Answer: Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres, (verse 7).
MORE INFORMATION AND/OR OTHER SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:
- Love always protects:
"Protects" is from the Greek word stego, the basic meaning of which is "to cover, or roof over, to cover closely, to protect by covering." It is "to protect that which is covered" and in doing so "to bear or endure what descends upon it." Love covers, protects, forbears.
It is used in 1 Corinthians 9:12 as "put up with":
"If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the Gospel of Christ."
In 1 Thessalonians 3:1, 5, it us used as "stand it":
"So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens...For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless."
- Love always trusts:
While love learns spiritual discernment, it maintains its faith in others. This trust (belief) is not gullible, but this kind of love has faith in men. Far better to be deceived in a doubtful case and suffer hurt, than as a skeptic to hurt another who should have been believed. Our ultimate trust is in an unfailing God--we trust ourselves to His love and His promises. To trust others, even being disappointed from time to time in that trust, is a small price to pay for the One Who gives us life and love:
John 14:1: [Jesus said,] "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me."
We must also trust our brethren, who, along with ourselves, have put their total trust in Christ and God. The breaking of that trust by others is a matter to be dealt with biblically, and, again, is done in love.
- Love always hopes:
In the spirit of trust, love always hopes, looking for the ultimate triumph of Truth. Love sees the bright side of things and does not despair:
2 Corinthians 4:8-9: "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."
As we have learned before, this hope is not some vague, wishful thinking ("I hope it rains tomorrow," or "I hope everything will turn out all right"). "Hope" is a "favorable and confident expectation." We not only have the hope promised by God, but our hope is also IN Christ, the One Who brings about the fulfillment of the promise of eternal life made by God.
To use the word among the brethren is to extend to each brother and sister our assurance of "the happy anticipation of good" from, in and among the body of believers. We always have a favorable and confident expectation--an attitude of mind and heart--of nothing but good from those who, with us, make up the body of Christ, and who are IN Christ, Who IS our hope.
Being our HOPE, Christ is the reason we endure in all things. By God's grace, He gave us encouragement and good hope, and we extend this grace to every word and deed. By this hope--Christ--we live as a purified people--His Own people--eager to do what is good. We are God's house, if we hold to our courage and hope. This love that always hopes is like faith--it is living and active, and not a dead thing without actions.
Consider the following Scriptures:
1 Thessalonians 1:3: "We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17: "May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, Who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word."
1 Timothy 1:1: "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope..."
Titus 2:11-14: "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good."
Hebrews 3:6: "But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are His house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast."
1 Peter 1:3: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..."
- Love always perseveres:
Love is steadfast in all things--it carries on like a stouthearted soldier. This kind of endurance is more active than patience. It "bears" as well as "bears with."
It is used in Romans 8:25 as "patiently": "But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."
It is used in 2 Timothy 2:10 as "endure": "Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory."
James 1:12 uses "perseveres" and "stood the test": "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him."
Colossians 3:12-14 uses "bear with": "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
