English
简体中文
Sermon | 1 Corinthians 13:4–8a | 2026 March 29（Pre-release, available for preview）
Title: Sermon | 1 Corinthians 13:4–8a | 2026 March 29
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4–8a (ESV)
Date: 2026 March 29
Speaker: Rev. John Chen
Translated by: Joseph Wang (Yufan)
Theme: By reflecting on the nature of salvation, we live out the life of love of Jesus Christ in the church.
Question: In the church, how do we practice the most excellent way?
Transition: We need to understand the following aspects.
Keyword: Aspects.
Introduction: Today we come to the final sermon in the Church Loving One Another sermon series, and also to its climactic part. Everyone should note that the most famous verses in this passage do not describe the definition of love in the Bible. This is where many people misunderstand the text. Rather, this passage is clarifying what manifestations will appear in the life of a person who has love, and what kind of qualities he will display. Or, from another angle, a person who has these qualities is a person who has love in his heart.
I. Understand Love.
1. Before entering this passage, we must first deal with two common errors people make when approaching it.
The first error is that Christians place themselves in the position of the one to be loved, and then observe whether others love them with the love described in Scripture, and from this produce much resentment and judgment. These people think that they are living in a church without love, and they even deny that the church they are in is a true church. But these practices are very wrong and dangerous. For this is not the original intention of this passage. The passage is meant to “shine light on” oneself, not to “compare” others. This passage requires believers to learn how to love others, rather than to use it to judge whether others are loving them in this way. This is a mistake many Christians make.
The second error is to treat this passage as the definition of love. But in fact, this passage is describing what kind of manifestations a person who has love in his heart will have. Otherwise, we will distort the love revealed in Scripture.
For the love revealed in the whole Bible is a guiding love, not a love that satisfies the other person’s lusts. This point is very important, and we must make it clear. What the world regards as and understands by love is to demand that the other person satisfy one’s own lusts, and to regard that as an expression of loving oneself. But biblical love is absolutely not like this. Jesus Christ became flesh not for the purpose of satisfying our desires, whether bodily or spiritual, but in order to lead us into the kingdom of heaven and to make us full of the likeness of Jesus Christ. This is something of which we must be reminded again and again.
Jesus came neither to reject us nor to satisfy us, but to lead us and to change us. The core of the Christian faith is God-centered, not man-centered. Many Christians do not understand the difference between the two, and as a result they cannot truly obtain growth in spiritual life.
2. After understanding these premises, we must now carefully examine this passage and see how the Apostle Paul teaches that when a person has love in his heart, what manifestations he will have: a person who has love, in the way he treats others, is able to be patient for a long time.
And is kind: this is the love of the strong toward the weak. Such people are always tolerantly waiting for others to grow. Kindness goes a step beyond patience; it is full of grace and mercy.
3. A person who has love, in himself, is manifested in this way: he does not envy others.
He does not magnify his own achievements:
He does not boast in his own achievements or become arrogant because of them:
4. A person who has love actively lives a holy life, and does not do things that make him feel ashamed, embarrassed, or that violate the law.
5. A person who has love seeks only God’s benefit, that is, for the glory of God. This is often manifested in the fact that he is always thinking for the sake of others. For this reason, he would rather suffer wrong himself in order to make things easier for others. So long as God’s name can be exalted, he is willing to let himself be wronged.
6. A person who has love, when facing the errors and sins of others, is not easily angered. But that does not mean that he will never be angry. When facing evil, a person who has love will uphold the truth.
7. A person who has love does not keep a record of others’ evil, or of the harm others have done to him; he delights to forgive the offenses of others.
8. A person who has love does not rejoice in unrighteousness. Because he has love for God in his heart, he will hate an unclean life, and he will stay away from, reject, and rebuke unrighteous things.
9. A person who has love delights in God’s holy word and delights in the truth.
9. A person who has love has a heart of forbearance in all things. He is always mindful of the difficulties of others and is willing to bear with the faults of others.
10. A person who has love believes that God is sovereign over all things, and therefore he is not anxious or restless, but calm and steady.
11. A person who has love has hope in God in all things. He does not lose heart, does not become disappointed, and still less does he despair. He believes that God will surely resolve the present difficulty and lead us into the place of rest.
