Pinnacle of charity
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Faith Fitness
Bro. Sam Kaufman
If we, as Christians, can reach the pinnacle of “charity” as a consistent mainstay in our lives, we’ll see wonderful things occur.
Charity is that unconditional love God displays toward us. In Christian speak, it is agape love, or love that is concerned with the greatest good of another.
Second Peter 1:5-8 puts it this way, “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity, for if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Abounding charity sounds good, doesn’t it? It’ll produce that good fruit of God.
Charity is also contrary to the ways of today’s world. That’s because charity is not selfish – it has others in mind and not self, self, self. I’m afraid we’ve become a society that puts “I” or “Me” way out in front of everything.
That’s the way the Bible said it would be. It’s the opposite of charity.
Second Timothy 3:1-4 states, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.”
We see a lot of those traits among men (and women) today. What we need is more charity.
Has anybody seen or experienced or possessed charity lately? A little charity does a lot of good. It’s a game changer for sure.
Charity produces motivation – and inspiration – to do good for others.
The Second Peter verses encourage the Christian to climb a stacked ladder, so to speak. It starts with faith, followed by adding virtues on top of one another. It ends with charity at the top.
We’ll look at the highest three rungs, including godliness, brotherly kindness and charity.
We’re doing good if we are holy and godly through Jesus Christ. Without holiness, no man shall see God. But let’s keep climbing higher to brotherly kindness. That step includes a genuine kindness and love for brothers and sisters in the Lord that prompts us to action.
It should be easy to love and do for those in the household of faith.
Galatians 6:10 states, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
Even at brotherly kindness, there’s another step to add. That would be the pinnacle of charity, which involves unconditional love for the human race. It means loving the unlovable. That’s Jesus’ love.
It’s a love that suffereth long, is kind, envieth not, vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity – but rejoiceth in the truth – beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, and endureth all things.
Charity never faileth.
The end of the Love Chapter, I Corinthians 13, states, “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”
Here are two more verses: I Peter 4:8, “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”
Colossians 3:14, “And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.”
Sam Kaufman pastors The Church of God at 405 13th Ave. N in Alex City. Contact him at 432 266-0154.