Love Rejoices in the Truth

Love..."does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth," 1 Corinthians 13:6.

Iniquity is an interesting word and deserves our careful consideration. It conveys an absence of moral or spiritual values which results in an unjust act. Other synonyms for the word are injustice, unrighteousness, and wrong. Love finds no satisfaction in this bahavior - whether in our own lives or in the lives of others. The Word of God instructs us to flee from it. "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity," 2 Timothy 2:19.

Truth, on the other hand, is what is really going on inside despite the outward appearance. Love motivates us to search out the heart of a matter.

"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come," John 16:13.

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free," John 8:32.

All of us behave according to what is in our hearts. Do we harbor guilt, bitterness, or immorality? We must be vigilant to ask the Lord to reveal the iniquity in our hearts that we might be set free from this bondage. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness," 1 John 1:9.

When we have been set free, we can look at others through the eyes of genuine love which is exactly the way Jesus sees. He doesn't expect us to pretend we do not see, or to turn away from a person. However, the Lord does ask us to look with an unbiased mind and humble heart. We must receive God's grace to use the self-restraint which refuses our focusing on the weaknesses of others.

This kind of response to another's unrighteous behavior is genuine love in action. So we learn that truth without genuine love is iniquity.

Love, Karen