But rejoices with the truth
It might be helpful to see the comparison if you add “doing” to the second clause. Love doesn’t rejoice in wrongdoings but rejoices in truth-doings. As excited as pride is to see others fail, love gets excited to see them succeed. When the gospel is lived out in ways that are a blessing to God and to them. Truth-doings. Love is not envious of any of these things. Love delights in truth-doing.
“Love does not seek to make itself distinctive by tracking down and pointing out what is wrong; it gladly sinks its own identity to rejoice with others at what is right.” –Barnett, Carson, p. 63
Pride is so petty. It will make as much as it can out of any little negative it sees. Love has a magnanimousness about it. A large-heartedness. What a truth this is! The staff will tell you, one of my go-to sayings is, All is yellow to the jaundiced eye. Once we get a negative perspective on someone, our tendency is to view everything about them negatively.
Agape love is the reverse of that. Love sees people as redeemable and rejoices when there are indications of God at work in their life. Love can be happy for others. This doesn’t mean we are blind or naïve about people; it means love seeks their best and is ready to dance with them when God blesses their lives. Does that sound like you? Love doesn’t gloat but it will dance.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
© 2010 Steve DeWitt. You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author, (2) any modifications are clearly marked, (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction, (4) you include Bethel’s web site address (http://www.bethelweb.org/) on the copied resource.
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