Love Rejoices in the Truth
13: 6
After the series of verbs describing how love responds to evildoing, Paul now concludes with a set of verbal opposites. For this last link of the eight negative statements: Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, Paul supplies the first of five positive statements: but rejoices in the truth. The first positive contrasting the last negative.416 At first glance, it may seem strange to contrast not rejoicing in unrighteousness (Greek: adikia, meaning wickedness or doing evil) with rejoicing in the truth. But we must understand that anything that is unrighteous in the sight of ADONAI grieves the heart that is full of love, not merely because the evil hurts the one to whom it is done, but especially because God hates evil and must punish the wrongdoer. Those who are self-seeking, who disobey the truth and obey evil, Ha’Shem will pay back with wrath and anger (Romans 2:8). Where unrighteousness triumphs, truth is absent. Evil prevails where the heart has pleasure in it, loves it, and thus rejoices in it. The love that Paul describes is absent in that case. But where the heart rejoices in the truth, embraces it gladly, and finds pleasure in possessing it, there, unrighteousness is driven out.417
Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices (Greek: suhchairei, meaning sharing God’s grace with another person, so that both rejoice together ) in the truth. Thus, the truth Paul is speaking of here is not simply factual truth. He is speaking of ADONAI’S truth, God’s revealed Word . . . Yeshua Messiah, who said: I AM the way and the Truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6). Righteousness is predicated on God’s truth and cannot exist apart from it or Him. Love always rejoices in God’s truth and never in falsehood or false teaching, which is evil. Love cannot tolerate wrong doctrine. It cannot suppress the truth (Romans 1:18) or exchange it for a lie (Romans 1:25). It makes no sense to say, “It doesn’t make any difference if people don’t agree with our doctrine. What matters is that we love them.” That is the basic view of what is commonly called the ecumenical movement today. However, if we truly love others it should matter a great deal to us whether or not they believe what is right and wrong, what is truth and what is unrighteousness. Because what they believe affects their souls, their eternal destinies, and their representation of God’s will, and therefore, should be of the highest concern for us. You don’t get to heaven by what you do, you get to heaven by what you believe!
Dear Heavenly Father, You are the perfect example of Truth. Praise You that in all You do, say and think, You are truth. In this world so many people speak what they call “white” lies but you call all untruths to be lies. It does not matter if it is just a shade off the truth- it is a lie. That gives us such great confidence in all you say in Your Word to be 100% Truth! Every promise that You make is totally reliable. We can always trust You completely. What a fantastic promise Yeshua made. Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself, so that where I am you may also be (John 14:1-3). Even when things look dark to us, it is not dark to you. Even darkness is not dark for You, and night is as bright as day (Psalms 139:12). Even the future is not dark to You for You know the future in detail (Daniel 2:24-30). You are so powerful and we can trust that no kingdom will ever be greater than You. ADONAI has set up His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all (Psalms 103:19). We rejoice in the truth of Your great love! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen
Love is consistent with kindness (to see link click Cw – Love is Kind) but it is not consistent with compromising the truth. That is not kind to those whom we mislead by our failure to stand firmly in the truth. This is love, John tells us: that we should live according to His commands. To compromise, for example, with those who cast doubt on the incarnation is not loving. It risks eternal reward. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, people who do not acknowledge Yeshua Messiah’s coming as a human being. Such a person is a deceiver and an anti-Messiah. Watch yourselves, so that you don’t lose what we have accomplished, but will receive your full reward (Second John 6-8). Love, truth, and righteousness are inseparable. When one is weakened the other two are also weakened. Paul teaches us that if someone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, don’t welcome him into your home. Don’t even say, “Shalom!” to him; for the person who says, “Shalom!” to him shares in his evil deeds (Second John 10-11). We are not to rejoice in evil teaching or evil living. Love rejoices in the truth and never in falsehood or unrighteousness.
On the other hand, love does not focus on the wrongs of others. Love does not parade their faults for all the world to see. Love does not disregard falsehood and unrighteousness, but as much as possible it focuses on the true and the right. It looks for the good, hopes for the good, and emphasizes the good. Love rejoices in those who repent and turn from unrighteousness, and it rejoices in those who teach and live the truth.418
Leave A Comment