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Winter Relief - Spiritual Justification |
Although there is much scripture emphasizing the importance Jesus places on caring for the poor and needy, the modern church has predominately lost its focus in this scriptural responsibility. In all the following scriptures, our Lord reveals the need and importance for this crucial ministry.
1. In the second of the two greatest commandments, which is like the first, Jesus states that you should love your neighbor as yourself." (Mat. 22:37-40) In the story of the good Samaritan, Jesus defines the neighbor as the one who had mercy on, and helped another man in need. (Luke 10:25-37)
2. At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus quoted the following scripture in a Nazarene synagogue from the prophet Isaiah. "The spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor..."(Luke 4:18-19)
3. The following scripture in James 2:15-16 illustrates an example that obedient Christians need to avoid: "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, Go, I wish you well, keep warm and well fed but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" While Heb.11:6 clearly informs us that "without faith it is impossible to please God," James 2:17 profoundly reveals that "faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead..." (James 2:14-17)
4. In Isaiah 58 scripture tells us in a concise and powerful way that our fasting and prayers will only be answered if we spend ourselves on behalf of the poor and needy. (Isaiah 58:1-12)
5. The wisdom of Solomon in Proverbs 14:21 teaches us that ?He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy.?
6. Solomon also makes an incredible statement that illustrates how he thinks our Lord views our relationship with Him when we are kind to the poor: "He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done." (Prov. 19:17)
7. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us: "Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you." (Mat. 5:42)
8. Solomon instructs us to "defend the rights of the poor and needy" (Prov. 31:8-9).
9. James 2:5-7 emphasizes what God has in store for the poor who love Him. "Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised to those who love Him... Is it not the rich who are exploiting you...Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of Him to whom you belong."
10. In Luke 12:31-34, Jesus tells us to ?seek His kingdom...and to sell our possessions and give to the poor." He informs us that doing so will provide treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted..." Jesus concludes these instructions with the spiritual truth found in Luke 12:34 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
11. 1 John 3:16-23 reveals the example of Christ's love in action, an action that saved us, and how we should demonstrate that love to others. This is how we know what love is: "Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything."
12. Lastly, at the end of His ministry, Jesus reveals the profound importance He places on us spending ourselves for the poor and needy. In the judgment of the sheep and the goats, Jesus informs us that eternal punishment or eternal inheritance in His kingdom will be determined by "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine..." (Mat. 25:31-46). Jesus is certainly very compelling when He says: "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Although we are children of God not because of our own righteousness, but solely because of Christ's sacrificial death for us, Jesus commands us to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind - and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus defines the demonstration of our love for Him in John 14:21 when He said: "?Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me."
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