2 Peter 1:7b “. . . and to brotherly kindness charity.” KJV Charity. Here is the Greek word that describes the highest form of love, agape. It is the kind of love that is God Himself. Translated as “love” in all other bibles, the King James uses the word “charity.” Because charity is most understood as a selfless gift, the KJV used another Greek word, “charis.” Charis means “gift,” and “grace.” Charity is a gift that does not expect a return. No strings attached.
Whenever the word “grace” is used, the Amplified translation also adds, “unmerited favor,” a gift that can’t be earned. It is the last brick to go into our wall:
Charity
brotherly kindness brotherly kindness
godliness godliness godliness
patience patience patience patience
Self-control self-control self-control self-control self-control
Knowledge knowledge knowledge knowledge knowledge knowledge
Virtue virtue virtue virtue virtue virtue virtue virtue virtue virtue virtue virtue
Faith faith faith faith faith faith faith faith faith faith faith faith faith faith faith faith faith faith
Without all the previous bricks, agape/love has nothing to stand on. But with them, agape/love is the most reasonable and natural result. Do we need a new definition of love? Jesus Himself said in John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” KJV The first letter of St. John also says, “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”(I John 3:16 KJV). Is that what we are learning about the selfless, no-strings-attached, no-return-expected kind of love?
Charity doesn’t just mean sending used clothes and money to poor children on the other side of the world. We’ve got to use our faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness and brotherly kindness to find out what real agape/love is. That can only come from studying and becoming familiar with the WORD. The living WORD of God. We just can’t find it in the world. There are lots of loving people out there. But are they loving with the true, perfect, laying-down-their-lives kind of love? The God kind?
In order to learn what agape/love really is, we need to study how God Himself showed us His love. It started in the beginning, ‘way back in Genesis. When there was nothing but darkness, God, Who is light, injected Himself into it. All creation followed. By the time He finished the Garden of Eden, everything was perfect for the people who were on their way. Alas, when our first parents disobeyed Him, that state of perfection ended. But God was ready right there with the Answer, the One Who was to come.
Jesus didn’t come to pass a law. He didn’t hold a meeting to establish a new policy. HE DIED. That was God’s Answer, TO LAY DOWN HIS LIFE. Unbeknownst to Satan, God knew that Jesus would rise again!
1 Corinthians 2:7-8 “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” KJV
That’s what laying down our lives gets us: RESURRECTION! Maybe not in this life, but we can live in that resurrection life of agape/love with the grace of God as our back-up. Who knew? Certainly not the devil. It was a MYSTERY. The dictionary definition of mystery is “information known only to the initiated.” That’s us! Being born again is our initiation into the resurrection life of Jesus! That’s what the book of Romans is all about.
Thank You, Oh Most Gracious Heavenly Father, that You showed us how to lay down our lives just the way Jesus Your Beloved Son did. He said in John 10:18: “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” KJV Amen.
Restoration Ministries 