To Love As Jesus Loved: “Charity Hopeth All Things”

“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. 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;Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away…   And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity. (1 Corinthians 13:3-8, 13)  

As we continue looking at events in the life of Christ that set a wonderful example for us of Scriptural love. In this devotional, Christ’s great love is shown to us as He sees beyond a woman’s sin and saw her repentant heart of submission and love…  

 

Christ’s Life:  

The Characteristic of Scriptural Love: Thinks And Sees The Best In Others

  And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that [Jesus] sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,And stood at his feet behind [him] weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe [them] with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed [them] with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw [it], he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman [this is] that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?Simon answered and said, I suppose that [he], to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped [them] with the hairs of her head.Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, [the same] loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. (Luke 7:36-50)  

In this event in the life of Christ, we have clearly displayed a tale of two opposites…   First of all, on the one extreme, we see the attitude of the Pharisee. It was a fault-finding critical attitude that centered on the past sinful acts of this woman…

“This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman [this is] that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.”  

On the other hand, we find Christ who, looking beyond her past failures, responds to her heart that was filled with love for Him. Notice what He says… “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much:” Christ, being God, could see the contents of her heart.

We can see the depth of her submission and love to Christ through her outward actions…  

1. brought an alabaster box of ointment,- she willingly gave to Him what she valued greatly

2. stood at his feet behind [him] weeping, - she was sorry for the sins she had committed against Him

3. began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe [them] with the hairs of her head,- she humbly served Him

4. and kissed his feet,- she loved Him and would do anything for Him

5. and anointed [them] with the ointment– she actively worked for His benefit   These all point to this woman’s possession of a true, deep love for her Lord and Savior.  

Our Lesson To Be Learned:  

The apostle Paul helps us to understand the great need for us to show our love for the Lord and others by having tender hearts of forgiveness, looking past the sins of others and showing kindness to them instead.   “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32)  

This is another way that we can love others and follow the example Christ has set for us…   Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also [do] ye. (Colossians 3:12-13)          

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To Love As Jesus Loved: “Charity Believeth All Things”

“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. 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;Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away…   And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity. (1 Corinthians 13:3-8, 13) [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=]

As we continue looking at events in the life of Christ that set a wonderful example for us of Scriptural love. In this devotional, we will see Christ’s great love being on display as He entrusted His life into the hands of His Heavenly Father and entrusted different areas of service to each of His followers…  

Christ’s Life:  

The Characteristic of Scriptural Love: To Believe In, And Trust, Others

  Christ’s love for His Heavenly Father was consistently on display throughout His ministry on earth. One way in which He shows us this love was by entrusting His life, work and future into the hands of His Father. On two separate occasions we see this trust exhibited very clearly for us… And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. (Luke 22:41-43)  

In this text we can see that Christ (as He prayed to the Father concerning His upcoming arrest, trial, suffering and death on the cross) laid aside His own desires, and chose to make His Father’s desires His first priority. In doing so, He was entrusting His father with His entire being.  

And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.(Luke 23:46-47)  

Immediately preceding His spirit’s departure from His body, Jesus clearly declares that He was entrusting the welfare of His spirit in the hands of His Father. Not only did He trust His Father with the course of His life on earth, but He also trusted His Father with the course of His life in the afterlife.  

But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. [For the Son of man is] as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.  Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:  Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.(Mark 13:32-37)

In this account, Christ is reminding us that He has entrusted them with many various responsibilities in His absence… “gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch” He gave us this example to emphasize the need for all of His people to “Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.”

What was the basis of His trust, in giving us these important responsibilities for us to fulfill in His absence? His great love for us!  

Our Lesson To Be Learned:  

Peter reminds us that Christ has set the perfect example for us to follow in many areas. One of those areas is Christ’s trust in His Heavenly Father (“him that judgeth righteously”)… 21) For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22) Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23) Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously: 24) Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:21-24)  

May we all learn to trust our Lord to the point we will fully commit our earthly life, and our existence in the afterlife, to Him.  

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To Love As Jesus Loved: “Charity Beareth All Things”

And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray.   And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.   And he said, Abba, Father, all things [are] possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly [is] ready, but the flesh [is] weak. And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words. And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him. And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take [your] rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.(Mark 14:32-42)  

What a wonderfully patient Lord who kindly pointed out the continuing failure of His closest followers who chose to sleep instead of joining Christ in watchful prayer. Please notice He “caught them red handed” three times as they had fallen asleep during His times of prayer. They deserved His chastening and anger to be placed upon them, yet from a heart of love, He chose to correct them by kindly speaking words of truth to them.  From our human standpoint, this may seem like an extreme act of love on His behalf, however from a spiritual standpoint, He has shown to us a much greater patience than this…

His loving patience shown towards us as sinners (those who rebelled against His Word, scoffed and mocked His claims, and rejected His message of love and grace) intervening in our lives, breaking our sin hardened hearts and bringing us to Himself clearly stands out from all His other displays of longsuffering.  

Paul, who described himself as “the chief of sinners” understood the great love that Christ had shown to him when He intervened in his life and showed him such great patience and mercy. In doing so, Christ was setting a perfect “pattern” of loving patience for all of us to follow in His steps.

