1 Corinthians 13:8a Love never fails; NASB

Yesterday I left of with the impression that liberty is given to love freely. Here in today’s verse I would like to explore the undying attributes of love as Paul expressed to us how love acts.

I have had some believers express to me that the attribute of forgiveness was not listed in the acts of love in 1 Corinthians 13. While the word forgiveness was not specifically listed, let me ask you how could forgiveness no be a part of some of those attributes listed?

Can verse 4 attributes; is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, exist if you cannot forgive? What of verse 7 attributes, bears all things and endures all things. Can they exist without forgiveness?

Matthew 18:21-22  Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Isn’t the fact that Jesus asks us to forgive enough justification to forgive? One of the largest abuses I see of scriptures is the cherry picking of scriptures to rationalize our sinful behavior. We do not want to let go of the bonds we are comfortable with, yet chains they are and our liberty to love is hindered.

Another attitude hindering the liberty to love is the attitude; “I have the authority.”

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

You may not see forgiveness in this verse, but it is there along with many other things that hold you captive. He has come to set you free, to have liberty, to love freely. So often we think of liberty as being set free to do what we want. What we are set free from are entanglements that keep us from sharing the love which resides in us, Christ.

There is an ivy that grows at my door. It has these thorns that hurt if I try to pull out this covering that chokes off any good growth which I have planted. I have to protect my hands as I pull it out. Unforgiveness is exactly like that choking ivy, painful to remove but necessary for growth.

What holds you back from sharing the love of God with anyone who has wounded you? Unforgiveness.

Luke 11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

Lord deliver us from unforgiveness, set us at liberty to love.