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Christlike love is truly a unique and distinct thing from how the world speaks of love and understands love. It is more than a feeling, an experience, or a nice, charitable act. It is something that comes from the heart, and only those whose hearts are indwelt by Christ can truly love as Christ does (1 John 4:7-8). There are nice people who do nice things, but, because they do not know Christ, they cannot love as He loved. This is why Christlike love is a distinguishing mark of the believer (John 13:34-35). In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul makes a most significant point that all church activities and ministries are meaningless unless they stem from love (v. 1). In fact, love is so essential to bearing true and lasting spiritual fruit that someone could even suffer martyrdom for the sake of Christ and have it count for nothing if love wasn’t in the heart (v. 3). A person could be so Bible-intelligent that he could share knowledge upon knowledge of spiritual things yet have it accomplish nothing of eternal value because of a lack of love for those whom he taught (v. 2). A person could be so charitable and philanthropic and give all of her possessions to the poor, yet it wouldn’t amount to anything eternally worthwhile if it does not come from true Christlike love (v. 3). The message is clear that, without love, we are wasting our time, like a noisy gong or clanging symbol. Some people make a lot of noise doing good things, but without Christ and without the gospel, love cannot be present. And without love, there can be no eternal profit. If we want to be sure that we are storing up treasure in heaven, we need to be sure that we are motivated and driven not by results or appearances but by love.

The Bible doesn’t leave us with a confusing, transient understanding of love, but one that is clearly and authoritatively defined in God’s Word. Paul speaks at length in this very passage about the definition of love. 1 Corinthians 13:4 says, “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant…” Love is patient, requiring that we bear with the struggles and needs of others without becoming angry at them. It is not just doing something nice until we get sick and tired of those in need. Love must continue even when we don’t feel like it or believe that others appreciate it. Love isn’t conditional upon others changing, but it unconditionally loves them as they are, praying, hoping, and exhorting them to change. Love is kind, requiring that we value the interests of others ahead of our own and that we are eager and ready to forgive (Ephesians 4:32). This goes beyond just being nice, civilized, and humane. It means that we actually care about other people. Some people have great people skills, great manners, and a keen ability to appear kind, yet it is what is in the heart that counts. Love is not jealous in that it does not envy what others might have or be. Love can truly be happy when others are happy, and it treats both rich and poor with the same kindness and care. In other words, it is impossible to envy others and to love them at the same time. In order to love, we must be filled with joy from Christ and content in what He has given us. Then, love can overflow to others, regardless of how much or how little they might have. Love is not into ranking and comparing but simply into caring about a person’s heart. Love does not boast since it is impossible to love and to still be fixated upon self. Love is not concerned with image, with how we might appear, or with what others might think. It simply cares about the other person as Christ would, thinking of their well-being, their needs, their dignity, and their eternity. Love cannot be arrogant because arrogance requires a glorying in self and a focus upon one’s natural gifting and talent. Love realizes that eternal things can only be accomplished by Jesus, and it defers the glory to Him. Pride snuffs out love immediately and potently.

Paul continues in verses 5-7, saying, “[Love] does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” To love in a becoming manner is to treat others in a way that characterizes a child of God. How Christ would treat others is how those who possess His love are to treat others. Love does not seek its own agenda or selfish ambition, but it is looking to God for direction and viewing the well-being of others as a more important ambition than that pertaining to self. Love is not provoked, refusing to throw gasoline on the fire of somebody else’s aggression, mockery, or insult. It responds with a gentle answer to turn away wrath rather than stirring up the person’s anger even more (Proverbs 15:1). Love is quick to forgive and forget, not holding grudges or being quick to remind people of their past failures and offenses. Love does not revile in return when it is reviled (1 Peter 2:23). Love takes no joy in unrighteousness, abhoring evil and the ways of the world. Sin grieves those who are controlled by love. Love takes its joy in the truth and in the advancement of the principles of the kingdom. It rejoices to see a person come to faith in Christ, and it is glad when relationships are restored and conflict is resolved. Love enjoys seeing the truth set people free (John 8:31-32). Love bears all things, not taking the insults and insensitivities of others personally but rather choosing to pray for others’ spiritual well-being. Vengeance is left to God as it should be (Romans 12:19). Loves believes all things, putting the utmost confidence in the Word of God and His eternal truths, holding to them in fervent faith. Love separated from truth is not love at all and certainly not a love that has hope or endurance. Love hopes all things, continually looking forward to the coming of Christ and keeping on believing that God is still at work, able and willing to do great things in life while on earth. It doesn’t give up on people or lose faith, but it keeps hoping to see the power of God at work. Love endures all things. When things are rough and persecution comes, love endures. It does not revile at the persecutors when ill treatment comes, but it trusts that God is in control and that there is blessing in suffering for righteousness’ sake (Matthew 5:10). Love does not give up hope during the trials of life, and neither does it give up on others during their trials. Love is a lifelong calling.

The beautiful thing about Christlike love is that it never fails (v. 8). It can seem as though our care, kindness, and sacrifice for others can go unnoticed and without effect. But such is the nature of love; it is not done to be noticed or because of visible results. We love trusting God that everything done out of love never fails. God is always at work. Even if those whom we love never change, we will have been changed, and we will have been used of God to glorify His name simply because we did as He commanded us by choosing to love. Nobody can ever make us stop loving them, and in that sense as well, love cannot ever fail.

Paul says that faith, hope, and love are central to being disciples of Christ, but love is the greatest of all (v. 13). What Christianity is all about is being like Christ and keeping His commands. Romans 13:10 says, “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” Christlike love is perfect love, love that does a person no wrong and that always and only brings glory to Christ and never to self. It is free, it is unconditional, it is sacrificial, and it is unchangeable. This kind of love the world cannot and does not know, and it is what is to set believers apart so that we can help others know about this great love also.

None of us love perfectly, but we ought to let Christ continue to perfect His love in our hearts as He better enables us to love others. Perhaps we might read 1 Corinthians 13 while substituting our name in for the word “love.” This will be a highly convicting little exercise so that we can see if we are truly loving as Christ would have us. Where we come up short, we need to confess it and ask Christ to increase our love. He will do it.

"'Christ in You...'" from Dale Krebbs

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