This [is] a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, [be] honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:15-17)  

Our Lesson To Be Learned:

If we love our Lord as we should, and we recognize His great patience shown to us, we will find ourselves, motivated by appreciation, following His example and living holy lives separated for His use.
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.And account [that] the longsuffering of our Lord [is] salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;(2 Peter 3:14-15)  

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To Love As Jesus Loved: “Charity Rejoiceth In The Truth”

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. 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;Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away…   And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity. (1 Corinthians 13:3-8, 13)  
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=]   
As we continue looking at events in the life of Christ that set a wonderful example for us of Scriptural love. In this devotional, we will see Christ’s great desire for sincerity and the proclamation of the truths of God…   Christ’s Life:  

The Characteristic of Scriptural Love: Desires Sincerity and The Truths Of God

  The need for sincerity in Christian service is very closely related to the need to proclaim the Truths Of God to others. Both are necessary for an effective Christian witness.  
A sincere belief motivating the proclamation of error is false teaching.
Insincerity in the proclamation of truth is, simply, hypocrisy.
The only effective, Godly witness involves the proclamation of truth about God that flows from a genuine heart of belief.   This is a mark of true love toward the Lord and those around us.   Christ gave us the perfect example of this type of divine witness as He lived His life among us…  
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth…For the law was given by Moses, [but] grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared [him].(John 1:14, 17-18)  
In this section of Scripture, we see that Christ was the epitome of a perfect, divine witness. He was “full of … truth” (ie perfectly sincere) while living a life that “declared” the truths of God the Father to those around Him. In other words, Christ was a very genuine, sincere, Revealer of the truths of His heavenly Father. 
In doing so, He was opening the channel of both grace and truth to a lost and spiritual dead world… “[but] grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”   Christ, in His teachings emphasized the importance of the Word of God as the singular source of revelation for the salvation, sanctification and adoption of those who come to Him in saving faith…  
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.”   (John 17:17-23)  
Not only did Christ reveal the importance of truth for the lives of those around Him, but He also clearly revealed His hatred for hypocrisy and insincerity in His address concerning the Pharisees…  
“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.   Therefore when thou doest [thine] alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites [are]: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” (Matthew 6:1-8)    
Our Lesson To Be Learned:  
Folks, Do we love our Lord? If so, let us shun all false teachings and hypocritical attitudes as we honor Him though presenting His Word to others through our words and actions.  
Do we love others? If so, we should have a genuine desire to present the truths of God to them, knowing that it is only through a knowledge and faith in these truths that a person can come to salvation, entrance into His family and entrance into eternity in the very presence of God…  
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”   (Romans 10:13-17)    
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To Love As Jesus Loved: “Charity Thinketh No Evil”

“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. 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;Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away…   And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity. (1 Corinthians 13:3-8, 13)  
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=]
As we continue looking at events in the life of Christ that set a wonderful example for us of Scriptural love. In this devotional, we will see Christ’s hatred of sin on display…

Christ’s Life:

The Characteristic of Scriptural Love: Does Not Plan Or Desire Evil

Christ, the perfectly holy One, hated the commission of sin. We can clearly see this in the account of Christ cleansing the temple of those who were using the worship of His Father for personal monetary gain…
14) And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 15) And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; 16) And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. 17) And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. (John 2:14-17)
What was the sin that was taking place in this account? “found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:” 
In other words, there were men who were making an unjust profit from the sale of animals to be used as sacrifices to Jehovah and from exchanging foreign money to that which was acceptable as an offering to Jehovah. Both of these “services” were being offered to those who had to travel long distances and in most cases came from outside of Israel.
Please note… Christ was not angered at making the animals and proper currency available to those who arrived to worship. His anger was pointed towards taking advantage of the faithful worshippers of Jehovah by making an unjust gain from these transactions.
In other words, they had turned a place for true worship into a “house of merchandise” How did Christ display His anger? It was through the exercise of physical force as He drove the exchangers out of the temple area… “And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables”   This event had been prophesied in the Old Testament scriptures in Psalms 69:7-11.
This Scripture is not only the historical account of the sufferings of King David, but it is also a prophetic Scripture revealing to us truths concerning the ministry of Christ during His first coming…
“Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children.For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me. When I wept, [and chastened] my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.” (Psalms 69:7-11)    

Our Lesson To Be Learned:

What a tremendous display of Godly anger! Folks, don’t ever think (not even for a moment) that all anger is wrong. We are to consistently hold a Godly anger against the acts of sin that are taking place all around us. Then, we are to allow this anger to motivate us to stay away from these sins and take a stand against them. This is the principle Paul presented to us in Ephesians 4:26… “Be ye angry, and sin not:…”  
How is this type of anger a display of love?
1. It shows our love, and respect, towards our Lord as we recognize His attitude towards sin and the harm that sin does to His glory and the cause of Christ.
2. It shows our love for others, as we recognize the harmful effects of sin in the lives of those we love.
This anger should also motivate us to earnestly desire and fervently pray that “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) What a day that will be, when we are dwelling in New Jerusalem with our Lord on the New Earth and know that sin, and its effects, will be permanently done away.  
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To Love As Jesus Loved: “Charity Is Not Easily Provoked” Part 2

