Unity, Liberty, and Charity

Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him ... Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. - Romans 14:3, 19

There was controversy in the early church. Some participated in activities others thought unacceptable. Participants thought the abstainers were prudes, abstainers thought the participants were sinners.

The Apostle Paul called both to focus on Christ not themselves or each other. We don't have to agree on everything to love God together; and we don't have to worship the same way or at the same place to worship the same God. We can each trust God will change each other as we, both, grow in Christ.

All Christian churches are 95% in agreement in faith and practice. They all confess Jesus is LORD and believe God has raised him, bodily, from the dead.

There's an old saying attributed to an ancient theologian, St. Augustine:

In essentials UNITY,
In non essentials LIBERTY,
In all things, CHARITY.¹

-fritz

Faith Additives - Charity

"...add to your faith...charity" - 2^nd Peter 1:5b,7b(KJV)

Peter tells believers their faith still needs something to be successful. ¹ He ends the list with "charity", the Greek word "agape" (ah-gah-peh), meaning a selfless love expressed to those around us.

There is an old poem:

To dwell above with the ones we love...
Oh, that shall be glory!
But to dwell below with the ones we know...
Well, that's a different story!

Love is not a feeling for someone gone or far away, it's kindness done to a bad neighbor, to the co-worker who just threw us under the bus (you know what I mean), and to the teen with a bad attitude".

Not automatic but something to be added, if we can't make our faith work enough to be kind to these people our faith isn't really working at all.

¹Faith Additives

-fritz

Faith Additives...

"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ...for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:" - 2^nd Peter 1:5-8, 10b (KJV)

They tell me all major brands use the same raw gasoline, the only difference is the additives. With the additives your car is to last longer and run better and cleaner.

Peter tells believers they, too, have the same raw faith as his own but they need some additives to run well and grow in Christ.

He lists seven (7): Virtue ("excellence"); knowledge (experience); Temperance (self control); Patience (cheerful endurance); Godliness (piety); Brotherly kindness (fraternal affection); and Charity (benevolent affection).

It's time to give purposeful thought to spiritual maturity!

- Fritz