12. A person who has love is not anxious or restless in all things, but has a patient heart.
13. “Never ends” is a phrase with rich meaning. First, a person who has love has a love in him that will never cease. What flows out from him is love. Second, God’s love toward us also never ceases. Finally, God’s kingdom is a kingdom of love. To enter eternal life is to enter into God’s eternal love. God’s love is forever flowing and will never stop, because God is love.
II. Meditate on Love.
1. Meditate on God’s redemption of the Israelites, and meditate on everything Jesus Christ has done for us. The Lord Jesus became a ransom for us. In all the things mentioned above, God has already done them upon us, and every one of them can be found in the way God has dealt with us.
God was patient for a long time with the Israelites and was kind. God never boasted in His own works. God is not easily angered. God does not count man’s evil. God does not delight in unrighteousness. In all things God bears with us, believes, hopes, and endures.
2. Feel God’s great love upon us. The Lord Jesus is loving us in this very way.
3. Meditate on God’s person and attributes. God is love. To meditate on love is actually to meditate on God. Think on everything of God, and think on everything concerning God. When we find the source of love from God, the love in our hearts will become more and more abundant.
III. Live Out Love.
1. Let the love of Christ reign and rule in yourself. Immerse yourself in the Lord’s love.
2. Live out a heavenly life of love toward the members of the church. When we treat the brothers and sisters around us according to this passage, we are living out the law of love.
This way of love is still this: patient for a long time and kind; not boasting in one’s own ability; living a holy life; not being easily angered; not counting the evil of others; not rejoicing in unrighteousness, but only rejoicing in the truth; bearing all things, believing all things, hoping all things, enduring all things.
This kind of relationship must begin first with the marital relationship, then in the parent-child relationship, then among the brothers and sisters in the church, and then among relatives and friends. As we continue to practice it in these relationships, we become people who live out love.
This kind of love is a new heavenly civilization. When it spreads in the church, it brings a brand-new civilization different from condemnation, judgment, criticism, and accusation. In such a civilization, we grow together and come to know God together.
This certainly does not mean that in such a civilization there is no exhortation and no discipline. Rather, it means that even exhortation and discipline are carried out in love, because their purpose is to build up the other person and to benefit the other person.
3. To obey the law toward God and toward man is to live out a life of love; and the method of living out a life of love is to obey the law.
Conclusion: May God have mercy on us and enable us to live out a life of love.
Questions:
1. What is the definition of love taught in the Bible?
2. How has the Lord Jesus loved us?
3. How do we live out a life of love in the church?
The Most Excellent Way (2) 1 Corinthians 13:4–8 I. Understanding Love This passage is the most famous passage in Christianity. Yet we do not necessarily understand what it is actually saying. Before we enter the text, I have two reminders: The first misconception is that many people use this pa… Read more
The Most Excellent Way (2)
1 Corinthians 13:4–8
I. Understanding Love
This passage is the most famous passage in Christianity. Yet we do not necessarily understand what it is actually saying.
Before we enter the text, I have two reminders:
The first misconception is that many people use this passage to evaluate others — especially in marriage. "The church, my spouse, has not been kind to me; I do not feel love in the church or at home; their spiritual life is lacking." They treat this passage as a standard for demanding and scrutinizing others. But this passage is meant for you to measure yourself.
The second common mistake is that people in the church misunderstand the word "love." Many people take the love that the church speaks of to mean romantic or erotic love. There is an elevator advertisement that goes: "A man says to a woman, 'I don't know what you like, so I bought the whole street for you.'" This is deeply wrong — the idea that a man's love for a woman means buying her whatever she wants. The Christian version of this mistake is the belief that Jesus came to solve our problems and satisfy our needs. But Jesus came to guide you. The love of Christ is a guiding love, and its goal is to guide you into becoming conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.
This passage does not define love. Rather, it describes what someone who has love in their heart will look like. Paul is telling us what qualities will characterize the life of a person who has love.
