Is your life fulfilling and full of meaning, deep purpose and significance ? Does it hold a worth and value that you are content with ? Without love - love for someone or from someone or both - the potential for all this is extinguished...
What's love got to do with it you ask ?
1 CORINTHIANS 13
In 1 Corinthians 13 the Bible describes some of the characteristics of charity. What is charity ?
CHARITY, n.
1. In a general sense, love, benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men, and to do them good. In a theological sense, it includes supreme love to God, and universal good will to men. (American Dictionary of the English Language - Noah Webster 1828)
agapao 25; love, i.e. affection or benevolence; specially (plural) a love-feast:--(feast of) charity(-ably), dear, love. (Strong's Bible Concordance)
Bible charity is not sentimentalism, but love in active exercise.
Simply put, charity is love.
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
Speaking loveless words or speaking without love in the tones of the voice produces the same effect upon the listener as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal; it is unpleasant and annoying. Do you speak this way ? or have you been subjected to this kind of speaking ? This is not the Christlike way and Christ offers us something better instead...Grace poured into our lips that we may have sanctified tongues speaking words saturated with divine love...
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
Is there anyone that has a knowledge of everything with the ability to see into the future and the ability to understand every mystery and at the same time has all the faith needed to remove mountains but does not have love ? No...there is no such person...If such a person did exist his first and his last name would be NOTHING...Nothing can do all these things or have all these abilities without love...God can do all these things and has all these abilities because He is love.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Even if we give all our material goods and give our own body while enduring and suffering the pain of fire...Unless we have love to give...we gain no profit from our investment in giving...
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
When the divine principle of genuine love is working in a person, he or she...
is willing to suffer long
is kind, is not envious,
does not seek to display his or herself and is not puffed up..
does not act unseemly and is not self seeking..
is not easily provoked and does not think evil
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
This person will not find occasion for joyous celebration in iniquity...
This person will find occasion for joyous celebration in the truth...
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth:
A person filled with the love of God is enabled to bear all things, believe all things, hope all things and endure all things that God desires for that person because although human love may fail, divine love never fails...
but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
Human prophecies shall fail and human tongues shall cease and human knowledge shall vanish away. Human beings know only a small part of the love that is to be known and can only foresee a small part of the future that love holds.
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. But when Jesus comes again, love in little parts here and there shall be done away with...
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
When I was a child I spake of love as a child, I understood love as a child, I thought about love as a child would think of love but when I became a man, when I became a woman, when I grew up...I put away childish things...
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
Right now we see love through a sort of dark glass; This is how we see God but when Jesus comes again we will see God and see love face to face. Right now we know each other and God only partially but when Christ returns we will know, recognize and understand each other and God clearly.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity (1 CORINTHIANS 13)
Faith hope and love are living principles and principles to live by but love is the greatest of these three.
Doing for others that which they can do for themselves is not necessarily love. Real charity helps men to help themselves.
When charity is not a ruling principle in a person’s heart, words may be spoken or actions performed that weaken trust in others. Genuine charity will not create distrust and evil work.
Beware of those who speak about a charity that has nothing to do with the Bible. True Charity is a very delicate personage, never setting her pure food outside of Bible truth.
By the grace of God, we will conclude this study in the next post.
T.K.
© 2009 Tyrone Keels
www.issues-of-life.com
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