If you go to a church that requires that you follow a set of rules and doctrines before it will help you, then you are not going to a church of God.
The Good Samaritan shows that the religious (with the excuses of religious doctrines to protect their actions) went on their way refusing to love other’s as they love themselves. Instead they just love themselves.
Luke Chapter 10, verses 25-27:
And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, “Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
He said unto him, “What is written in the law? How readest thou?”
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 neighbour as thyself.”
Luke Chapter 10, verses 28:
And he said unto him, “Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.”
But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?”
Luke Chapter 10, verses 30-37:
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.”
“And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.”
[The Priest did not help the fallen man].
“And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.”
[The Levite also did not help the fallen man].
“But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 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.”
[The Samaritan, the hero of the story was kind, unselfish, compassionate, and seeking to risk self (the robbers could have still been there) and his own money to help this complete stranger. The Samaritan made no excuses about disliking Jews or about wasting money etc. He simply gave with all his heart and soul to make sure that the complete stranger was helped and looked after. The Samaritan was a doer of the word of love.
“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.”
“Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?”
And he said, “He that shewed mercy on him.”
Then said Jesus unto him, “Go, and do thou likewise.”
Now see Jesus made a command here, “Go and do likewise!”
Clearly anyone stating that they follow Christ but are not helping the poor, the needy, the crippled, the widows and the weak, are not following Christ.
Because large amounts of religious put rules of doctrines and conditions before showing love the rest of the world see the religious as phonies and hypocritical.
The religious can talk of walking in love while watching people suffering right in front of them.
And in many cases they won’t help people “unless” (remember there are no conditions to true love) the person has their version of the doctrine or obeys their church rules etc.
False doctrine, is doctrine that claims to follow the God of Love, but it’s actions are of the opposite.
James Chapter 1, verses 26:
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
The excuse that some religious use is that Jesus paid it all, Salvation does not come from good deeds, and that Jesus and James were only talking to the Jews and not the Gentiles. This is an excuse not to follow the truth of God.
If the religious have to make excuses not to show love and care, and keep “God’s Money” (as they call it) to themselves then they are as the religious in the story of the Good Samaritan. They are like the rich man that Jesus said to give his wealth away.
The reason for the misery in the world today is because the religious have fallen back into the same trap as they had back in the days of Jesus. They have become lovers of self, and they have become the goats, and when they call Jesus, Jesus will not know them. They have chosen not to follow the direct teachings of Jesus.
Love is an action word. If you truly love, then you will show that love as God guides you too show it. Not as you choose to show it. You are not to help who it suits you to help, you are too help “everybody”.
To be doers of the word we must love others as we love ourselves. Feed others as we feed ourselves. Dress others as we dress ourselves. Visit the poor, help the unfortunate, wash dirty feet, show deep compassion for the needy, and be the most gentle loving example that Jesus showed us to be.
Life is not about a building called a church, or adoring preachers, Pastors and Priests, and their families. Life is about love in its most caring sense.
All the best from
James M Sandbrook.
Friday, 9 October 2015, 5:03:04 AM.