“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. 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;Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away…   And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity. (1 Corinthians 13:3-8, 13)  
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5y57lnV1Mc]  
As we continue looking at events in the life of Christ that set a wonderful example for us of Scriptural love. In this devotional, we will see the withholding of Christ’s much deserved anger, as He willingly faced abuse and even death at the hands of sinful mankind.  
Christ’s Life:  

The Characteristic of Scriptural Love: Does Not Get Irritated or Angered Easily

  Christ was abused, mistreated and rejected throughout His ministry on earth. Isaiah the prophet foresaw this rejection of Christ when he wrote… “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, [there is] no beauty that we should desire him.He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were [our] faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”   (Isaiah 53:2-3)  
Isaiah not only spoke of the great opposition that Christ would face, he also summarizes for us the common reaction of Christ to this great abuse when he said… “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7)  
Although this type of loving calmness in the face of opposition took place throughout His life, I would like us to center upon just one event that clearly shows us Christ’s ability to control His temper, thereby treating others mercifully, even in the midst of great opposition and abuse. This took place just prior to His trial and crucifixion on the cross… “And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him. Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness. Then took they him, and led [him], and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off… And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote [him].And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?And many other things blasphemously spake they against him. (Luke 22:47-54, 63-65)  
Here, in this event we can see Jesus had placed before Him a very telling choice. Would He direct His followers to physically oppose the false accusations, arrest, abuse, unjust trial, crucifixion and physical death; or, would He choose to withhold His anger, and His natural desire of self-preservation and allow this heinous abuse of Himself to take place unopposed? Jesus answers this question for us in His verbal and active response to Peter:
His verbal response - Christ said “Suffer ye thus far.” In other words, “allow this to take place”
His active response - Peter, showing his impatience, irritation and rashness lashed out and cut off the ear of one of the soldiers coming to arrest his Lord.  
In comparison Christ, putting His patience and withheld anger on display, reaches out and heals the severed ear of the soldier.   Also Christ’s response to the false accusers is telling as well… “Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”  
In saying this, He was explaining for all to hear that He was going to be in submission to what was about to take place because “this is your hour and the power of darkness”. In other words, this is the time, set aside by God for the wicked powers of darkness to take Christ, abuse Him and put Him to death. In doing so, they would be bringing about the will of God in the redemption of His people (Isa 53:10, Acts 2:23).  
Instead of Christ allowing His anger to rile and oppose the injustice against Him that was about to take place, we see that He simply submitted to the mistreatment, recognizing it was a part of God’s plan for His life and the redemption of His people. What was His motivation to allow the lost to take Him and abuse Him and put Him to death? It was His love for His Father and love for those God had given to Him.  
Along with this study, we need to keep in mind that the Lord did display a righteous anger during His walk on earth. He displayed this righteous anger in at least three or four different occasions:
1. healing the man that had a withered hand (Mark 3:1-6) – angry and grieved at the hardness of their hearts
2. the two temple cleansings ( 1^st - John 2:13-22; 2^nd - Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-48) – angered at the abuse of the worship place of His Father
3. the address of woes to the Pharisees (Matthew 23:1-36) – angry at the false teaching and misleading practices of the Pharisees.  
A quick look at each event shows one thing in common. These displays of anger shown by Christ, in every case, involved anger concerning sins committed against His Father and the harmful results of those sins in the lives of others. It was never anger shown selfishly in opposition to opposition and mistreatment of Himself.  
Our Lesson To Be Learned:  
Do we ever find ourselves angry at those who abuse or offend us? Do we ever use anger in a defensive way trying to “get back” at others who have mistreated us? May we all follow the example of Christ and exhibit, love, patience, and mercy by keeping our love in control.
Also, may we exhibit love at the proper times against sin and those who bring harm to others through that sin.
“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:   But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”   (Matthew 5:21-22)    
SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH Text Blog: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
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SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

To Love As Jesus Loved: “Charity Is Not Easily Provoked” Part 1

“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. 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;Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away…   And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity. (1 Corinthians 13:3-8, 13)  
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itcpsYqot1c]   
As we continue looking at events in the life of Christ that set a wonderful example for us of Scriptural love. In this devotional, we will see the withholding of Christ’s much deserved anger, as He willingly faced abuse and even death at the hands of sinful mankind.  

Christ’s Life:

 