Love is patient: Love is the attitude of the strong toward the weak — an expression of "I will bear with you." Why does one person need to bear with another? Because the other person may do things that are wrong. A Christian will encounter people who are spiritually immature, weak, and unclear about the truth. In those situations, you are to be patient with them — and to be patient with them for a long time. Every wedding sings this song, "The True Meaning of Love," and what it means is this: we will come to see the weaknesses of the other person, and in those moments, we must be patient with them enduringly.
And love is kind: This is an active giving of grace — a very gentle expression. It is not crossing your arms and saying, "I am tolerating you!" while seething inside. It is actively going to the person and asking what difficulties they are facing. You are to be patient actively, bearing with others as a gift. We often condemn children, but we rarely exercise long-suffering patience toward them. We as pastors must also be enduringly patient with our congregation members. And we must treat all people this way — with the goal of helping them grow.
Does not envy: The previous qualities describe the attitude of the strong toward the weak; this one describes the attitude of the weak toward the strong. Do not look at someone else's gifts, or see that another person's spiritual life is more mature than yours, and feel inferior. Be content with what you have.
Does not boast, is not proud: Some people love to boast — constantly telling others, "I am better than you," always trying to put others down. When we receive certain gifts, we want to show that we are more capable than others, to gain their approval, to seek our own glory. This is the culture of the world, and it is not pleasing to God. The church has many different gifts, and they should be used to serve and complement one another — not to act arrogantly or to lord it over others. Why is there conflict between husbands and wives? Because this point is not being lived out.
Does not behave shamefully: Do not do what violates the law. Therefore, study the law carefully — Westminster Larger Catechism, Questions 90–155.
Does not seek its own: This does not mean seeking only the benefit of others (buying your wife whatever she wants). It means seeking what is for God's benefit. You must deny yourself — but the purpose is not to satisfy others; it is to fulfill God's will and to live out the image of Christ. Of course, self-denial is necessary. Some may ask: "Then why am I even alive? I can't even seek my own benefit." But in truth, God will meet your needs; God will take care of your life — and so faith is essential. When you stop seeking your own benefit, God will look after your benefit. Do not think too much about yourself; God will think of you. The self-centered happiness we seek cannot compare to the happiness God gives us. God can cause you to sleep very little yet feel full of energy; He can cause you to eat only one meal and feel completely satisfied. We may ask: "Are our requests too much?" That is a lie of Satan, because God has already given Jesus Christ, who loves you. A person who has love does not seek their own benefit — they seek God's benefit, and they guide others to know God.
Is not easily angered: A person who has love is not easily angered — but that does not mean they never get angry. A church should rebuke sin: if brothers and sisters are having abortions, arriving late to services, or fighting with their spouses, of course there should be rebuke. But one should not be quick to anger. Jesus desires to guide you, so that your life becomes more and more mature.
Keeps no record of wrongs: Some people are seventy years old and still remember a wound someone gave them at twenty. As I have said before, human memory is damaged — we remember the bad things others have done to us, and forget the good. If someone offends you, let it go quickly. If someone apologizes and confesses to God, forgive them immediately. We are to forgive others their sins, just as Jesus has forgiven ours.
Does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth: Some people who sin and love the world are very enthusiastic about how to make money or how to pass civil service exams, yet treat their faith as something to be believed casually and loosely. It should not be this way. A Christian should have no delight in worldly things or in those who love the world — tolerating them without approving of them — while having a deep interest in the Word of God.
Bears all things: People are like hedgehogs trying to huddle together for warmth, always afraid of pricking one another. The closer two people become, the less they have to say, because familiarity breeds weariness. But a person who has love does not make too much of others' faults. The way we love our children should be to guide them toward correction — not to hold them to the standards of a full-grown adult. A Christian in this world should bear with others and not seek revenge for every small offense.
Believes all things: Your circumstances may feel deeply unfair, but God has arranged them deliberately — to make you more like Jesus. I often counsel the parents of children with depression, and they will ask why their child is doing so poorly, or why they performed so badly on an exam. I ask them to believe that God has placed this child in their life for their own benefit.
Hopes all things: Any teacher will tell you that every child is different. My sister is a teacher — she does not believe in the Lord, yet she says: if a child cannot meet your expectations, you must "wait quietly for the flower to bloom," because every flower has its own season. Your husband may not be what you hoped for, but you must bear with him and receive him, because Jesus is on the throne — and your own life will certainly grow (this is what we ought to hope for). And circumstances, too, will gradually change.
