Through various means one can hear of the horrendous persecution of our brother and sisters in Jesus Christ. In response a Christian will become horrified about this situation. This is not merely an emotional reaction but it is true Godly affection. We will through this love seek ways to help our suffering brothers and sisters.
How is it that one can have so much concern for those whom one has never met?
The fruit of the Spirit is love........
Galatians 5:22
This genuine concern is not self generated. Nor is it a learned behavior, The natural man does not love as God loves. One of the best statements comparing and contrasting our love from that which God possesses is found in the Heidelberg Disputation of 1518 written by Martin Luther.
The love of God does not find but creates that which is pleasing to it. The love of man comes into being by finding what is pleasing to it.
The strangers mentioned above are not doing anything which pleases us so that we will love this person. However, God's regenerating power places within our hearts this sacrificial compassion so that we will sense the suffering of our brothers and sisters and seek out ways to help.
Our love will never be perfect on our own steam. Due to the perfect life of Jesus his righteousness is placed on us Our Father sees us as his holy children in his dear Son. Our response, although incomplete and partly done in self interest. of helping our suffering fellow Christian is faith in action which will match up our lives with our confession.
But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
(1 John 3:17-18 ESV)
Jesus also bore our failure to love God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves. We justly deserve God's present and eternal punishment for this failure to be as he is. This sin of imperfect love is not laid to our account. We need not use our brothers or sisters as means by which we can complete our salvation. This is the glorious done deal of the Gospel.
Let us trust in this Good News and live in its peace. Amen. †
Let us trust in this Good News and live in its peace. Amen. †