The Characteristic of Scriptural Love: Does Not Get Irritated or Angered Easily

  Christ was abused, mistreated and rejected throughout His ministry on earth. Isaiah the prophet foresaw this rejection of Christ when he wrote…
“For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, [there is] no beauty that we should desire him.He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were [our] faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”   (Isaiah 53:2-3)   Isaiah not only spoke of the great opposition that Christ would face, he also summarizes for us the common reaction of Christ to this great abuse when he said… “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7)  
Although this type of loving calmness in the face of opposition took place throughout His life, I would like us to center upon just one event that clearly shows us Christ’s ability to control His temper, thereby treating others mercifully, even in the midst of great opposition and abuse. This took place just prior to His trial and crucifixion on the cross…
“And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him. Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness. Then took they him, and led [him], and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off… And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote [him].And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?And many other things blasphemously spake they against him. (Luke 22:47-54, 63-65)  
Here, in this event we can see Jesus had placed before Him a very telling choice. Would He direct His followers to physically oppose the false accusations, arrest, abuse, unjust trial, crucifixion and physical death; or, would He choose to withhold His anger, and His natural desire of self-preservation and allow this heinous abuse of Himself to take place unopposed? Jesus answers this question for us in His verbal and active response to Peter:
His verbal response - Christ said “Suffer ye thus far.” In other words, “allow this to take place”
His active response - Peter, showing his impatience, irritation and rashness lashed out and cut off the ear of one of the soldiers coming to arrest his Lord.   In comparison Christ, putting His patience and withheld anger on display, reaches out and heals the severed ear of the soldier.  
Also Christ’s response to the false accusers is telling as well… “Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”
In saying this, He was explaining for all to hear that He was going to be in submission to what was about to take place because “this is your hour and the power of darkness”. In other words, this is the time, set aside by God for the wicked powers of darkness to take Christ, abuse Him and put Him to death. In doing so, they would be bringing about the will of God in the redemption of His people (Isa 53:10, Acts 2:23).  
Instead of Christ allowing His anger to rile and oppose the injustice against Him that was about to take place, we see that He simply submitted to the mistreatment, recognizing it was a part of God’s plan for His life and the redemption of His people. What was His motivation to allow the lost to take Him and abuse Him and put Him to death? It was His love for His Father and love for those God had given to Him.  
Along with this study, we need to keep in mind that the Lord did display a righteous anger during His walk on earth. He displayed this righteous anger in at least three or four different occasions:
1. healing the man that had a withered hand (Mark 3:1-6) – angry and grieved at the hardness of their hearts
2. the two temple cleansings ( 1^st - John 2:13-22; 2^nd - Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-48) – angered at the abuse of the worship place of His Father
3. the address of woes to the Pharisees (Matthew 23:1-36) – angry at the false teaching and misleading practices of the Pharisees.  
A quick look at each event shows one thing in common. These displays of anger shown by Christ, in every case, involved anger concerning sins committed against His Father and the harmful results of those sins in the lives of others. It was never anger shown selfishly in opposition to opposition and mistreatment of Himself.  

Our Lesson To Be Learned:

Do we ever find ourselves angry at those who abuse or offend us? Do we ever use anger in a defensive way trying to “get back” at others who have mistreated us? May we all follow the example of Christ and exhibit, love, patience, and mercy by keeping our love in control. Also, may we exhibit love at the proper times against sin and those who bring harm to others through that sin.
“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:   But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”   (Matthew 5:21-22)  
SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH Text Blog: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/
SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

To Love As Jesus Loved: “Charity Seeketh Not Her Own”

“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. 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;Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away…   And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity. (1 Corinthians 13:3-8, 13)

 As we continue looking at events in the life of Christ that set a wonderful example for us of Scriptural love. In this devotional, we will see Christ’s willingness to give His very life for others. Just like in our prior studies, in many, many events in Christ’s life we find Him giving of Himself for others. He gave up so many things while on the earth to minster to those around Him (His time, possessions, reputation, comforts of life, and even His life). In our devotional, we will look at the ultimate sacrifice He made for us, the giving of His life on the cross …

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mzls6mS70qg]  

Christ’s Life:

 

The Characteristic of Scriptural Love: Does Not Live Selfish Lives

 

 Christ’s kindness and love is shown to us as He willingly suffers and dies on the cross in payment for the sins of His people (John 6:32, 47-51)…  

And Jesus said unto them…Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

Here, we can see that the Lord makes a very simple, clear-cut statement. If a person places in faith in Jesus and His work on the cross, he will possess everlasting, spiritual life.  

I am that bread of life.Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever:

Christ describes Himself symbolically as “the Bread of Life”. He then likens placing faith in Him and entering into a divine relationship with Him as eating that bread. Why would He picture the saint’s relationship with Him as the partaking of bread?

There are many reasons, here are a few of the most obvious ones:

1. Bread is the source of life. No one can live apart from physical nourishment, so too, no one can live spiritually apart from Christ.

2. Bread is the source of strength. So too, apart from Christ, all men are spiritually impotent, unable to please God in any way.

3. Bread is a gracious gift given to man by God. The bread we eat is ENTIRELY reliant upon God’s intervention causing the wheat to sprout and grow (by enabling the farmer, controlling the weather and being with the baker). So too, Christ’s death and the resultant salvation is entirely reliant upon the gracious intervention of the Lord in the life of the sinful individual (graciously supplying the substitute for their sins [Christ] ,and directly intervening in the life of the lost individual bringing them to Christ)

4. Bread, once eaten, supplies satisfaction and does away with hunger. Once saved, the individual experiences spiritual peace and contentment, no longer having a spiritual void within them.  

and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

Christ now describes this bread very specifically as His “flesh”.   This is describing His physical, human life and body that was received at His conception in the womb of Mary. Christ goes on to teach us that He will unselfishly “give” His “flesh” … “the bread that I will give is my flesh”

This is speaking of two different aspects of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf:

1. the giving His body to be bruised and mistreated prior to, and during, His crucifixion

2. the giving of His physical life as He hung on the cross.  

