Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.
Sometimes after a hard day at work, a lot of men want to come home to a good hot meal. Like kids who excitedly wait in the hot lunch line at school, we anxiously hang up our jackets, wash off our hands and finally sit down at the supper table. But in my life, I have noticed that people can do many different activities for all of the wrong reasons. Your wife might bring out your supper to the table, but she does it in such a manner that you can tell immediately that she didn’t make the meal out of love for you. Instead of genuinely caring about your needs, she only did it because it was required of her, turning a loving activity into a dreaded chore instead. I guess I would have a hard time eating a meal that was made in such a manner, one that was served warm but upon the cold table of one’s heart. A dinner that was perfectly seasoned, but surrounded with the condiments of bitterness.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
A marriage is more than just a wedding ring, it is the state of one’s heart. A family is more than producing children, but caring about them enough to guide them which way to go. There is a big difference between doing something simply because it is required, or doing it because you truly care about the other person. Many people can even be involved with all types of different religious activities, but they are completely void of love for the Lord Jesus, or even the salvation of their own neighbor.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (KJB) Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 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. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Charity is to possess love, benevolence and Goodwill, being filled with a generous and helpful heart especially towards the needy and the suffering. This passage teaches us that some people can be very religious on the exterior, but completely void of genuine charity inside of their hearts, which is further illustrated in the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Luke 10:30-37 (KJB) And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
The Lord Jesus rebuked many of the religious leaders of his day, referring to them as a generation of vipers, and hypocrites who were full of dead men’s bones. He even made a scourge and drove people out of the Temple. But although He is filled with a great passion and love for the will of God, He is also filled with a great love for the people, and had an innumerable amount of works that surrounded His ministry.
John 21:25 (KJB) And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.
But some people will do all types of religious works for all the wrong reasons. The Lord Jesus warned his disciples that some people were doing them not because they loved others, but they loved to be seen.
Matthew 23:5 (KJB) But all their works they do for to be seen of men:…..
Jesus and the Apostles warned the people numerous times about the dangers of wealth. The Love of money is the root of all evil, and when their possessions and finances are worth more to them than helping out the poor brethren in the church, the love of God is not in them.
1 John 3:17-18 (KJB) 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.
Remember that love is much more than just claiming to possess that virtue with your lips. I mean, people claim to love the Lord Jesus Christ all the time, but sincere love is proven by one’s deeds and Truth. It’s proven when we obey Christ. It’s proven when the rich help the poor. It’s proven when we warn people about the eternal consequences for sinful living. It’s proven when men rise up and preach God’s Holy Word.
There are innumerable good works that one can do throughout the day, but works without charity will not profit you at all. In many ways they are just like a bitter wife in the kitchen, who is going through all of the motions, but in the end it’s just another bowl of……
……Cold Soup
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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