Charity is the love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation in our walk, in our talk, in our life. Lets look at what the love of God is and is not.
1 Corinthians 13:3-8
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.
4) Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Suffereth long = endures with patience, is kind
is kind = gentle, gracious, actively produces good in spite of ingratitude
does not envy = not zealous for, doesn't vaunt itself, doesn't boast or brag intending to attract attention.
not puffed up = not egotisical, not self centered.
5) Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
does not behave unseemly = is courteous and polite, never rude or discourteous, not conceited, never acts unbecomingly.
seeketh not her own = not selfish, not self seeking (thinking only of yourself)
not easily provoked = not resentful or inclined to argue or fight
thinketh no evil = walking in love we learn to effectively recognize and deal with evil without becoming occupied or dwelling on evil.
6) Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in truth;
rejoiceth not in iniquity = doesn't rejoice at injustice or wrong doing causing injury. Rejoices in truth, the truth of God's Word, thats where joy and rejoicing is.
7) Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
beareth all things = love bears up under anything and everything that comes.
believeth all things = is ready to believe the best of everyone.
hopeth all things = always hopeful, expecting the best.
endureth all things = endures everything without weakening, remains behind after all others have gone..
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.
Charity never faileth = love never fails, never fades out, or becomes obsolete, or comes to an end.
Keys Words from the Bible on HOW to walk in Love:
1) Study the Word regarding our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:2
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.
To walk in love as Christ has loved us requires an accurate knowledge of his walk in the love of God.
John 13:34
A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
How much did Christ love us? He loved us enough to lay down his life for us.
2) Recognize that God's love is unconditional, He loves the unloveable.
Ephesians 2:4-7
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
God loved us even when we were dead spiritually, without hope. He raised us, seated us in the heavenlies with Christ and He says that in ages to come He will show us the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Jesus Christ.
3) Be a doer of God's Word
To walk in love, literally act on the revealed word of God for it is the will of God.
1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grevious.
We keep his commandments by renewing our minds according to His Word.
1 John 2:5
But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
As we keep and do these words we abide in the love of God.
1 John 3:23
And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
4) Walk in fellowship with God
To walk in fellowship with God is to be in Christ. Christ in a person is salvation, a person in Christ is the renewed mind, ones fellowship.
1 John 1:7-9
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
To walk in fellowship is to walk in love, for God is love.
5) Don't love the world
When you love something you can't get enough of it.
1 John 2:15-16
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
When we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, we are far more fulfilled in every catagory of life than those who love and worship things of the world such as riches or self.
6) Manifest Holy Spirit
The operation of the manifesttions of Holy Spirit produces fruit of the spirit, one of which is love.
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law
7) Remember God loved us first
1 John 4:10
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:16
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
8) Give love to others
1 John 4:11-12
Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
How has God so loved us? Only when we did loveable things? NO!! He loved us when we were dead (in trespasses and sins) and continues to love us even when we make mistakes. We are to love by these standards, not with respect of persons. We don't give to others as a reward for doing things we like, nor do we withold love from a brother who sins. We are to imitate God loving as He loves.
9) Forgive others
To hold a grudge or bitterness against another is contrary to walking in love.
Ephesians 4:31-32
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.
The walk in love is a simple and powerful walk upon the accuracy and integrity of God's revealed Word. If you set your soul and affection on God and His Word and His love, nothing is strong enough to separate you from it.
Romans 8:37-39
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things presnt, nor things to come,
Nor height, not depth, nor any other creature, shall separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Since nothing can separate us from it, we can indeed walk in it.
God bless and keep you.
