God Forgot

"Love is patient. Love is kind." You don't even have to be a biblical scholar to be familiar with the description in 1 Corinthians 13, of all the things love is. Chances are, if you've attended a wedding, pretty much ever, you've heard these words. "It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. (vs.4)" But did you know love is also forgetful?

True story. Listen to verse 5: "It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."

If there's a better description of forgiveness, I don't know what it is. It's not a mere matter of accepting an apology. Love eliminates the wrongdoing from the dynamic of the relationship.  

Now, we know from 1 John 4:8 that God, Himself, is Love. It's not just that he loves us, it's that Love is who He is. It's his very essence and nature. This means that, when we read 1 Corinthians 13 -- the Love Chapter -- what we're really getting is a crash course in the personhood of our Heavenly Father. God is patient and kind. And God keeps no record of wrongs. 

This means that, once we recognize the sin in our lives, recognize God for who He is, accept our blame for what we've done and the Grace of Christ who died as a final sacrifice, we are reconciled with God, and our past is gone. In our humanity, to be sure, we still deal with the consequences of what we've done... but as far as our relationship with God is concerned, our past sin is simply no longer a part of the equation. 

Now here's a mystery: we know from Scripture that God is omniscient -- that is, all-knowing. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 10 and Luke 12 that even the hairs on our heads are numbered. Yet, He does not remember our sin. How is this possible? How is it possible that a God who knows everything has separated us from our misdeeds "as far as the east is from the west (Ps 103:12)," and remembers them no more (Isaiah 43:25)? 

Put simply: Because, by the blood of Jesus Christ, and the grace of the Almighty, those sins no longer exist.

Irrational, Transcendental, Unending

March 14 is Pi Day! It is on 3/14 (or 3.14) that we celebrate the number which makes possible the calculation of a circle's radius based upon the diameter. Mathematically, pi has three characteristics which can help remind us of something even greater: the love of God.

Pi is a transcendental number: in simplest terms, it can't be constructed using a compass or a straightedge, or expressed using any combination of rational numbers or square roots (thanks, Wikipedia for the description). It transcends algebraic expression.

I've always liked the word "transcend." It means to surpass or to exist beyond natural or common experience. Jesus expresses the transcendence of God's love often, comparing it to what we know: the love earthly parents have for their own children.

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:11-13)

You know how much you love your child, Jesus tells us. God loves you that much, and more!

Pi is also described as an "irrational" number, meaning we can't write it out as a common fraction. In other words, it is indescribable in the simple arithmetical terms of a ratio of two integers. It is irrational because it defies the definition of a "rational" number.

Scripture tells us God also defies what man considers "rational."

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
    the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. (1 Corinthians 1:18-21)

Romans 5:8 tells us God demonstrated His love for us in that "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." The Message puts it this way: "while we were of no use whatever to him." Objectivist Ayn Rand would suggest this is the very definition of irrational. And yet, so great is God's love for us, it is beyond our understanding, and beyond our earthly wisdom. God's love is beyond our very comprehension. 

Because Pi is irrational -- that is, it can't be expressed as a simple fraction -- it is also unending. To date, mathematicians have calculated Pi to more than 10 trillion decimal places -- and it's still going.

1 John 4:8 tells us God is Love. Scripture also tells us God is eternal, and grants eternal life to those who believe.

Think of it! If God is love, and God is eternal, that means this God, who irrationally sent his son to die while we were still in our sin -- a sacrifice to cover our own mistakes -- whose love transcends even the greatest and most powerful love we can know in this world, loves you eternally!

What's This Love Stuff All About, Anyway?

Today is Valentine's Day, and it seems like the obvious thing to do would be to take a look at what God says about love. So, never one to ignore the obvious, I'm going to do just that. But before looking at 1 Corinthians 13 -- the famous "love chapter" of the Bible, I want to look at what kind of love is being described here. This chapter, particularly verses 4-8, are often used at weddings -- as they ought to be. But the love described isn't merely a romantic love. Rather, it is love in its purest form: the love God has for His children, and the love we must have for one another. It's easy to be patient and kind when it comes to your spouse (though, admit it, some days are easier than others). But this ideal love extends to everybody when we do as Christ commanded and love our neighbors as ourselves.

So what is love? Paul begins his description in verse 4.

^"Love is patient." Patience is a quality of "quietly and steadily persevering," says the dictionary. Endurance of hardship, provocation, or annoyance. Diligence. 

"Love is kind." That is, generous and good. Affectionate, altruistic, and sympathetic. 

"It does not envy." Indeed love is the quality which allows us to sacrifice for the good of others; to rejoice in their successes and good fortunes, and to wish for them only the best -- even when it means we go without. 

"It does not boast, it is not proud." It doesn't delight in the suffering of others. This is the flip side of not being envious. Love means, when we are blessed, it is our desire to share that blessing, rather than brag about it.

"It does not dishonor others." Love means we won't elevate ourselves at the expense of others, whether in words, or in deeds. "It," in other words, "is not self-seeking." 

"It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." Because love forgives.

"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth." A saying I've heard here and there says, a good friend won't let you get into trouble; a great friend won't let you get into trouble alone. In fact, love requires a steady hand to hold our friend back from folly. And that we are honest.

"It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 

Finally, when you look at this wonderful, glorious description of love, remember, too, that God is Love (1 John 4:8).

Thank God for love.