Footnotes. Bible quotations from N.I.V.I'm sure you have heard it said that God wants you to love your neighbour.
A expert in religion once asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbour?" In reply Jesus told the story of a man who had been viciously attacked. "They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away leaving him half-dead." 1*.
I can see a picture in this of how I once was when I was attacked and robbed and I should have been given up for dead! That well describes what the greatest robber of all does to every person's life! The Devil attacks and robs the life God gives to you and me and he can make living a misery! God describes the sinner's condition as being "dead in transgressions and sins". 2*.
I certainly needed a "neighbour" to come to my rescue!
In Jesus' story "a priest happened to be going down that same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side." 3*. After the priest had come and gone the man was only getting worse!
Have you noticed that in your life too? No matter how often the "priest" comes, or how often you go to a priest, sin still goes on destroying your life! The "priest" is powerless to change your condition! 4*.
Jesus then told of a levite who came along. Would this religious man, who attended to the duties of the church, help the dying man? "When he ..saw him, he passed by on the other side"! 5*.
Maybe you had hoped that your condition before God would be helped by religiously attending to the duties and sacraments in your religion? Surely you must realise by now that there is no real change - your life continues to be destroyed by sinfulness! And in God's sight you are still "dead in sin"! 2*.
Is there no hope?
Jesus' went on to tell of a Samaritan who came along that road. Jews and Samaritans would have nothing to do with each other! 6*.
When the Samaritan saw him "he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn," and paid for all he needed! 7*.
This reminds me of the One who came to my rescue. One who should have been my enemy! I had proved myself to be an enemy to God so many times; why would God want to rescue one so dead in sins? Yet He did! God sent His only Son to save a sinner like me from certain death and hell! 8*. What amazing love that God would pay the price of His own Son's life to save me! 9*. And He wants to save you as well, of course!
Trust Jesus to forgive and save you NOW; and then you will be willing and able to show kindness and compassion to others "just as in Christ God forgave you." 10*.
Christian, be a real neighbour to those being destroyed by sin and take to them the glorious Gospel of God. Tell them of Jesus' free offer of love and forgiveness and urge them to trust in Jesus.
Read of loving your neighbour in Luke chapter 10, verses 25-37.Bye for now, John Nixon, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
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1 Luke 10:29-30.
2 Ephesians 2:1-5.
3 Luke 10:31.
4 See Jeremiah 5:30-31. Psalm 146:3.
5 Luke 10:32.
6 See John 4:9.
7 Luke 10:33-35.
8 See John 3:16-19. Romans 5:1-10.
9 Romans 3:21-26.
10 Ephesians 4:32.