Christian Opportunities

How do you respond to opportunities to bless your neighbors?  How do you perceive the scripture that says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”  I heard it said that our good works only consist of witnessing to people and nothing else is required.  

If that is true then why did Jesus tell this story in Luke 10:25-37, “And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”

So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”

And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”

But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Then Jesus answered and said: ‘A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?’

And he said, ‘He who showed mercy on him.’

Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’”

What can we learn from this parable?

Our neighbors are anyone we come in contact with regardless of skin color or

nationality.  You don’t need to go far to find someone in need, but you need to be willing to reach out and help even if it is your enemy which was the case between the Jews and Samaritans.  Lack of love always gives us an excuse for not helping our neighbors.  The person that was least likely to help was the one who helped.

Read this in James 2:14-26, “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

It is true that good works can never save you but when you become a Christian your faith will produce good works, in other words they cannot be separated.  It is very simple; faith without works is not faith at all, so when you have the opportunity to help your neighbor I hope you will.  Enough said, I have given you something to think about in case you are struggling with this, I hope it will help.  May God bless you and yours and may you have a super day!!  PS have a Happy Valentine’s Day!!