"Everything is possible for him who believes."Mark 9:23
I Cor. 13:7 tells us that love "...always trusts..."(NIV) "...believeth all things..."(KJV). Matthew Henry says of this characteristic of love given by Paul that "...it is apt to believe well of all..." "...to believe well when there may be some dark appearances..." "...it will...believe well...as far as it can with any reason..." "...it...will stretch its faith beyond appearances for the support of a kind opinion...".
It is obvious that love is not blind to evil and there are those who are blatantly uncaring and practice evil continually and persistently. But there are wrongs which are repented of daily and care and concern about them is continual.
If I Cor. 13 is taken in context I believe this is what Paul was speaking of. Paul was speaking to the church of Christ at Corinth and he was saying that brothers should love one another enough to believe well of one another despite their obvious faults. Unity can thrive in such an atmosphere. When the various parts of the church body look upon one another that way then there will be peace and real fellowship. A church where faults are emphasized and the worst is thought of others will not have unity and further will not thrive and will be nothing more than a mere social club and not the true body of Christ.
The Greek word for believe here is pisteuei. Antonyms mean "to doubt" "disbelieve".(Zodhiates) Diakrinomai is listed as an antonym of pisteuei. It means: "to make a distinction," "doubt." James, the brother of Christ, uses this word in James 2 in the context of showing favoritism. He shamed his readers, telling them: "...have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts..."(Ja. 2:4)(NIV) So often, in some circles, the latter part of James 2 is quoted. James 2:26 says "...faith without works is dead."(NIV) Sadly it is so true that there are those who never conceive of the fact that being free from discrimanation, favoritism, partiality, judging, blaspheming might possibly be a Christian work of love or a "...labor prompted by love..."(I Thess. 1:3)(NIV)
The church was begun out of a heart of love for all men.(Jn. 3:16) It is distinguished by its love.(Col. 1:4,5) The concept of brotherhood cannot be possible without love.(I Jn. 4:14-16)(I Jn. 4:7-8)(I Jn. 4:20)(I Jn. 4:21)(I Jn. 4:11-12)
Paul informs us that the church of God treats brethren with great respect by believing good about them.
How then do I treat my brethren. More importantly to me should be how does Christ treat them and me. When there just seems nothing more about my brother to believe in; when he has just about done it all; when his life seems to be an utter failure, when he is spiritually broken; when he has violated me and others so hastily, so uncaringly, so obviously selfishly how will I treat him. When it seems that there is nothing he can "do" to gain my favor what will I think of him? Will he have any worth, any value? When he is in the miry clay, the valley of the shadow what will I believe about him? Love teaches me a lovely lesson about a broken man. It "...believeth all things..."
Thank you Lord for not giving up on me. Thank you Lord for your grace, your mercy, your love. When I was unlovable you loved me. You gave me a second chance. Indeed you are a God of second chances. How wonderful you are and worthy to be praised. You had the right to destroy me. You didn't. You came down to me. You cared about me. You somehow saw some value in me even though I failed you in so many ways.
Now how will I treat my brother?
2 comments:
AMEN, and I say it again, amen. We all wear the next to last paragraph of this post and it is a reversible garment. Truly, one we must continuly turn in-side-out. What will our brother do with us when we are..basicly all those things. More mercifully than we might treat him/her, we would hope, huh? When we take our eyes off of ourselves and our self-imposed prison of rules and let Jesus be in control, we can do only one thing, "turst and believe" The Lord IS able.
Oh Wayne..."how should I treat my brother" thing.... guess God knew I needed to hear that! He's actually been trying to tell me this all week. Through you, I finally heard Him loud and clear. Thanks! I love you!
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