What a tremendous sacrifice and unselfish gift given by Christ for sinners who do not, in any way, deserve His wondrous gift.   Christ is not a racist, nor did He die only for one favored physical nation, dialect or family. No, He died for the world… “I will give for the life of the world.”  

And throughout time this has been proven true as we see men and women from all the various nations, tongues, and families of this world come to a saving knowledge of Christ as they found everlasting life in Him.  

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Titus 2:13-14)  

Our Lesson To Be Learned:

Folks, do we love others? If so we should be willing to sacrifice ourselves to meet their needs. Do we love God? If so we should be willing to sacrifice ourselves to bring glory and honor to our Lord who gave Himself for us. It is, simply, our reasonable service and to be expected as servants of Christ…  

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2)  

“And he said to [them] all, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and [in his] Father's, and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:23-26)  

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To Love As Jesus Loved: “Charity Doth Not Behave Itself Unseemly”

“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. 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;Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away…   And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity. (1 Corinthians 13:3-8, 13)  

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RQRSevKe8Q]  

As we continue looking at events in the life of Christ that set a wonderful example for us of Scriptural love. In this devotional, we will see Christ’s loving attitude being shown to a woman who was caught committing adultery...    

Christ’s Life:

 

The Characteristic of Scriptural Love: Does Not Bring Shame Upon Others

  Christ’s kindness and love is shown to us as He defends a woman being publically humiliated for a sin she had committed (John 8:1-11)…  

Let’s take a fleeting look at His great love shown to this woman…

Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?   This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him.  

Although there was no question concerning the woman’s guilt… “this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.”

However, the scribes and Pharisees who brought this woman before the crowd were not concerned about keeping Moses law in an effort to glorify God. They were doing this for ulterior motives, to find fault with Christ. “This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him.”  

In other words, they were simply using this woman for their own purposes. They didn’t care about her nor justice being done. They were bringing her to a public shame for the sake of tricking Christ and finding fault with him.  

But Jesus stooped down, and with [his] finger wrote on the ground, [as though he heard][ them not]. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.   And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard [it], being convicted by [their own] conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, [even] unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.  

Jesus was very deliberate in His response to these men. Please notice that He did not “jump down their throat”, even though He would have had every right to do so. Instead, He remained silent while writing on the ground. It was only after they continued to press Him that He responded verbally. When He did speak, it was a very simple straightforward question… “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” Then He bent down and continued to write. Following this, we see that those who were quick to judge and bring shame upon this woman, being convicted by their conscience left one by one.

What just happened? Although it is not clearly told to us, I believe that as the Lord wrote on the ground, He was writing the ten commandments. This reminded all the accusers that they too had sinned against God. This is what caused their conscience to be convicted and, in turn, resulted in them leaving the scene.   When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.(John 8:1-11)  

Here is now a wonderful display of our Lord’s great grace. Following the sending away of her accusers, the Lord then does not issue a decree of deserved punishment upon her, but lovingly forgives her instead.   The forgiveness that was issued by Christ was an indication that the Holy Spirit had worked in her heart, and the woman had exercised faith in Christ. The Lord then instructed her, as a believer, to live a changed lifestyle for His glory… “go, and sin no more” Stop and think about it, the Lord stopped the public, shameful treatment of the woman and also pointed out the sins of her accusers without putting either to public shame…

By silently writing on the ground, instead on listing the personal sins of each individual one by one, He was able to reveal to each man his guilty condition while yet allowing their individual sins to be private. By dealing with her, only after the crowd had dispersed, He was able to address her sin in a private way and work an act of grace in her heart and life.

When dealing with sin, the norm for Christ was to work in a very private way between Himself and the sinner. The only times He exposed the sins of others in a public forum was when the sinner had actively led others astray (False teachers, false prophets, and other heretical religious leaders). In those cases, He revealed their sinful condition publically, in the hopes of discouraging those who were predisposed to follow them.  

Our Lesson To Be Learned:

Just as Christ refrained from bringing others to public shame, we should seek to do likewise. Many times this will involve approaching those who have sinned against us privately as the first step to a reconciliation process. It is only after their rejection of this attempt are we to begin to reveal their sin to others (Matthew 18:15-17).

Also, keep in mind, although this woman was guilty of the sin with which she was charged, the Lord still graciously, lovingly, forgave her. Many times, we will be called upon to do the same. Although we are sinned against and justly deserve “a pound of flesh” in return, we are to choose to forgive the guilty party instead of vindictively exposing their sin in a public fashion.   “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32)  

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To Love As Jesus Loved: “Charity Is Not Puffed Up”

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. 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;Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away…   And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity. (1 Corinthians 13:3-8, 13)  

As we continue looking at events in the life of Christ that set a wonderful example for us of Scriptural love. In this devotional, we will see Christ’s willingness to unhesitatingly, humbly, submit to others as He stoops low to meet their needs...  

