Verse 7:

 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

               Love bears all things.

               Think about how much God bears with respect to this sinful world?  Think about how much God bears with us as the church, when we are not all that we can be.  God bears all things, because God is love.  Think about how much God bore with the Jews in the Old Testament.  When we read about how much God bears with sinners, we see something of the depth of God's love.  God is not quick to condemn or destroy, because God bears all things.  Think about how much God bears with you.  He bears with you because He loves you.

               Love believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 

          This statement is in the context of "love bears all things."   Included in the "all things" is not falsehood, deception, and hatred.  These things are contrary to love, as we saw in the previous verses.  Love bears all things, because love believes, hopes, and endures in the face of falsehood, deception, and hatred.  Love believes that love can make a difference in the face of those trapped in falsehood, deception, and hatred.  God bears with us in spite of our sin, knowing that the truth of His word and the work of His Spirit will help us to change and live consistently with His loving purposes.

                Strictly speaking, God does not believe, God knows.  But when we read the Scriptures, we see God doing some things because He "believes" they will make a positive difference in the world and in people's lives.  Jesus endured the cross and despised the shame, because Jesus believed and hoped that through His loving death and resurrection many might be saved.  Jesus was born and came into the world because He knew that his death and resurrection would save many from sin and death.  Jesus endured sinners and torture, because He loved sinners and wanted them to repent and place their faith in Him.

                At Stonegate Church, it can properly be said that because we love, we "bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, endure all things" knowing that we will make a difference in the lives of others through the grace of Jesus Christ working in us.