It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 1 Corinthians 13:5b-6Love does not insist on its own way
The love between God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ is perfect. Jesus was perfectly obedient to the will of the Father. His obedience means our salvation for God requires perfect obedience to His Law. When was the last time you were perfect even by your own standards? Jesus had to obey the Law for us because we could not. He says in John 5:30 & 6:38, “I seek not My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” Jesus did not insist on His own way in order to please Himself (Romans 15:3). Jesus proves this over and over in the Gospel accounts. Right before He was about to give His life as a ransom for many, He asked the Father to remove His impending death and suffering and separation with this clause, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39, 42 & 44). A little later He tells Peter who tried to rescue Him, “Do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once send Me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” (Matthew 26:53-54). He did not insist on His own way in order to save Himself (Isaiah 53:7; 1 Peter 2:23). Jesus is the same toward us. The Apostle Peter says that Christ does not want anybody to perish (apart from His glorious presence), but desires that all would come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). He does not insist on His own way by not choosing all for salvation. His purposes are much grandeur and higher than we could ever comprehend. Jesus, instead, stands at the door and knocks and “If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to Him and eat with Him and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).
Love is not irritable
To be irritable is to be easily irritated or annoyed; easily excited to impatience or anger. The Bible is clear that God is “slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6; cf. Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 103:8). See love is patient.
Love is not resentful
Some versions translate this part of the verse as “does not keep a record of wrongs.” If you think about it, it is an amazing thing that God does not hold our sins against those of us who are in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:19) because we have seriously offended Him (Romans 3:23; cf. Isaiah 30:1-5, 9-11). We have rejected Him even though He is our Creator and Sustainer and instead make either gods out of ourselves or out of other things (Romans 1:18-3:20). The Apostle Paul said that God, in His divine forbearance, “passed over our former sins” (Romans 3:25) so that He might display His righteousness at the present time through Christ (Romans 3:26). While we were still sinners Christ Jesus died for us (Romans 5:8) thereby canceling the record of sin debt that was against us by nailing it to His cross (Colossians 2:14). The atoning sacrifice of Christ puts our sin far from Him and us (Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 38:17; Micah 7:19). The fact that our sins are cancelled in Christ means that God remembers them no more (Isaiah 43:25; Jeremiah 31:34). In fact, there is no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ (Romans 8:1). King David put is this way, “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count sin” (Romans 4:6; cf. Psalm 32:1-2).
Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing
All wrongdoing is sin (1 John 5:17) and all sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4). Those who do not follow Christ take pleasure in wrongdoing (Romans 1:32; 2 Thessalonians 2:12) and will receive God’s judgment (Matthew 7:23). The same used to be true of us who are now in Christ before the Holy Spirit convicted us of our sin (John 16:8-11) and brought us to repentance (1 John 1:9). The Lord does not delight in wickedness (Psalm 5:4; cf. Malachi 2:17) nor does He take pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23, 32, 33:11; “for the wages of sin is death” Romans 6:23). Rather, He delights in displaying His steadfast love (Micah 7:18) so in order to display His great love and perfect justice, He sent “His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin…in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:3-4). Jesus came to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29) and to redeem us from all lawlessness (Titus 2:14) so that He could rejoice over us (Zephaniah 3:17). :)
Love rejoices with the truth
God Himself is Truth (Isaiah 65:16) and He is completely satisfied in Himself. There is much rejoicing in the Godhead where perfect unity, love and truth abound. Jesus rejoiced “in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children.” (Luke 10:21). The Lord takes great delight in the truth. In fact, He searches for those who act in accordance with the truth (Jeremiah 5:3). The Scriptures tell us that God’s Word is Truth (2 Samuel 7:28; Psalm 119:160; John 17:17) and that the Gospel is Truth (Ephesians 1:13; Colossians 1:5; cf. 2 Corinthians 4:4). Jesus is the Word of God and is Truth (John 1:1, 14, 17, 18:37; Ephesians 4:21; Revelation 19:11, 13). Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth because He testifies to the truth (John 14:17, 16:13; 1 John 5:6). “But when the Helper comes, whom I will sent to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about Me” (John 15:26). God is both love and truth and Christ came so that we might know the truth and be set free (John 8:32).
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