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90pHMUK647Q]     

Christ’s Life:

 

The Characteristic of Scriptural Love: Is Not Puffed Up (Is Not Proud)

From Christ’s entrance into the world until His exaltation following His ascension, we see Christ (God Himself) ministering to others in the midst of abuse and mistreatment.   Christ’s humility was shown to us in many, many ways as He ministered to fallen mankind… In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men… He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not… And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-4, 10-11, 14)  

Christ, the eternal God and Creator of all things, was the source of all physical and spiritual life. It is this same Creator God who humbly came to the earth as a Man to give the world the light of the revelation of His Father. In spite of all He did for fallen mankind, they did not recognize, nor kindly receive Him.   Yet, He remained faithful to His people and finished His work on our behalf…  “[Let] nothing [be done] through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:3-8)

This is true humility motivated by love… love for His Father and love for those to whom He came.   Christ summarized this aspect of His ministry as recounted by Matthew…  “But Jesus called them [unto him], and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28)  

Our Lesson To Be Learned:

  Christ set the example for us of ministering to others instead of living lives of pride, arrogance and rulership over others. During one of the most shocking displays of His humility, He taught all of His followers the need to, with no hesitation, place no limits on our service to others…   “So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for [so] I am.If I then, [your] Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” (John 13:12-17)  

Are we willing to serve in ANY WAY to which we are called? Are we willing to stoop low to meet the needs of those who do not merit our aid? This is a genuine mark of our Lord for our Lord and for those around us.     
SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
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To Love As Jesus Loved: “Charity Vaunteth Not Itself”

“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. 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;Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away…   And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity. (1 Corinthians 13:3-8, 13)  
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x7AfrjqMZU]  
As we continue looking at events in the life of Christ that set a wonderful example for us of Scriptural love. In every example, we will be seeing Christ choosing to exalt His Father instead of Himself...   Christ’s Life:

The Characteristic of Scriptural Love: Vaunteth Not (No Self-Exaltation)

 One of Christ’s great missions while on earth was to refrain from self-exaltation while seeking to bring honor and glory to His Father. This desire in the heart of Christ was gendered by His great love for His Father. He spoke about this great pursuit in our study for this morning…
Let’s look and see what Christ taught to the Jews, as He explained His desire to bring glory to His Father as a chief goal of His ministry…   “Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or [whether] I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.” (John 7:14-18)
In this account, we can see the depth and authoritativeness of the teachings of Jesus caused the Jews to be amazed and to question the source of His knowledge.   Christ’s response was very revealing. He makes the statement…
“My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.” In other words, Christ was simply revealing the teachings that originated from His Father, the One who had sent Him to minister them.   Then as proof of this statement, Jesus says…  “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or [whether] I speak of myself.”
If they are servants of His Father they will recognize these teachings and know that Christ was speaking the things of the Father. Then Christ makes a very important declaration of His humility and the motivation of His ministry… “He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.”  
In a nutshell, Christ is teaching us is that His refusal to exalt Himself, along with only teachings the things of the Father was a clear indication of two things:
1. His dedication to the Father’s glory was “true” (genuine)
2. There was no unrighteousness in Him (Christ was sinless, proven by His desire to exalt only His Father and not Himself)  
What great love is shown by Christ when He dedicated His earthly ministry to the glory and honor of the Father. Please notice this dedication to the Father was not limited to His teachings but His actions as well…. “Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am [he], and [that] I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.As he spake these words, many believed on him.”   (John 8:28-30)  
Another teaching of Christ also emphasized the principle that humility, along with a desire to exalt God alone in our lives is proof positive of a genuine love for God and possession a relationship with Him. “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men [are], extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as [his] eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)  
Our Lesson To Be Learned: Folks, do we really love our Lord and those around us? If so, we will live our lives for God’s His honor and glory alone. We will do this by using the gifts He has given to us to minister to those in need. As the Apostle Peter reminds us… “As every man hath received the gift, [even so] minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.If any man speak, [let him speak] as the oracles of God; if any man minister, [let him do it] as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”   (1 Peter 4:10-11)  
SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
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To Love As Jesus Loved: “Charity Envieth Not”

“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. 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;Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away…   And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity. (1 Corinthians 13:3-8, 13)  

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1f4YHkUt6o]  

As we continue looking at This will be our first of many devotionals on the events in the life of Christ that set a wonderful example for us of Scriptural love. In every example, we will be seeing Christ giving of Himself for the benefit of others...    

Christ’s Life:

 

The Characteristic of Scriptural Love: No Envy (To Burn Within To Possess)

  Christ’s life on earth was a continuing display of love on behalf of all mankind. One of the ways He showed His love was by willingly doing without for the benefit of others.   His life was lived humbly, as a poor man without complaining nor desiring to possess that which He, in actuality, deserved.

Let’s look and see Christ’s response to one who are preparing to become a follower of Christ…  

“And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain [man] said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air [have] nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay [his] head…” (Luke 9:57-59)  

Here, we find that this “certain man” sought to become a follower of Christ. He speaks to Christ making a commitment to “follow thee whithersoever thou goest”. Or put another way, “Lord, no matter where you may choose to lead me, I will be willing to follow you”.   Christ, in a very kind and loving way, explains to the man the tremendous responsibility that he was taking upon himself. Christ did this by reminding him of the sacrifice of material possessions to which he may be called.

