Sister Sunny Sunday School 8/11/13

Sister Sunny Sunday School 8/11/13

1Jn 3:18  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

What would love do?

Charity vaunts not itself and is not puffed up.  It does not boast or be proud or haughty.  It doesn’t work to suppress others or tear down others but rather to build them up even at the possible sacrifice to one’s own desires or status.

Php 2:3  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Php 2:4  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

To think that you know more or could not learn from another is not charity.  We are to esteem each other better than ourselves and desire the increase of the saints more than our own.

Rom 12:10  Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

This means to value the other more than ourselves.  We need to love each other more than we love our self.  Instead of lifting our self up, we need to desire to lift others up.  This is only possible by the love of God.

1Pe 5:5  Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

Grace is given to the humble. 

Grace - G5485 Χάρις charis khar'-ece

From G5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude): - acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (-ious), joy liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy).

Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Jesus is our example.  He is God.  He is love.  He was meek and lowly.  He did not try to lift Himself up but rather ministered to them.  He did nothing to forward His own interests.  He had all power but did not use it for Himself but only for others and for the work that His Father had sent Him to do. 

Jas 3:14  But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

Jas 3:15  This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

Jas 3:16  For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

Jas 3:17  But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

Jas 3:18  And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

To be concerned about your own interests at the sacrifice of others is not wisdom from above.  To be boastful and seeking honor is not having charity.

What would love do?

Matthew Henry -
IV. Charity subdues pride and vain-glory; It vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, is not bloated with self-conceit, does not swell upon its acquisitions, nor arrogate to itself that honour, or power, or respect, which does not belong to it. It is not insolent, apt to despise others, or trample on them, or treat them with contempt and scorn. Those who are animated with a principle of true brotherly love will in honour prefer one another, Rom_12:10. They will do nothing out of a spirit of contention or vain-glory, but in lowliness of mind will esteem others better than themselves, Phi_2:3. True love will give us an esteem of our brethren, and raise our value for them; and this will limit our esteem of ourselves, and prevent the tumours of self-conceit and arrogance. These ill qualities can never grow out of tender affection for the brethren, nor a diffusive benevolence. The Syriac renders it, non tumultuatur - does not raise tumults and disturbances. Charity calms the angry passions, instead of raising them. It is not froward, nor stubborn and untractable, nor apt to be cross and contradictory.

What would love do?

Charity does not behave itself unseemly. 

Unseemly - G807 ἀσχημονέω aschēmoneō as-kay-mon-eh'-o

From G809; to be (that is, act) unbecoming: - behave self uncomely (unseemly).

G809 ἀσχήμων aschēmōn as-kay'-mone

properly shapeless, that is, (figuratively) inelegant: - uncomely.

This seems to be the opposite of graciousness. 

Mat 12:34  O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Mat 12:35  A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

If something gets tipped over, what spills out is what was in it.  If a rose is crushed, it smells like a rose still because that is what it is.  What comes out of us when we are tipped over?  What comes out is what is in there. 

If we act unseemly it is because we don’t have charity.  Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 

Eph 4:29  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

To edify is to build.  Our communication needs to be only that which would build up the saints and tear down the works of the enemy.  To build there must be solid material; all the wood, hay, and stubble must be removed from the building and solid truths used in order for edification to take place. 

Our communication is to minister grace to the hearers.  (See definition of grace above.)

Php 1:27  Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

Are we adorning the doctrine?  Are all our actions and words those that are suitable and appropriate for the gospel of Christ?

What would love do?

Matthew Henry –
V. Charity is careful not to pass the bounds of decency; ouk aschēmonei - it behaveth not unseemly; it does nothing indecorous, nothing that in the common account of men is base or vile. It does nothing out of place or time; but behaves towards all men as becomes their rank and ours, with reverence and respect to superiors, with kindness and condescension to inferiors, with courtesy and good-will towards all men.

What would love do?

Charity seeketh not her own.

What would it profit to gain the whole world and lose your soul? 

1Co 10:24  Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.

1Co 10:33  Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

When we do something, say something, or communicate with another in some way, the test as to whether it is charity or not is, “Did I do that for myself or for the other?”  Charity seeks not her own.

1Co 12:25  That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

No division comes from everyone having charity toward one another.

Rom 15:1  We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Rom 15:2  Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.

Did I do that to please myself or for the good of my neighbor?

Gal 5:13  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

By love serve one another.  Let us set aside our own agenda and use our liberty, granted us by Christ, to by love serve one another.

Php 2:19  But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.

Php 2:20  For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.

Php 2:21  For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.

Timothy had a good testimony.  It seems that everyone else that Paul could have sent were without charity and were seeking their own profit.

1Jn 3:16  Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

We have a lot of desires of what we would like from other people.  We must lay those desires aside to show love in the right way.  As a parent lay down the desire for your child to love you in order that you can do what is best for the child.  As a friend do the same for your friend. 

What would love do?

Matthew Henry –
VI. Charity is an utter enemy to selfishness: Seeketh not its own, does not inordinately desire nor seek its own praise, or honour, or profit, or pleasure. The apostle does not mean that charity destroys all regard to self; he does not mean that the charitable man should never challenge what is his own, but utterly neglect himself and all his interests. Charity must then root up that principle which is wrought into our nature. But charity never seeks its own to the hurt of others, or with the neglect of others. It often neglects its own for the sake of others; prefers their welfare, and satisfaction, and advantage, to its own; and it ever prefers the weal of the public, of the community, whether civil or ecclesiastical, to its private advantage.

What would love do?

Charity is not easily provoked.

Pro 14:17  He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.

Pro 14:29  He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

Pro 16:32  He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

Psa 103:8  The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

The Lord is our example.  He is slow to anger and is plenteous in mercy.  If we follow His example, we will be of great understanding, better than the mighty, and as he that takes a city.  If not then we will deal foolishly and exalt folly.

Heb 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

Anger, when not taken care of, can lead to bitterness.  We don’t want bitterness springing up and defiling not only us but many others too.

What would love do?

Matthew Henry -
VII. It tempers and restrains the passions. Ou paroxunetai - is not exasperated. It corrects a sharpness of temper, sweetens and softens the mind, so that it does not suddenly conceive, nor long continue, a vehement passion. Where the fire of love is kept in, the flames of wrath will not easily kindle, nor long keep burning. Charity will never be angry without a cause, and will endeavour to confine the passions within proper limits, that they may not exceed the measure that is just, either in degree or duration. Anger cannot rest in the bosom where love reigns. It is hard to be angry with those we love, but very easy to drop our resentments and be reconciled.

 What would love do?

Charity thinks no evil. 

Jer 29:11  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

God is love.  He thinks no evil.  His only desire is for our benefit.  He is not willing that any should perish but that all come to repentance.  He desires that all be with Him in heaven.  He will work in every heart to that end.