Principles for Love
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Introduction
- Question: Why do many marriages end up D.O.A. (dead on arrival)?
- Statistics showing early divorces
- James Peterson's study on long-term marriage fulfillment
Reasons for Marriage Failures (Based on Peterson’s Study)
- Improper Choices
- Choices made too quickly and superficially
- Marriage likened to Russian roulette
- Unrealistic Expectations
- Expecting marriage to fulfill roles only God can fulfill
- Unhappiness as a result of unmet expectations
- Inadequate Preparation
- More emphasis on wedding than on marriage
- Example of a student who couldn’t afford premarital counseling but spent lavishly on the wedding
- Comparison of marriage preparation to preparation for other professions (e.g., mason, garbage collector)
Principles for True Love
- Responsiveness to the Total Self of the One Loved
- Love for the person, not just the body
- Feeling of Reverence
- Respect and admiration in marriage
- Example of a student who felt an urge not to touch his wife due to deep reverence
- Self-Giving Love
- Focus on giving rather than receiving in marriage
- John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave…"
- Responsibility and Privilege
- Embracing responsibility as well as privilege
- Love as an act of will (Ephesians 5:25)
- Unusual Joy in Each Other’s Company
- Magnetism and mutual enjoyment
- Pain in separation
- Mutual Enjoyment Without Constant Physical Expression
- Beyond physical and sexual expressions
- Real fulfillment in being together
- Protective Attitude
- Shielding partner from harm and healing hurts
- Partner becomes a product of love and affirmation
- Feeling of Belonging
- Sharing life, goals, and purposes
- Concept of becoming “one flesh” in every area of life
- Understanding Each Other Unusually Well
- Shared values and goals
- Reference to "The Velveteen Rabbit" story
- Dynamic Growth in Love
- Constant development and maturing of love
- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Application and Reflection
- Encouragement to replace “love” with their own name and then with “Christ” in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
- Examination of personal alignment with Christ's love
- Emphasis on Christ-centered love and relationship
Conclusion
- Importance of making investments in each other’s lives
- Prayer for authentic love and modeling Christ’s love in marriage
*The above summary is AI-generated, so discrepancies may exist. Please refer to the audio or video file to verify accuracy.
About the Contributors
Howard G. Hendricks
Dr. Howard G. Hendricks, known simply as “Prof,” directly or indirectly touched millions of lives in the evangelical community and beyond. For more than sixty years Prof served on the faculty of Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS), where he taught more than ten thousand students. He served as the chairman of the Center for Christian Leadership for over twenty years. He also ministered in person in more than eighty countries. Through speaking engagements, radio, tapes, films, the sixteen books he authored and coauthored, countless journal and popular-market articles, his service on numerous boards, and his work as a chaplain to the Dallas Cowboys (1976–1984), his reach was and is worldwide.
His legacy, in partnership with Jeanne, his wife of more than sixty-five years, includes four children and six grandchildren. Holding large audiences enthralled at venues such as Billy Graham’s conference center or Promise Keepers’ stadium rallies, Prof would confide, “It’s wonderful to be here with you, but I have a group of delicious students waiting for me back at the seminary.”