Christ described it like this…. “And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air [have] nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay [his] head.”  

Christ used His own life for the example of one that was not envious of this world’s offerings. He was willing to serve His Father at any cost, even willing to give up all worldly offerings including a simple home in which to live.  

Folks, Christ knew that one of the great hindrances that we face in our desire to follow Him is the willingness to turn our affections from the things of this world to give Him first place in our lives.

This was shown to us in the account of the rich young ruler who sought to gain eternal life and, in doing so, would become a follower of Christ…   “And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? [there is] none good but one, [that is], God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.   He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,Honour thy father and [thy] mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go [and] sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come [and] follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.” (Matthew 19:16-22)  

What stood in this young man’s way to obtaining salvation? It was his great burning love for his worldly possessions. His envy ruled his life and hindered his desire to please God and gain eternal life.    

Our Lesson To Be Learned:

  We should always recognize the great attraction the things of this world hold for us. From sin’s very beginnings in the Garden of Eden we have seen that the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil held a great allurement to Eve and her desires within … “And when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat,”(Genesis 3:6)

May we all show our love for Christ and others by being willing to forsake worldly possessions, when called upon to do so, for the sake of following Christ and helping those who are in need.

After all Christ did that very thing for us… “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”   (2 Corinthians 8:9)    

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

SIH Text Blog: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

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To Love As Jesus Loved: “Charity Is Kind”

“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. 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;Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away…   And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity. (1 Corinthians 13:3-8, 13)  

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdlDLX2mtDw]   

As we continue looking at This will be our first of many devotionals on the events in the life of Christ that set a wonderful example for us of Scriptural love. In every example, we will be seeing Christ giving of Himself for the benefit of others...  

 

Christ’s Life:

 

The Characteristic of Scriptural Love: Kindness (To Be Useful In Meeting The Needs of Others)

  Christ’s life on earth was a continuing display of love on behalf of all mankind. One of the ways He showed His love was by meeting the needs of others.   Anyone familiar with the life of Christ knows that every event in His life could be used to illustrate this wonderful characteristic of love. He was CONSTANTLY living His life to meet some need that existed in the lives of those He touched.  

For our devotional today, I would like us to look at one event that summarizes many of His actions which displays His kindness to those around Him…  

“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly [is] plenteous, but the labourers [are] few;Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:35-38)  

In this account from the book of Matthew, we find much of the work of Christ summarized for our benefit.

Here we are told that Christ met the needs of others by:  

1. teaching in their synagogues,- He taught them truths about Himself from the Word of God which spiritually benefited lost and save alike.

2. preaching the gospel of the kingdom, - He shared with them the good news of salvation which gives entrance into His eternal kingdom. This gave spiritual benefit specifically to the lost.

3. healing every sickness and every disease among the people. – He worked to meet their physical needs as well, as He healed them of many various afflictions and and weaknesses in their bodies.  

Notice how He met their needs:

1. he saw the multitudes– He took the time and care to notice those around Him

2. he was moved with compassion on them, - His love for them produced a desire to help them meet their needs

3. because they fainted, - He recognized their physical needs (fainted – lacking food)

4. and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.– He recognized their spiritual needs (no shepherd, no spiritual guidance)

5. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly [is] plenteous, but the labourers [are] few;Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.–

He was not filled with pride, but recognized His human limitations, sought help from His heavenly Father and His spiritual brethren to meet the great needs around Him.   Oh how important it is for us to follow Christ’s wonderful example as we seek to show our love for others through kindness and compassion!

1. Look for opportunities to be show kindness

2. Allow our love for the Lord and others to motivate and drive us to give of ourselves for others

3. Look for physical needs (which can open up opportunities to share Christ to the lost and encourage the saved.)

4. Look for spiritual needs and share the appropriate truths from God’s Word through our speech and actions

5. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from others. Always seek guidance from the Lord. Also use our spiritual community to find help for those whom we cannot help on our own. Many times, the Lord uses us to recognize needs while using others to help in meeting those needs.  

Our Lesson To Be Learned:

  Always keep in mind… any kindness we show to others when motivated from a heart of Scriptural love is, in actuality, an act of kindness to Christ Himself!  

“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed [thee]? or thirsty, and gave [thee] drink?When saw we thee a stranger, and took [thee] in? or naked, and clothed [thee]?Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me.”   (Matthew 25:34-40)    

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

SIH Text Blog: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/

SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

To Love As Jesus Loved: “Charity Suffereth Long”

“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. 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;Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away…   And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity. (1 Corinthians 13:3-8, 13)  

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlOTdB2RG6Q]  

This will be our first of many devotionals on the events in the life of Christ that set a wonderful example for us of Scriptural love. In every example, we will be seeing Christ giving of Himself for the benefit of others...     Christ’s Life:  

The Characteristic of Scriptural Love: Patience (To Be Long Tempered)

  Christ’s life on earth was a continuing display of love on behalf of all mankind. One of the ways He showed His love was through being very long-tempered in His dealings with those who were living lives in opposition to Him.   Let’s notice two (of many) events in His life that showed a clear withholding of wrath towards those who were rebellious and seeking His harm:      

1. Let’s take a look at what Christ said to the rebellious nation of Israel that refused to accept the message of His prophets concerning His identity and work…   “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen [doth gather] her brood under [her] wings, and ye would not!” (Luke 13:34)  

Although the Israelites had rejected His messengers and sought to kill them, now that He has come to live among them, He was still long-tempered in waiting to bring them to Himself, grant them deliverance from their sins and grace them with an eternal relationship with Him. The only need on their part was to repent of their sinful works and attitudes and turn to Christ in faith. But what was their response to this? “ye would not”. They willfully continued to rebel and reject Him and His works among them.  

