[Love] does not rejoice in unrighteousness,
but rejoices with the truth;
1 Corinthians 13:6 New American
Standard Bible 1995
Finally, love does not
rejoice in unrighteousness. This definition is more broadly: does not take
pleasure in wickedness/sin and is not made glad by injustice. These are two
fairly different meanings, but I believe they both apply. More obviously, love
is not happy about injustice. That is plainly not loving. To rejoice when
others find misfortune and are treated unjustly is clearly wrong. That is not
love. Less obvious is the fact that love does not enjoy iniquity. The first is
clearly wrong because it involves the harm of another, but the second does not.
In fact the world would say that is love: of self and of others in encouraging
or at least allowing them to do what they enjoy even if it is wrong. However,
God is love, He declares what is right and wrong, and He cannot be in the
presence of sin. Therefore, love cannot be in the presence of sin so love
cannot enjoy iniquity. Love does not rejoice or take pleasure in what is wrong.
Period. It does not matter if what is being done is “pleasurable or enjoyable.”
If it is sin, true godly love can have no part of it for three reasons. First,
it is not loving of others to encourage or allow what is wrong because sin is
harmful. It may not damage them immediately or physically, but it always
damages them spiritually. Love would desire what is best for them which is to
live a godly life. Second, it is not loving of self to indulge in what is sin
for the same reason. Love must do what is best and what is best is to live the
way that God has prescribed. Love looks beyond immediate satisfaction and
physical pleasure. Love looks at the big picture and the end goal. It is
eternally minded and motivated. Third, love cannot enjoy, encourage or allow
sin because it hurts God. All sin is an offense to God, and we cannot say we
love God when we sin or encourage/allow others to sin. Love and sin are as
opposite as oil and water. Instead of “rejoicing in unrighteousness,” love
rejoices with the truth. That truth is God’s Word and truth. Love is glad with
and congratulates in the truth. Love and the truth live side by side. Sin on
the other hand is directly opposed to both. They don’t mix. The world tries to
tell us that it is loving to let people do whatever makes them happy and
hateful to stand up for truth. Unfortunately, that is a lie from satan and the
opposite of what is right and true. Love is encouraging godliness and believing
and living according to the truth. Love does not care about happiness as much
as what is best. Temporal happiness is not best and often not even good. In the
same way that children will claim parents are being unloving by making them eat
vegetables instead of allowing them to eat candy, love does what is for another’s
good not happiness.
You have two sides to choose
from: sin and temporal happiness, or love and truth. which will you choose? Do you
desire for others to live in a way that is good for them, or do you only care
about them being happy and doing what they want? Do you stand for what is right
and true or compromise for the sake of “peace”?
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Translations of Greek and Hebrew words taken from
blueletterbible.org
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