God's Love in a Believer
"...but the greatest of these is Charity."
----1 Cor 13:13

by Unknown

  1. Charity suffereth long----no loss of patience; slow to avenge wrong; it has forgiveness towards others at the forefront of personal relationships.
  2. Charity is kind----looks for avenues to benefit others; responds to the need of others.
  3. Charity envieth not----not jealous; not possessive in the controlling of others for self gain.
  4. Charity vaunteth not itself----not eager to impress others; finds no room for bragging about self.
  5. Charity is not puffed up----not built up in pride; self importance not the issue, but the TRUTH and its application.
  6. 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.
  7. Charity seeketh not her own----not pursing self advantage; does not jockey for position with others by making false impressions.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. Charity rejoiceth in the Truth----a gladness when the TRUTH stands out and prevails in the saints while the opposition moves to silence it.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. Charity hopeth all things----looks beyond the present circumstances in the anticipation of Truth being victorious; seeing things from the Eternal view point.
  15. Charity endureth all things----endures whatever challenges its genuineness; accepts hardships with joyfulness.
  16. 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.