Love does not delight in evil

If I speak in the tongues Or languages of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ²If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.⁸Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹²For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.¹³And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13, NIV

Dear Christian,

It took 11 posts about love, but I’m finally going to do it. 

*sing* 

What is love? 

Baby don’t hurt me, 

don’t hurt me,

no more 

*end song*

I want to start unpacking this by looking at a couple other scriptures. All quoted in ASV.

Psalm 5:4 “For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness:

Evil shall not sojourn with thee.” 

1John 4:8 “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

Psalm 51:6 “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; And in the hidden part thou wilt make me to know wisdom.”

In other words, God does not ignore our sin just because He loves us. 

In researching this topic, I found the following quote which perfectly summarizes this idea:

“True love rejoices in what is right and good. Anything that covers up sin or seeks to justify wrongdoing is the polar opposite of godly love. Love does not sweep sin under the rug. Love does not try to find ways to get away with bad behavior, and it does not put up with injustice. Instead, it treasures truth, celebrates good behavior, and promotes virtue. True love has nothing to hide.” ₁

How does love not delighting in evil play out for you in your life?

Love,
Ashley

References:

[1] “Love Does Not Delight Evil” GotQuestions.org.