Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Sabbath, January 23, 2016

This Week’s Devotional Focus is, “Love.”

“Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;” (1 Corinthians 13:5).

As we begin our morning’s devotional concerning love, please consider the following excerpts:

“… thinketh no evil;” (1 Corinthians 13:5)

“…It does not keep a record of wrongs,” (1 Corinthians 13:5, LEB)

“Thinketh no evil. Literally, “does not reckon the evil.” The Greek here conveys the idea of not taking into account the wrong that has been done; not reckoning, imputing, or charging the wrong to any man’s account. This is another beautiful, Christlike attribute of love. It shows that love puts the best possible construction on the behavior of others.” ¹

I remember the time many years ago when a craze hit the Christian world as we sought to be aligned with Christ—What Would Jesus Do (WWJD)? People wore WWJD bracelets, headbands, clothing, etc., to direct focus to Jesus’ approach to life. In consideration of our text, I ask, “What did Jesus do?”

You may recall the scene: Jesus, having been shuttled about from mock trial-to-mock trial, was badly beaten, bruised, disrespected, maligned, spat upon, hanged on the cross, stabbed, and unloved. And as He accepted His mission to become sin for us, so we could be saved, feeling the excruciating separation from His Father, Divine Love said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots” (Luke 23:34). I am arrested by the thought, even as I type, that He would endure all that He did at the hands of cruel human beings He came only to love, and would continue to advocate forgiveness. But, I guess that was the point of His mission. His purpose for condescending to humanity, was to reveal the Father’s love, live a submitted life among us, and purchase our pardon with His life. He did just that to the very bitter end. Thank God!

Knowing this, now gives context to our text of consideration. The One who has a faithful record of all wrongs ever committed in our flesh and in our minds, has modeled what it is to expunge the record. We do not have the time or space in this particular lesson to expound His method of forgiveness and cleansing, but the bottom line is that His will is to keep no record of wrong when we cooperate with Him. As such, when His disciple questioned Him regarding the number of times we should forgive our brothers and sisters, whether it should be seven times, “Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22). Here is an interesting quote: "But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6:15). Nothing can justify an unforgiving spirit. He who is unmerciful toward others shows that he himself is not a partaker of God’s pardoning grace. In God’s forgiveness the heart of the erring one is drawn close to the great heart of Infinite Love. The tide of divine compassion flows into the sinner’s soul, and from him to the souls of others. The tenderness and mercy that Christ has revealed in His own precious life will be seen in those who become sharers of His grace." ²

Love, godly love seeks not to give a strict account of one another’s sins. Rather, it searches feverishly for opportunities to forgive, no matter the circumstances. Is this easy? Well, for whom? Every high and holy principle to be enacted in our lives can only be accomplished in the strength of the One who created the worlds. If God can create the worlds with the spirit of His mouth, He can certainly instill a forgiving spirit in those who will submit to Him. —L. David Harris (www.DavidWritesaLot.com)

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¹ Nichol, F. D. (Ed.). (1980). The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (Vol. 6, p. 782). Review and Herald Publishing Association.

² White, E. G. (1900)....