Love Is...Faithful

Love Is…Faithful

Pastor Russell Henderson

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, NIV.

Love always trusts. The King James Version says “Love believes all things”, and the New Living Translations says “love never loses faith”.  Considering these statements of faith, how does it apply to love?

In this article I want to look at this concept that love never loses faith.  When a commitment is made to love, it is much more than just to love.  It is a commitment to be patient, it is a commitment to love in even the hardest of circumstances, and it is a commitment to keep faith even when it seems there is no hope.

Has someone hurt you beyond repair?  Have you prayed for an individual (maybe even for years), and it seems they are never going to see the light?  Remember, love never loses faith.

Notice what Hebrews 11:1 says about faith.

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. - Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)

The Greek word used for “faith” in 1 Corinthians 13:7 is pisteuō, and in Hebrews 11:1 the Greek word is pistis.    Both of these words come from the root peithō, which means to be persuaded or to have confidence.  One who has faith is confident that he will see what he has been believing for.  He is persuaded that what he believes for will come to pass.  It may not be today or tomorrow, but it will come to pass.

James tells us that those who waiver in their faith should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  That is a very harsh statement, but God takes faith and belief very seriously.  It was the faith of Abraham that caused him to appear righteous in the eyes of God.  It was his faith that allowed him to be called a “friend of God”.  Noah’s faith caused him to be called an “heir of righteousness”.  Hebrews 11:6 says that faith is the key ingredient in pleasing the Lord.  More than any of our good works and more than any of our fancy words, faith pleases God.

If you find your faith wavering, then you just might not have the love of God operating fully in your life.  If you find yourself giving up after months or years of prayer, you need to give yourself a “love” check.  The word tells us that those who are full of love will never give up.  They will never quit when the going gets rough.  Those who are full of love will only love like the Father loves.  The Father’s love never gives up and never fails.  The Father’s love never ceases; His mercies towards his creation are new every morning.

1 John 3:23 gives us a two-part command:  (1)believe in the name of Jesus and (2) love one another.  You cannot have love without belief in Jesus, and you cannot believe without loving.  Numerous times throughout the book of 1 John the terms “love” and “believe” are used together.  When you are full of the love of God you will not only be trustworthy to others, but you will also have strength to stand and belief for others.