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)  
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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.     
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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)  
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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)    

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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/

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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/

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

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=oyyMtMs_Otk]  

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.”

Here, Paul is helping us to understand that the motive of love is ABSOLUTELY necessary for us to please the Lord in an act of service we may undertake. If we would give sacrificially to meet the needs of the poor, or be willing to die for the cause of Christ, if these are not motivated by love for the Lord and others, they are of no benefit to us.  

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”

In this text, Paul is reminding us that love is the only gracious gift of God that will last for an eternity: The gifts of prophecy, tongues and knowledge have come to an end with the completion of the accrediting of the New Testament scriptures and the local assembly as the New Testament place of worship. But the gift of love (charity) will last forever.  

Vs 13 – “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity”

Likewise, the gifts of faith and hope will come to an end at the second coming of Jesus. Love will last for an eternity because, even in eternity, we will continue to love our Lord and our spritual family.    

The Characteristics Of Love From The Writings Of Paul…

  “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.”  

We will look at these in our next devotional.  

Our Lesson To Be Learned:   The Apostle Paul understood the great importance of love in our service to God and for the cause of Christ in this world. As we study love, we should always keep in mind that love is the GREATEST of all the fruits of the Spirit, it is the eternal motivating force that resulted in our salvation, our service to Christ and His never-ending glory.  

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: “The Imitation Of Love”

As we continue our look at the many displays of love in Christ’s life through His teachings and our actions, we now continue our brief look at a few of His teachings concerning love…         [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbRiJsAtB8g]  

Christ’s Teaching:

  Another of the subjects Christ addressed during His earthly ministry was “The Imitation Of Love”…

Following Christ’s example of love is a new commandment given to us by Christ…

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another;as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. (John 13:34-35)   The commandment to “love one another” was given to the people of God long before Christ gives us this teaching (Leviticus 19:18).   Therefore, this command is not new in the sense of being taught for the first time.   If this is the case, why did Christ say He was giving them a new commandment? It is important we keep in mind that Christ’s entire statement is… “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”   The “new” aspect of this command was that, now, they had a perfect example of love set before them. Never before had they been given the privilege of seeing a perfect, unconditional, eternal love on display.   They were to follow the example of Christ that was set before them and, in doing so, they would find themselves loving one another.  This truly was a new command they had never previously received.    

Loving others with the love of Christ is proof positive of a genuine salvation experience…

  By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Christ emphasizes that loving others as ourselves is an unquestionable mark of genuine followers of Christ. Our love for our spiritual family, our physical family, our friends, our acquaintances, strangers, and even our enemies tells the world that we are the recipients of Christ’s love and saving grace.    

The apostle Paul describes it in this way in Ephesians 5:1-2…

  “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.”   During His earthly ministry, Christ showed His great love when He offered His life to the Father as payment for the sins of His people. In doing so, He displayed His great love for all to see.  Following His ascension to be with the Father, when His people consistently demonstrate this same type of self-sacrificial love, it is also put on display for the world to see.     Our Lesson To Be Learned:   Following Christ’s earthly ministry, His people have the special privilege of following His example of love and self-sacrifice as we seek to love others as He has loved us. May we all look to Christ as our perfect example of love, and in doing so give of ourselves to others as He gave Himself to us.     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