Love Is Not Easily Offended: Slow to Anger

When we offended, he took the strikes. When we offended, he hung. When we offended, he had the crown of thorns pressed upon his head. When we offended, he had the the nails driven into his hand. When we offended, he died. And I think if anything, that teaches us that at best. When Paul says as much as it depends on you, live at peace with all men. That as much as it depends on me, I'd be willing to die for the sake of unity. [01:23:09] (32 seconds)  #SacrificialUnity

But when you keep a record of wrong, you start viewing everything they do through everything they've done. And do you really want the lord to do us like that? Do you want the lord to view you everything you do now through everything you've done in the past? Husbands and wives, do you want your spouse to view you for the things you do now through the lens of everything you've done in the past as you was as you was growing to be a great spouse? Church members, do you want people viewing you for the things you do now through everything you've done in the past when you just came into the church and started walking your faith out with the lord? [01:18:52] (37 seconds)  #LetGoRecordsOfWrong

And when you get so mad that you let offense cause you to give a consequence when you need the spirit to be able to to to give you strength to be used in that moment in their journey, then some then you instead of building somebody up through their their their mess ups, you cut them off, and they never get that encouragement that you might have. They never get that lesson that you might be able to teach them. Love builds up. It doesn't destroy. It doesn't tear down. And when we cut people off over offenses, we are tearing them down. Why? Because if everybody cuts everybody off, who's going to build them up? [01:00:33] (38 seconds)  #BuildDontCutOff

And this is why we gotta let the spirit of god be the thing that leads us, not our offenses, because what does Romans five five say? And the hope does not disappoint because the love of god, his agape love, has been poured out within our hearts through the holy spirit who was given to us. So if we are Christians, then we have the ability to love like this because god's love like this has been poured out into us. And so the question is, will we scoff and be in our flesh, or will we surrender to the spirit of god and not be provoked to be easily offended? This is what God did, and this is all he's calling us to do is love them like I loved you. [01:20:03] (35 seconds)  #LedByTheSpirit

But even deeper than that, as we go through life and suffer and persecution and trials and things don't always work out the way that we want him to work out, this idea of his love becomes a foundational characteristic trait that we must always hold on to. In the midst of things not going well, he loves me. In the midst of suffering, he loves me. In the midst of others not loving me, he loves me. [00:21:26] (25 seconds)  #UnchangingLoveInTrials

And that is what Paul is telling us. Love is not quick to anger. Love is not quick to respond in the emotion that it feels in that moment. When it feel when offense take place, love does not immediately be like, oh, I'm, oh, I'm offended. Whatever come to me right now, that's what I'm giving you. No. Love takes a step back. It slows down. It's compassionate. It's merciful. Remember remember remember how we started the series. Right? And and verse four, love is patient and kind. And remember, we explained what that patience and kind is. It doesn't give what is deserving, but instead, it gives it is merciful and gives what is not. [00:54:11] (35 seconds)  #PatientKindLove

addressing an offense in love begins with ensuring that the heart is set on keeping unity, not destroying it. Let me explain that to you. Before you go to address an offense, make sure that your heart is set on keeping unity, not destroying it. Meaning, if you're going to address that offense and you got no desire in your heart to actually reconcile this thing to the glory of God, pause on addressing it. Because the goal of the addressing is not to escalate the problem, it's to bring resolution to the problem. [01:11:36] (28 seconds)  #AddressOffenseForUnity

Okay. So maybe you're saying I am. Okay. Well, in the same way I can't be irritated and angry with the sin in the world and then sit at home and not go out there and proclaim the gospel, I also can't say I'm frustrated and mad and irritated with the sin within and not lean into a deeper surrender and obedience. Unwilling to put up every necessary boundary. Unwilling to go get accountability and confession. Right? If I am really irritated and angry, then I should also be motivated to go to somebody and say, I need accountability. I need boundaries. I I I I need to learn how to do a greater surrender and dying to myself in this thing. [00:44:29] (37 seconds)  #AccountabilityNotComplacency