.  We see here the relationship of love to truth.

 

 

2. Love does not avoid truth. 

 

 

3. Love also does not compromise truth. (sentimentality does)

 

 

4. Is truth an intellectual issue or a moral issue?

 

 

- The truth w/def article, refers to doctrine, but not just facts but doctrine believed and being applied; having the trust, the confidence in God's word that we choose to use it in our life daily.

 

*****  Observation that is absolutely contrary to way we think today.

In the Bible no one is wise, has wisdom who is not also good.

 

You cannot get intellectually smart enough to overcome the need for morality, that is doing what is right according to the standard of the Word of God.

 

      

The amount of education doesn't have anything to do with moral character.

More probable, it will make you sharper, giving you a greater capacity to be immoral. A more sophisticated sinner.

 

Scripture makes it clear the good man; is the smart man;  the bad man cannot get smart enough, gain enough wisdom to extricate himself from his badness, just because he is intellectually smart.

 

Look at Jas 3:14  (jealousy, selfish ambition = sin against the truth.)

Truth then is not just an intellectual matter but is a moral matter.