Dear Members and Friends of IBCZ,
Last Sunday our topic was the ministry of mercy we, as the church, are called to undertake. We looked at numerous passages from Scripture that highlight our call to minister assistance to those in need, such as the poor, the orphans, the widows, the sick, the foreigners (refugees), etc. Jesus said in Mt. 25:40 that when help those in need we are, at a deeper level, doing it for Him
Knowing such acts are done for Jesus should in itself be sufficient motivation to come to the aid of others. In addition to this, it is also helpful to think of what He has already done for us. One of the passages we looked at was I Jn. 3:17-18, which states, “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
There is an important relationship between what we have (resources of some kind) and what we see (those who are in need). If we have the resources to help, we will want to help, if as John says, the love of God is in us.
In doing so, we will be following the example of God. For what is our greatest need? It is to have our sins forgiven and to be reconciled to God for eternity. That is our need but we are helpless to do anything about it. But God saw our need, and He had the means to address our need. And so, He sent Jesus, the eternal Son of God, to die on the cross so our sins might be forgiven and we can be reconciled to God. God united what He saw – our need – with what He had.
So, having received God’s saving grace and having experienced the fullness of His love, we are to follow His example. We do so in gratitude to God for what He has done for us, and to show others the same love God has shown us, and now abides in us.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Bob