How to Do 1 Corinthians 13 Love, Part 2

David W Palmer

(1 Corinthians 13:4–7 TLB) “Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, {5} never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. {6} It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. {7} If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him.”

We are looking, not only at the Holy Spirit’s description of the Love God has and expects us to practice, but we are also investigating how to actually do it. Yesterday, in Romans 7 we discovered that the apostle Paul described his original dilemma; he wanted to do as God expected, but he found that his sinful flesh kept overpowering his wilfulness to live right. This led to debilitating frustration and overwhelming condemnation. We can all identify with this. 

(Romans 8:1–2 NKJV) “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. {2} For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”

Thankfully, God revealed to Paul how to overcome his failure and condemnation by bypassing the powerlessness of his own will and volition alone. The solution is revealed in Romans 8. The Holy Spirit begins by saying that the condemnation Paul suffered in the life he describes in Rom. 7 doesn’t affect those who walk in the spirit. Then in Rom. 8:2 (above), he says that this works by a law. In other words, God is revealing something to us that can work the same way without fail every time we operate in it positively. He calls it “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” He promises that if we put it into practice, it will eclipse the law of sin and death—which leads to debilitating condemnation and crushing frustration.

The Holy Spirit then explained this master law and showed us how to use it to obey God’s will for our lives. Let’s look through Rom. 8 verse by verse to see what he highlights:

(Romans 8:4–5 Aramaic) “That the Righteousness of The Law might be fulfilled in us; we who are not walking in the flesh, but rather, in The Rukh {The Spirit}. {5} For, those who are in the flesh are mindful of the flesh, and those who are of The Rukh {The Spirit}, are mindful of The Rukh {The Spirit}.”

• This passage repeats a key from verse 1: “walking … in the Spirit.”

• “Set their minds on … the things of the Spirit” (NKJV).

Let’s now jump to verse 9 onwards to see what is highlighted about walking in the spirit and operating the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus:

(Romans 8:9 NKJV) “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”

• “The Spirit of God dwells in you.”

(Romans 8:10 NKJV) “And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”

• If you have received the Lord Jesus Christ and his Holy Spirit, you have life—via your spirit (See: 1 John 5:12).

(Romans 8:11 NKJV) “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

• The Holy Spirit in you will give life to your body; in other words, he will overwhelm the law of sin and “death” that previously reigned in your flesh.

(Romans 8:12–13 NKJV) “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. {13} For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

Because of Jesus and the new birth he gives us, we owe the flesh nothing—no allegiance, no su