"Do You Need Charity?"

"Who Needs Charity?"

What is it that makes an organization a charity? Today we often find ourselves using this word to describe an organization that we can donate to so that we will be able to receive a tax write off at the end of the year. Isn't that usually what non-profits remind us of in their ads and commercials.

"Donate your car to our organization and you can get a tax write off at the same time!"
Sometimes the benefit to us for donating is emphasized much more than the organizations real purpose, or is it their real purpose to help others, we may ask ourselves. It really is a shame that charities have to promote this way but I'm afraid they wouldn't get near as many donations if they didn't!

So, the question I am asking myself today is, "What is our benefit from a spiritual stand point to give to charity?"

First, I need to understand charity and it's meaning! I chose a passage out of about twenty-six in the Bible that spoke about charity. Let's look at 2Peter together,

2Peter 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

Peter is writing to his fellow believers here and he has told them that the divine power has been given in all things pertaining to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called them to glory and virtue. Then he said, looking into the Greek translation, that by this glory and virtue they would receive the greatest and valuable promises that allow them to become associates of the godlike germination and growth in verse four. It also says in this verse that they have escaped the decay that is found located in the orderly arrangement fixed and in place through the longing of things that are forbidden.

According to the literal Greek this is how this verse would have read and it sounds to me that we can choose either way! We can receive the greatest and valuable promises that also allow us to grow spiritually or we could have decay found in place on this earth by the longing of the forbidden. I'm not sure about you but the first choice sounds the best to me! Then I must ask myself, "Why do so many people, especially in leadership positions today end up choose to long for the forbidden things and let decay set into their lives, their homes and their relationship with God?

Let's look at verses five through seven and see if they help us understand what causes people to make this seemingly foolish choice.

It starts out in verse five with the words "And beside this,". What does that mean? It means that the believers can also, in addition to being associates of the godlike growth, they should give (at the same time) every bit of their eagerness and haste to add to (furnish besides) their faith (their conviction) virtue (valor, excellent) knowledge. Then he continues to say that they should add to their knowledge temperance (self-control); and to temperance patience (cheerful endurance) and to patience godliness (piety) and to godliness brotherly kindness (fraternal affection); and to brotherly kindness charity (plural love, affection to all).

Next he says that, if these things are in you and are increasing rather than decreasing; you will not be barren (useless) neither without fruit in the knowledge (discernment) of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Wow! There seems to be allot more to this charity thing than we thought originally, huh? I thought it was an organization that gave tax deductions and it says here that it is part of what we have in us alive towards the rest of the world that allows us to show the people around us love and affection! It is by this that we will not become useless and we will have the ability to make decisions with clarity of mind like our Lord would!

I don't know how you feel right now, but that's pretty exciting news to me! I see in this entire passage that I will be able to live an empowered life with the greatest of promises that will allow us to grow in the ways of our creator, our source from which we all originated. We can be given all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of our Lord who has called us to dignity and excellence! That is how this would be worded based on the literal Greek translation found in Strongs Greek and Hebrew Dictionary.

Is it such a hard decision to make? Do we really need reminding every weekend, when the good times start to roll, to make the right choices?

Do we need to constantly struggle in our daily journeys with temptations that lead to decay of the heart and soul?

Why should we?

Why should we not struggle and not need reminding of this each week?

We will go into this in the next message.

Until then, may grace and peace increase with you through the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ our Lord!

Have an excellent day!

Let's pray,

Our heavenly Father, giver of grace, peace, honor and excellence in spirit and body, I come to you today with a grateful heart knowing that we are given hope through your divine power! Hope in all things pertaining to life and godliness through your knowledge. I thank you Lord for the promises and divine nature you have planted in my spirit and my life today! I claim it as my own as I eagerly add to my faith excellence, knowledge, self control, cheerful endurance, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity. Most of all charity; a love for all of mankind! Amen.