1 Corinthians 13:4, Charity Is Not Puffed Up (2)

1 Corinthians 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.

This is a man who realises that the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). He is desperately aware that the garment of his redemption is not his own. It was graciously given to him by the sacrifice of his Saviour on the cross at Calvary. He knows that it is by the mercy of God that he is not consumed. He knows daily that he transgresses God’s commandment and is in need of daily repentance and cleansing and renewal.

 He realises that his abilities and attainments are by the grace of God and therefore dare not boast of any innate superiority. This allows him to be a blessing to point others to God through Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect example in that he humbled Himself to be humiliated and suffered to take the weight and bear the burden of our sins. The Bible tells us by His stripes, we are healed. The way of the cross was most excruciating, the cruelest way for punishing criminals. Yet, our Lord bore it all to purchase our redemption. Having known the truth of how we have gotten that righteousness with God, it must help us to realise that it is all by His mercy and grace that we are taken from hell and speed along the pathway to heaven.

Hence, let us give to our Lord all praise and glory, by a spirit of humbleness as Christ did in His earthly life. This is the character of God’s love that is void of arrogance but endued with humility. This is the only way to live this new life in Christ. It is a fruit of the blessed Holy Spirit to esteem others better than ourselves to say, you first, I will follow. May the Lord grant to us this humbleness of heart that points many to Christ to the praise of His name. Amen.