More excellent way to do grace life

Paul writes in I Corinthians 13: [3] And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

“Any of you willing to give your body to be burned?” asked Preacher Alex Kurz in his study of charity Sunday morning. “I can give my body to be burned at the stake and it’s possible not to have charity.”

“Paul clearly states that the ‘more excellent way’ is the way of life toward another Believer.

“The word charity in the KJB is never used to express the love relationship between God to man, or between man to God, or between husband and wife, parent and child, not even Believer to unbeliever. The word charity is always used to describe the relationship between a saint and another saint.

“Charity is restricted to a love between two Believers, always and exclusively. Charity in the Bible is ultimately love that is sacrificially living for the spiritual advantage of others. It’s this excessive type of love that is active. It’s the action of love on the part of one Believer for the spiritual success, the spiritual advantage of another Believer.

“The excellent way of living, the goal in life, is to live sacrificially for the wealth and the benefit and the success and the advantage of another Believer. That’s what the word charity conveys. The word love doesn’t always convey that. The heart of the Believer should always be, ‘I want you to be spiritually wealthy.’

“I Corinthians 10:24: [24] Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.

“The heart of the Believer desires to see the other brother be spiritually prosperous.  Verse 33: [33] Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

“I Corinthians 8:1. [1] Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

“When Paul talks about charity edifying, he’s talking about the implication of one another.

“Colossians 3:14: [14] And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

“I Peter 4:8 [8] And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

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“Don’t confuse charity with being generous. Sadly, In the modern bible translations, they claim the word charity is restricted to the definition ‘liberal benevolence to the poor and needy.’ They actually think by using the word love instead of charity they’re actually defending what Paul’s arguing.

“In verses 4-7 in I Corinthians 13, Paul lists and describes the traits, the virtues, the attributes, the characteristics of charity.

“In the third section, verses 8-13, Paul demonstrates this way of life is eternal. Charity begins now in the life of the Believer. That should be our goal; that’s the end of the commandment. Recognize this way of living is going to be an eternal way of life. We are literally building into our soul, our identity, this way of living.

“Paul’s saying, 'We need to know who we really are the way God knows us as we are.' How am I known in the sight of God? That’s the kind of knowledge Paul is going to strive for.

“ ‘But the greatest of these is charity.’ Because it’s a way of life. It’s the bond of perfectness and the last component for growth and development. It’s a way of life.

“Why did the KJV translators choose the word charity over the word love—they had access to both of those English words? Again, they understood something about the nuance of the word.”