charity
John Wesley writes that: "Charity cannot be practised right, unless, First, we exercise it the moment God gives the occasion; and, Secondly, retire the instant after to offer it to God by humble thanksgiving. And this for three reasons: First, to render him what we have received from him. The Second, to avoid the dangerous temptation which springs from the very goodness of these works. And the Third, to unite ourselves to God, in whom the soul expands itself in prayer, with all the graces we have received, and the good works we have done, to draw from him new strength against the bad effects which these very works may produce in us, if we do not make use of the antidotes which God has ordained against these poisons. The true means to be filled anew with the riches of grace is thus to strip ourselves of it; and without this it is extremely difficult not to grow faint in the practice of good works."
It is written in the Quran that God will deprive usury of all blessing, but will give increase for deeds of charity. Paul wrote of faith, hope and charity, the greatest of which is charity.
We are required as Christians to do acts of charity or Jesus will not know us at the judgment. The problem with most Christians in the United States is that they are not liberal in their charity, they are conservative.
Charity is love in the active sense of doing something aside from the emotional quality. The only word in the Bible translated charity means love. It is affection, tender and passionate attachment, a sentiment of our nature excited by qualities of a person or thing which command our affection; a virtue of such efficacy that charity is said to be the fulfilling of the law.
Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men.
Illiberal Christians have chosen to serve mammon and still try to serve Jesus. You cannot have two masters and they have been dominated by money to the extent that along with the financial prosperity that we have, poverty is spreading at an alarming rate here and the exploited countries of the third world. Enough Christian charity could overcome the situation but since there is no money in it, it is ignored. When you do acts of charity, it is Jesus working within you. Do not wait for the spirit of charity, act charitably from a sense of duty and the spirit of charity will come.
[35, BD, I Corinthians 13, II Corinthians 9:13 ]
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