“PUT ON CHARITY, WHICH IS THE BOND OF PERFECTNESS”
Col 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Col 3:14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
In today’s society the term “charity” pales in stark contrast to the way that God would have the saints view the word “charity,” when someone says they are being ‘charitable’ this often means that on occasion they will give something to someone as a ‘gift.’ But this type of action is oftentimes given at a certain time of the year or done in a repetitive fashion by those who feel that their ‘giving out of the kindness of their heart’ is what godly love and charity is all about in the sight of God. However, this is not what godly love and charity is all about. The Apostle Paul tells the Colossians that charity is “the bond of perfectness;” which is how a “perfect man” ought to show godly love and charity in his walk, decisions, and judgment at all times. This is done by allowing the word of Christ to “dwell in you richly in all wisdom” at all times, and thereby letting the word of God work effectually within you on a more consistent basis.
Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Charity is the capstone doctrine for the saint in this dispensation of Gentile grace, it is the “if ye then be risen with Christ” doctrine that is taught to the son to provoke him to change the ‘affections’ (the things that he loves and desires) of his heart, and view the things of this world the same way God the Father would; in all abhorrence and disgust. And once we learn to love “the things above,” we will then begin to “set” our affections on them on a consistent basis as well, and when the son is able to operate upon this type of thinking he will then be able to display the godly love and charity just as God designed it to work within the son. And when the son becomes affected by the doctrine, he will begin to learn how to “mortify” himself from the sinful earthly things that he used to live unto, knowing that because he is spiritually dead to this world; he ought to allow the things of this world to become dead unto him as well. And as we can see in the verses below, God has displeasure for the sinful things of this world; and because we are “risen with Christ” shouldn’t we also view the things of this world as our Father would?
Col 3:6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
Col 3:7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
Col 3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Col 3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
Col 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
Col 3:11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
Moreover, it is because the son is operating upon the “if ye then be risen with Christ” doctrine that will have him to “put off the old man with his deeds,” because he has become “renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” And this “renewed” knowledge will now have a vital component added unto it to produce a successful “new man;” which is godly “charity,” and notice that this knowledge is after the “image” of the Father. This is because this doctrine that fuels the “new man” centers around the Godly nature of the Father; meaning after His likeness, and after one of the main characteristics of His Godly nature: Charity. Therefore, the son must have the desire to be “renewed in knowledge,” and in the progressive knowledge of the charity of God if he wants to successfully “put off” the old man, and “put on” the new man and the “doctrine which is according to godliness.”
1Th 3:3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.
1Th 3:4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.
1Th 3:5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.
1Th 3:6 But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you:
1Th 3:7 Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith:
1Th 3:8 For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.
However, the “new man” will face the “wrath” of this world against him because of who he now has become; this is why when speaking of the “afflictions” and the “tribulation” that he himself endured, Paul tells the Thessalonians: “that no man should be moved by these afflictions,” because he had earlier give them to understand Satan’s plan of evil against them, and this world’s desire to “tempt” them, and give them “afflictions” in the flesh, this is why Paul also says: “for yourselves know that we are appointed” unto these things. And regardless what they faced, they continued to operate upon godly love and charity in all their tribulations and affliction, this is because they had doctrinally ‘grown up’ so-to-speak, and they allowed God’s word to work effectually within them as they “put on” the new man. And it is the “new man” doctrine that teaches us: “while we look not at the things which are seen; but the things that are unseen,” and “if ye then be risen with Christ,” it is this doctrine that we also must live unto because our “affections” concern this world and ourselves; but godly love and charity ought to be centered around the “things which are unseen” just as it was with the Thessalonians also.
2Th 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
2Th 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
2Th 1:5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
Finally, as we can see in the above verses, the Thessalonians faithfulness in the Father’s doctrine “exceedingly” insomuch that their charity also ‘abounded’ even more toward one another. And when the Thessalonian saints experienced “persecutions and tribulations,” they ‘endured’ them all with “patience and faith,” and this was possible because when these sufferings came about in their life they viewed whatever they faced with godly love and “charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.” And as Paul goes on to say that He would have all of His saints to come unto the full understanding and appreciation of what godly charity is all about, and it is continued “godly edifying” that will have the saint to eventually achieve what God called him to be as a son “in Christ;” a man that exercises “charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.”
1Ti 1:3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,
1Ti 1:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
1Ti 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
1Ti 1:6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;
Rod Jones