Charity in All Things

The saying "In Essentials, Unity; in Non-essentials, Liberty; in All Things, Charity," has become a very popular motto in Christian circles today. It is rivaled perhaps only by that other dictum which asserts that "we speak where the Bible speaks, and are silent where the Bible is silent."

We have undoubtedly heard both these sayings many times, and can even concur with the veracity of each. However, there is another old cliché: "actions speak louder than words."

Jesus taught that the ten commandments could be summed up in two: 1) love God, and 2) love your neighbor. The Scribes and Pharisees were very good at teaching the ten commandments, but they were far from proficient in setting the example for others to follow. In fact, they had made the commandments of God of no effect.

Jesus stressed that it is not enough to be able to quote the ten, but one must actually live out love in his daily life.

The apostle Paul emphatically stated: "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" (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

It is amazing to me that so many Christian churches and organizations stress, with great emphasis, their belief in such Christian principles as love, patience, humility, etc., and yet so often Church bureaucracy is anything but characteristic of these Godly attributes.

Our religion is vain if we are unable to validate our teachings by our godly living—walking in love.