To “Put Feet on Charity” is to follow God by walking in love as Christ did according to 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 and offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor.”
Charity is the love God wants our lives to be characterized by.
Who should live a life characterized by charity?
God’s children, according to I Corinthians 16:14.
What is charity?
Charity is an old English word used in the Bible to distinguish our love from God’s love. God’s love (unlike our love) is supernatural, sacrificial, selfless, sinless, unconditional, unmeasurable, unbelievable, unending, ext. ext. ext. Charity or the love of God is a perfect love; it seeks the highest good of others at Christ’s expense. (Jn. 3:16)
When will we live a life characterized by charity? When we are spirit-filled. The fruit of the Spirit is love……. (Gal. 5:22, 23)
Where does charity come from?
- God the Father. (1st Jn.4:7)
“Love is of God”
- God’s son. ( Romans 8:39b )
“The love of God, which is in Christ Jesus”
- God’s spirit. ( Romans 5:5c )
“For the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost”
Why must we live a life characterized by charity? So that we can:
- Love God ( Mark 12:30)
- Love as Christ does ( Jn.15:12)
- Serve others in love (Gal 5:13)
- Tell everyone (Jn. 3:16)
How do you live a life characterized by charity? (Jn. 15:12)
By keeping His commandments.
“If you keep my commandments you shall abide in my love ……” (Jn. 15:10-12)
Charity is:
- Defined by the nature of who God is.
God is love (1st Jn. 4:8b)
- Demonstrated on the cross.
But God commendeth His love towards us, and that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5:10)
- Described in 1st Cor. 13:4-8:
Charity is described in 16 different phrases in this text. Each phrase is a decision of the will that must be obeyed if we are going to live a life characterized by the love of God.
1. A decision to suffer for a long time.
“Charity suffereth long,”
Love can suffer. God suffers a long time with us. A person may be called to endure a long time with an ill spouse, an imperfect job, a personal health problem, a financial struggle. A person with love does not bail out of these situations, but struggles through them.
2. A decision to be kind.
“…and is kind;”
This kindness is more than a reciprocation of kindness to you. God is kind to the unthankful and to the evil (Luke 6:35). He is not just kind to those who are kind to Him.
Love is a decision to be kind when someone takes you for granted or uses you. It is a decision to be kind when family, friends, people in the church, and the world become cold and impersonal.
3. A decision to be satisfied.
“…charity envieth not;”
Love is a decision to be satisfied with what you have. We can still try to improve ourselves, our position, or our circumstances. However, we should be content with what we have (Hebrews 13:5).
A man should be content with his wife and not long for another. A wife should be content with her husband. The secret to satisfaction is not getting what you want, but wanting what you have.
4. A decision to not promote yourself.
“…charity vaunteth not itself,”
“Vaunteth” means “to boast or brag.” The Scriptures teach that we should let others praise us and not exalt ourselves (Proverbs 27:2).
5. A decision to be real.
“…is not puffed up…”
Love is not about pretending. Puffed up people are those who pretend they are something they are not. It literally means “to take a big breath” and walk around with your chest out.
Love is not fake or deceptive. It is not flattering. It is genuine sincerity. (Philippians 1:10).
6. A decision to not be perverse.
“…Doth not behave itself unseemly…”
Unfortunately, we live in a day when perversion is called love. God is love and there is nothing improper about Him. Love rejects all forms of perversion. (Romans 1:27).
7. A decision to not be self-centered.
“…seeketh not her own…”
Love is concerned about giving, not getting. Love is a life lived for the benefit of others (Philippians 2:7). It is putting on “humbleness of mind” (Colossians 3:12), and being a servant to others.
8. A decision to not get angry easily.
“…is not easily provoked…”
Love controls a person’s emotions. People who love will not fly off the handle easily. They will not become angry easily. They will put away all wrath, anger and malice (Ephesians 4:31).
9. A decision to forget past offences.
“…thinketh no evil…”
The Lord forgives and forgets (Hebrews 8:12). We are to be like Him. We should not have a little black book of offences written down in the recesses of our minds. Love does not bring up the past and throw it in someone’s face. Love does not harbor evil against someone.
10. A decision to not enjoy sinful things.
“…Rejoiceth not in iniquity…”
Sin is no joke (Proverbs 14:9a). It kills. All mankind dies because of sin. Jesus died because of sin. It is not a laughing matter.
As we learn to love God and others we can no longer enjoy that which is our enemy—sinful things. Love changes what we enjoy.
11. A decision to enjoy the things of God.
“…but rejoiceth in the truth…”
Love enjoys truth. Jesus is the truth (John 14:6). The Bible is the truth (John 17:17). Love will lead us to gain pleasure from knowledge, wisdom, understanding, spirituality, teaching, preaching, proper and all that is holy, just and pure.
12. A decision to bear your burdens.
“…Beareth all things…”
Life has a way of giving us burdens to carry (Galatians 6:5). God puts loads on us to try us and prove us. The devil puts loads on us to try to destroy us. We put loads on ourselves by mistakes or wrong choices we have made.
Love carries these. Love does not run from problems and trials. Love faces these burdens and carries them as far and as long as necessary.
13. A decision to trust in God in all things.
“…Believeth all things…”
Every relationship of love will be tested and tried. People will fail us. God will test us to see how much we really trust in Him (I Peter 1:7).
Love produces trust and never loses faith (Galatians 5:6).
14. A decision to hope in all things.
“…Hopeth all things…”
Love is not easily overwhelmed or discouraged. The word hope, in the biblical sense, means “expectation.” Love always has an excitement that awaits for God to work on our behalf. We live the life of the overcomer (I John 4:4).
15. A decision to never quit.
“…endureth all things…”
Love never gives up. Love gives us the character to go through something until it comes to pass.
With perfect faith we believe that God allows trials to come into our life for our own good (Romans 8:28). Love endures every trial, circumstance, sickness, or struggle with the goal of becoming a better Christian and finishing the test.
16. A decision to keep things in proper focus.
“…Charity never faileth…”
Faileth means, “to be driven out of one’s course, to lose your way.” The person who truly loves knows and never loses sight of the fact that life is bigger than we are.
Proud people can not see this. Proud people rarely improve. They know nothing of true love, only self love. When people love only themselves, they rarely enjoy life.
Love is a life of constantly making the right decisions and turning them into actions. Why not ask God the Holy Spirit to fill you with the love of God? Put that on your prayer list. (Phil. 1:9-11) (Eph. 3:14-21)
Keep praying and learning about God’s love!
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, and these three: but the greatest of these is charity. 1st Cor. 13:3
Charity is the greatest:
- Of all human qualities (faith and hope) (1st Cor. 13:13)
- Fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:23-24)
- Gift of the Spirit (1st Cor. 12:31)
- Of God’s commands the first, second and new (Matt.22:37-40) (John 15:12)
- Motivator for living or dying for Jesus (2nd Cor. 5:14)
- Of all the virtues of the new man (Col. 3:10-14)
- Source of edification (1st Cor. 8:1)
- Evidence of our faith and true discipleship (1st John 13:34,35)
- Expression of the love of God for us (Jn. 3:16,17)
Because charity is the greatest of these, God wants our lives to be characterized by charity. (1st Cor. 16:14)