How Love Rejoices!

Title: How Love Rejoices!            Text: I Corinthians 13:6

Introduction: Read I Corinthians 13:1-8a – What a person rejoices about reveals a lot about that person. Picture this seen in your mind. You are at a basketball game and the opposing team’s star player crashes to the floor with a broken ankle – and the person next to you says, “All Right!” turns and looks you right in the eye as he lifts his hand to give you a high five. How would you respond? What would you think?

Tonight we will be looking at what love does not rejoice over: Iniquity – sin!

I. The meaning of “Rejoiceth not in iniquity”:

Rejoice – To rejoice together – to join in rejoicing

Iniquity – Often translated as “unrighteousness” – any moral evil

“Love finds no pleasure in evil doing . . . It is not so much delight in doing the wrong thing that is meant, as the malicious pleasure which comes to most of us when we hear something derogatory about someone else” (Braclay p.122).

“Love does not sympathize with evil, i.e. in any thing which is not conformed to the standard of right” (Hodge p.270.).

“Rejoiceth not in unrighteousness – that is the other side of the first [thinketh no evil}]. If you do not keep a ledger in which you enter up thing of wrong, you rejoice not in unrighteousness. That is why you do not enter things up” (Morgan p.165).

To understand the meaning of “Rejoiceth not in iniquity” we must remember the command before and after. “Thinketh no evil” – Rejoiceth not in iniquity – Rejoiceth in the truth”

II. Bible examples of people who rejoiced in iniquity:

A. Jonah (4:1-2) – He would not rejoice in the truth – he wanted them to suffer the consequences of their iniquity – God’s judgement.

B. The prodigal’s older brother (Luke – He would not rejoice in the truth – he wanted his brother to suffer the consequences of his sin –

III. Bible examples of people who did not rejoice in iniquity

A. Jeremiah – Prophesized of God’s coming judgement for Israel’s sin but never rejoiced in the consequences of their sin. He was known as the “weeping prophet” He was broken and grieved for their sin and hoped in the truth that God would be merciful if they would repent.

B. Ananias toward Paul –

C. Disciples toward Peter – He denied the Lord – the disciples forgave him

IV. Consequences of rejoicing in iniquity: You will be an unloving person who will not forgive others.

V. Breaking the habit of rejoicing in iniquity:

1) Don’t keep a list of the wrongs of others,

2) Hope for God’s mercy and their repentance in place of wanting their harm, and

3) rejoice in the truth that God can forgive any and every sinner who says, “God be merciful to me a sinner.

Conclusion: Proverbs 10:12, Proverbs 17:9