Folks, what great love, Christ waited for them to acknowledge the truth of His prophets.   He patiently went the “extra mile” by actually coming to the earth to live with them and prove the prophets’ message about Him was true. As He lived among them, was rejected again and again and then was falsely accused, put on trial, and put to death by these same men (Matt 21:33-41). In spite of it all, on the cross He gave the ultimate display of controlled temper when He prayed “Father forgive them that they know not what they do. (Luke 23:34)”   What great love revealed through the patient withholding of Christ’s temper, anger and wrath.      

 

2. There was another great display of Christ withholding His temper during His life on earth. In this case, He held His temper in the midst of temptation…   “And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.” (Mark 1:12-13)  

In this case, Christ patiently went through forty days of fasting and then stood by and allowed Satan, himself, to tempt Him. Please keep in mind, Christ could have easily sent Satan away at any time, but He held back His temper and allowed Satan to continue with his enticements.   Why did Christ do this? He did this for us. This was done so that we would have a perfect example of faithfulness in the midst of trials and so that we could come before Him, seeking His grace, and knowing that He has shared in the same temptations as ourselves (Hebrews 4:14-16).    

 

Our Lesson To Be Learned:  

Folks, there are many times when we are faced with situations that seem to beg us to lose our tempers and show vengeance towards others. It is during these times that we have a wonderful opportunity set before us to display Christ’s love in our lives.   In both examples, we could see that Christ’s wrath WOULD HAVE BEEN DESERVED BY HIS ANTAGONIZERS (Jews and Satan). And yet, He chose to withhold the wrath that was deserved. Oh how we can learn a very important lesson… even when it seems as if our opposition deserves our hatred, wrath and outburst of anger, to truly live as Christ lived, we are to patiently show them mercy, grace and love.  

May we all take the following passage very seriously and ALWAYS seek to live our lives displaying love for Christ and others through the patient holding of our tempers…  

“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1 Peter 2:21-24)    

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

SIH Text Blog: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/

SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

To Love As Jesus Loved: “If I Have Not Charity, It Profiteth Me Nothing (2)”

“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. 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;Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away…   And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity. (1 Corinthians 13:3-8, 13) 
As we conclude our introduction to this series, I thought it would be good to look at a basic outline for the remainder of our study. This outline comes from the writings of the Apostle Paul found in the book of 1 Corinthians 13:.
In this passage, Paul covers two very important points concerning love:
1. Its importance – vs 3, 8, 13
2. Its characteristics – vs 4-7    
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_bHRvIum_c]  
Let’s take a few minutes to look at this passage in detail…    

Paul’s Teaching:

 

The Importance Of Love From The Writings Of Paul…

  Vs 3 – “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.” Vs 8 – “Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away”  Vs 13 – “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity”
We looked at these verses in our previous devotional.  

 

The Characteristics Of Love From The Writings Of Paul…

  Vs 4 to 7 - “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;Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”  
Please notice in our text that Paul is describing how a Scriptural love is exhibited in our lives. We should never misunderstand Paul’s point. He is not saying that THESE ACTIONS CREATE LOVE in our lives. It is just the opposite. Paul is clearly saying that it is BECAUSE LOVE EXISTS in our hearts, it then PRODUCES THESE TRAITS in our lives.  
A very quick summary of these traits (we will look at them in great detail as we study the displays of love in the life of Christ). :
1. suffereth long – patience
2. is kind; - useful to others
3. envieth not; - do not desire possessions of others
4. vaunteth not itself, - does not brag about self
5. is not puffed up,- to believe we are better than others
6. Doth not behave itself unseemly, - does not shame others in public
7. seeketh not her own, - does not live selfishly
8. is not easily provoked, - does not get agitated, irritated easily
9. thinketh no evil; - does not plan nor desire evil
10. Rejoiceth not in iniquity, - does not find joy in sin of others
11. rejoiceth in the truth; - finds joy in the truths of God’s Word
12. Beareth all things, - willing to put up with things in silence
13. believeth all things, - exercises faith and trust in others
14. hopeth all things, - thinks best of others, sees best in others
15. endureth all things. – willing to bear any burden for extended time period      

Our Lesson To Be Learned:

We can see clearly from this listing that Scriptural love manifests itself in sacrifice of self for the good of others. Stop and think about it. Every one of these characteristics involves suffering some type of loss so that others may benefit. This is the exact point that is brought out by the Apostle John as he looked back at the love Christ showed to us and the need to show that same love to others….
“Hereby perceive we the love [of God], because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down [our] lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels [of compassion] from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3:16-18)
SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH Text Blog: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/
SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com