God's Love in a
Believer
"...but the greatest of these is Charity."
----1 Cor
13:13
by Unknown
- Charity suffereth long----no loss of patience; slow to avenge
wrong; it has forgiveness towards others at the forefront of personal
relationships.
- Charity is kind----looks for avenues to benefit others; responds to
the need of others.
- Charity envieth not----not jealous; not possessive in the
controlling of others for self gain.
- Charity vaunteth not itself----not eager to impress others; finds
no room for bragging about self.
- Charity is not puffed up----not built up in pride; self importance
not the issue, but the TRUTH and its application.
- Charity does not behave itself unseemly----concerned about its
influence being proper so that people respond to it on the basis of Truth;
good, honest conduct towards others; admirable behavior.
- Charity seeketh not her own----not pursing self advantage; does not
jockey for position with others by making false impressions.
- Charity is not easily provoked----not touchy, resentful nor
explosive (quick tempered) towards others that fail in conduct; full of
forgiveness for the sake of unity.
- Charity thinketh no evil----free of evil towards others; does not
strike back; its free of malice but will standfast in love and thoughts for
the Truth.
- Charity rejoiceth not in iniquity----does not gloat in wrong doing;
does not say, "Well, that saint deserved that misfortune"; desires the best
God has in Christ for all the members of the One Body; ministers without
partiality.
- Charity rejoiceth in the Truth----a gladness when the TRUTH stands
out and prevails in the saints while the opposition moves to silence it.
- Charity beareth all things----a welcoming of those things which
come to test the genuineness of it. Charity is there when human endurance ends
and by faith deepens the commitment to God.
- Charity believeth all things----a proper focus upon the profitable
things; not an issue of gullibility, but one of acceptance of and rejoicing in
the TRUTH.
- Charity hopeth all things----looks beyond the present circumstances
in the anticipation of Truth being victorious; seeing things from the Eternal
view point.
- Charity endureth all things----endures whatever challenges its
genuineness; accepts hardships with joyfulness.
- Charity never faileth----will last beyond the temporal; it is
eternal in its existence; It is the greatest of faith and hope.
As one reads about charity often the great contrast between Adam-man and the
Lord Jesus Christ is obviously and shamefully viewed. Even
for the believer in Christ it straight-forwardly analyzes our conduct
whether it is becoming to the Gospel of the Grace of God that saved us or
not.
Evidently the putting on of charity would in all reality be putting on
Christ. It would be putting off the old man and putting on the new
man. Colossians 3:12-15 puts it this way:
(Colossians 3:12-15 KJV) Put on therefore, as the elect of God,
holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness,
longsuffering; {13} Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any
man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
{14} And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of
perfectness. {15} And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which
also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.