Endures all things: Paul begins with endurance and ends with endurance. He wants to tell you: a person who has love must have endurance.
This is the portrait of a person who has love. We have not lived out this love, and we do not even know what this love is. We often focus on satisfying others or satisfying ourselves, but we never think about satisfying God. When others fail to meet our expectations, we easily become angry — and in doing so, we are in fact playing God. Paul has painted a portrait for us here — a portrait full of love.
Love never fails: On one level, this means love keeps on loving — it is a love that never stops. On another level, it means the love of heaven never fails. Here on earth we have all kinds of differences, and these differences often show up as lack and deficiency. You must learn to bear with one another. In heaven, you will contribute your own gifts and talents, and you will embrace those who are different from you. When a church has this kind of character, it is a church filled with love. Love begins with husband and wife. Love toward your spouse, your children, and your church — applied to every single person.
II. Meditating on Love
Everything described above is completely contrary to our nature. We say: we seek our own benefit. But God is a God full of kindness. The reason God has me here preaching is because of His enduring patience with me. Of all beings in the universe, God has the greatest right to boast — yet Jesus Christ became flesh, came to serve us, washed our feet, and was nailed to the cross for us. The One most qualified to boast chose humility. God could have chosen to be born in a royal palace and to lead a nation on earth. But He hid His glory, lived on earth as an ordinary person, and was put to death. Jesus Christ sought His own benefit not at all. The conduct of the Israelites was outrageous — by the second or third generation they had stopped offering sacrifices, and the Levites were all out of work. The prophets who came to Israel were either beaten to death or sawn in two, yet God was not easily angered, but brought them out of Canaan and brought them back again. Jesus does not readily hold our sins against us. Jesus bears all things with us — if Jesus did not bear with us, the church would cease to exist. Jesus believes all things for us, believing that His love can guide us. Jesus hopes all things for us, hoping that we will follow Him. Jesus' love for us never fails. When the love of Jesus flows within us, we are to put off the old self and follow only the words of Jesus.
Jesus loves us. But what exactly does Jesus affirm in us? At what point does Jesus empathize with us? Jesus gave His life for us — this is absolutely not an approval of our sin. Rather, there is one point at which He empathizes with us: Jesus identifies with our suffering. Jesus does not say that our sin is valid, but He does say that our suffering is real. Our suffering has many causes, all rooted in sin. The way Jesus empathizes with us is this: He acknowledges that our suffering is real, and He comes to lead us out of it.
III. Live Out Love
How then do we empathize with those who are weak? We too must acknowledge that their suffering is real. A child who has poor grades and no love of studying — that is truly not a problem. He may become a good worker; as long as he believes in Jesus, that is enough, for children do not have it easy either. Someone who bought stocks and lost money — we do not affirm the act of buying stocks, but we affirm their pain. Jesus says: your suffering is real; I have endured this suffering too, and so I can take your place. As for those in the church who love the world, we do not judge them too harshly — because without Jesus, loving the world is unavoidable. What it means for Jesus to sympathize with the weak is this: you are in pain because of this sin, and I have gone through that pain as well. I will carry this sin for you — but do not sin any more. Come and follow Me.
There was a pastor who sinned, was disciplined by the church, and eventually left to work as a food delivery driver. Yet even while making deliveries, he continued to sense the presence of God. When it comes to sinners, the first thing to do is to identify with their feelings, to acknowledge their suffering, and to recognize how hard they are striving in their difficulties by their own strength. Some people may truly be overly sensitive — but what they need in that moment is not for you to point out their sin. What they need is to be accepted. The suffering of Jesus being nailed to the cross is our suffering. Jesus suffers with us — and it is precisely this that makes His love a guiding love. When your heart is completely filled with gratitude, completely at peace, you will live out a life of love. This kind of person is called a Christian. This kind of love is a heavenly love. This kind of civilization is a heavenly civilization. We are to enter into the suffering of others and guide them toward a life of holiness. May our church, through these ten sessions of sharing, become people who have love and who live out love.