In All Things Charity





I once heard a man say, "men of faith pray short prayers". I also believe men and women of faith, enlightenment and understanding can say more with less words. Unfortunately, I have a ways to go in that department! One of the most powerful sentences that I have ever read written by mortal man was written by the pen of St. Augustine. He said, "in essentials unity; in non-essentials liberty; in all things charity." How many wars could have been averted, how many churches could have remained united and how many friends might have remained close if these words had been taken to heart.





Of course the argument will arise trying to answer the question, "what are essentials"? The essentials would have to cover only the most central of doctrinal issues. In these things we must have unity or else we would in time evaporate as a Kingdom influence on the earth. Most of the time the things that divide us however, are not the essentials at all but the petty preferences guarded by pride. It is in these issues where we must make the decision to allow and embrace liberty. The harder a person fights to protect a non-essential, the more they reveal their pride shallowness or immaturity.





Then we come to the last part of the sentence: "in all things charity". Whether there is unity in non-essentials or even the essentials, there still must be charity. There is a time when we are released from walking with a person because they don't embrace our doctrine. However, there is never a time when we are released from the commandment to love.





Romans 5: 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.