What does it mean that love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6)?

Answer

First Corinthians 13:4-6 lists several things that love does not do. The final point in this list is that love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. Love embraces the truth. Love does not embrace evil, or, as the ESV states, “it does not rejoice at wrongdoing.”

Corinth was a city known for its evil practices, including widespread idol worship and rampant sexual immorality. The newly converted Christians in Corinth sometimes struggled to break free from their old ways. There was a man engaged in severe immorality who was being tolerated in the church (chapter 5), and the Lord’s Supper was being dishonored by acts of gluttony and drunkenness (chapter 11). To address these issues, Paul taught that love does not take pleasure in or “delight in” such behaviors; instead, genuine love finds joy in truth and righteousness.

Psalm 1:1-2 presents the right perspective on truth: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” The “blessed” individual abhors evil but cherishes God’s truth, pondering it continually.

Psalm 5:4 declares, “You are not a God who delights in wickedness.” The God who is love «He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. », (1 John 4:8) takes pleasure in what is true and just. God loves us, and He “desire[s] truth in the inner parts” «Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: And in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. », (Psalm 51:6).In other words, God does not overlook our sin just because He loves us. Indeed, it is because of His great love that He provided the means of cleansing our sin in Christ «Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. », (1 John 4:10).

True love rejoices in what is right and good. Anything that conceals sin or seeks to justify wrongdoing is the complete opposite of godly love. Love does not ignore sin. Love does not attempt to find ways to excuse bad behavior, and it does not tolerate injustice. Instead, it values truth, applauds good behavior, and encourages virtue. True love is transparent.

Moreover, to “not delight in evil” implies refraining from taking pleasure in someone else’s guilt. It is common for people to celebrate when an enemy is proven guilty of a crime or caught in a sin. This is not love. Love celebrates the goodness of others, not their faults. Sin is a cause for sadness, not for happiness.

Essentially, to demonstrate God’s type of love, we must adopt God’s viewpoint on sin and righteousness. The more we comprehend love, the more we will grieve over those who commit sin. The more we cherish the truth, the better we can love those around us.