The exercise of godly love in practical ways is the sum total of Christianity, and yet, according to what is written in the Bible, it is lacking in Laodicea. The golden rule, forbearance with those who are out of the way, helping the less fortunate, and putting the interests of others first, are just some of the natural outgrowths of the indwelling of The Holy Spirit, and unless these virtues are actively exercised, the love of God in the soul will grow dim.
When Christ died on Calvary He died for all people of the earth, thus, because of His infinite sacrifice paid for our redemption, every person is extremely valuable in God’s sight, and as such they should be treated and regarded with respect, dignity and love. In other words, the way we esteem and treat others is a direct reflection of the way we value human life.
If a knowledge of the Bible does not lead us to love our neighbor, and our enemies, then our profession is vain, and will need to be touched by the grace of Christ. In fact, the destruction of Sodom was much more than a judgment against those abominable practices often referred to. The ill-treatment of the less-fortunate was one of a number of sins that had taken root in the doomed city. Let’s read:
Ezekiel 16:49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
50 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore, I took them away as I saw good.
And the apostle Paul sums up the importance of uniform kindness, by showing us the way it is to be reckoned in heaven and on earth. Faith, miracles, and prophesying are all good, but without the gold of love as an undergirding principle, the former are of no value. Therefore, as we behold the perfection of Christ from day we should be asking God to mold and fashion us according to the great Pattern. Let’s read:
1st Corinthians 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
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.
Many good things are mentioned in the passages, above, such as speaking in tongues, the gift of prophecy, martyrdom, faith, Biblical knowledge, and distributing goods to the poor. This last one is of particular interest, for above all others, it seems to be living proof that the love of God is alive and well in the soul.
But according to the apostle, it is quite possible to distribute food to the poor without being motivated by love. Therefore, he goes on to show how the law of love is exercised in real life, how the principle is to be intertwined in our daily experience, and what course of action we are to pursue whenever various situations come our way, which warrant the employ of charity.
1st Corinthians 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
One day as Jesus was teaching the people, He was asked by a lawyer “who is my neighbor”, and Christ proceeded to relate a true incident that had taken place in the area. The lessons He gave from that experience not only describe who is our neighbor, but the example also demonstrates in real terms, how people who profess Christianity are to relate to others, regardless of religion, creed or race. Let’s read:
Luke 10:25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor?
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
There are several important lessons to be derived from this true story, and even though God does not condemn us wherever we have fallen short, yet He is appealing directly to the Christian churches, and individuals to adopt and practice that which He is teaching us.
Point [1] Our “neighbor” does not only include folks who live next door, it has much more to do with us showing kindness to those who are in need. In the story, the man who was stripped of his raiment, and beaten by thieves, was not known by the priest, the Levite, nor the Samaritan, a complete stranger to them all. Yet, because of his dire need, he became their neighbor. Let’s read:
Luke 10:30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
“A certain man” means that his background, where he may have come from, his race, what church he attends, and all the circumstances surrounding his near death experience become irrelevant in this particular situation. He may have been a mayor, a lawyer, a politician, a bandit, or an immigrant, but one thing is certain, he was “A certain man” in need of help, and because of this, he became a neighbor.
Point [2] The priest and the Levite represent some of the religious people of the day, who may claim to know the Bible and it’s principles. But because faith without works is dead, their passing by on the other side demonstrated a callous disregard for human life. Whatever reason they may have come up with for not helping “A certain man” would not be valid in God’s sight, for their actions violated the Golden rule.
Professed Christians should demonstrate in their persons, a consistent and uniform benevolence that transcends racial biases and preferences. We should also be motivated by a selfless interest, manifested by Christ, and which seeks the benefit of humanity as opposed to those self-preservation modes of thought that put our own interests first. This truth is demonstrated in the next passages. Let’s read:
Luke 6:31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
Point [3] Being a good neighbor can involve risk to the one who is thus disposed, for in the story of “A certain man” the good Samaritan could have been robbed and beaten by the very same thieves who had wounded the stranger. But the love of God in the soul does not cause apparent, or real risks to one’s person to deter him or her from doing good.
If we’d only do good when there is no risk involved, then we will need to have a talk with Christ, for the love that is born of God does not retreat in the face of danger, for Paul says, charity endureth all things. This truth was manifested in Jesus Christ, who came to save us from sin, and who was severely beaten in the process. Yet, compassion moved Him to endure all the evil done to His own person. Let’s read:
Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Point [4] Being a good neighbor would involve us being willing to pay the price of being a neighbor, whenever, and wherever there may be costs. The good Samaritan not only ministered to the stranger in his immediate need, but he also made provision for his full recovery. Let’s read:
Luke 10:35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
As the richest nation on the planet, we should be more than willing to share the blessings God has so richly bestowed on us. Professing to be a majority Christian nation should have ripple effects both on a united and individual front.
In other words, just as the pilgrim fathers were once strangers, to whom God’s kindness was manifested, we who have now been recipients and beneficiaries should be willing to follow, where God has led the way. Let’s read:
Exodus 22:21 Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him.
22 Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.
Leviticus 19:9 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.
10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the Lord your God.
33 And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.
34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land: I am the Lord your God.
Thus, in closing it is important for us to understand that there is a huge difference between profession and actual practice, when it comes to loving those who are less fortunate. Just as there are doctors without borders, there should be Christians without borders, meaning that the principle of love should transcend the nuances of race, origins, caste, social standing, or religion. In harmony with this Biblical mandate, we will close with quote from the servant of The Lord. Let’s read:
[Testimonies Vol. 5] The heart in which love rules will not be filled with passion or revenge, by injuries which pride, and self-love would deem unbearable. Love is unsuspecting, ever placing the most favorable construction upon the motives and acts of others. Love will never needlessly expose the faults of others. It does not listen eagerly to unfavorable reports, but rather seeks to bring to mind some good qualities of the one defamed.
“Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” Love not only bears with others’ faults, but cheerfully submits to whatever suffering or inconvenience such forbearance makes necessary. This love “never faileth.” It can never lose its value; it is the attribute of heaven. As a precious treasure it will be carried by its possessor through the portals of the city of God.
God Bless!