What works are acceptable to God?
In Galatians 6:10 Paul says, “Let us do good unto all men…” (working in a soup kitchen, for example). I have a hard time understanding what good it does to help someone by basically polishing the banisters on the sinking Titanic – i.e., helping someone have a more comfortable ride to hell. Or, is the good in keeping them alive long enough to hear the gospel?
In Galatians 6:10 Paul says, “Let us do good unto all men…” (working in a soup kitchen, for example). I have a hard time understanding what good it does to help someone by basically polishing the banisters on the sinking Titanic – i.e., helping someone have a more comfortable ride to hell. Or, is the good in keeping them alive long enough to hear the gospel?
Galatians
6:10
As we have therefore
opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them
who are of the household of faith.
That type of good work is not good [i.e., meeting
physical needs only].
Mark 8:36
For what shall it profit a
man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
That is where charities miss it. Look at their names: Salvation Army; Red Cross; Goodwill. The original intent of a charity was to take
Christian love and show Christ to others, and to also choose to give them the
gospel. I’ll use the example of when I
was back in Chicago: I was learning the grace of God and I always kept
tracts with me. I was outside the White
Castle on 71st and there were some guys sitting out there asking for
money to buy a sandwich; but I knew they wanted to get something [alcohol] to
drink. I went and bought sandwiches and
pop and I sat down and told them, “I could give you this food that would help
you today, but I know you really wanted me to give you money so you could go
get some Wild Irish Rose. I’ll give you
this food, but I’ll also give you this tract because what you need is beyond
the physical. You also need the
spiritual [food].”
1
Corinthians 10:3-4
…and did all
eat the same spiritual meat; and
did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock
that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
That’s what charities used to do. Now, our government takes care of [poor]
people’s needs; but in Paul’s day the Roman Empire didn’t take care of
people. It was up to the saints to not
only take care of one another in the body of Christ first, but if there was a
person who was outside of the faith, a lost person who desired food or drink,
they were supposed to, out of their love for Christ and if they could, they
were to minister food and drink to that person.
Romans
12:20
Therefore if thine enemy
hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap
coals of fire on his head.
People are more inclined to hear what you have to say
about Christ if you feed them. Charities
used to be about fulfilling a need for someone as a Christian. When they gave the people food they would
tell them it was because of the Lord Jesus Christ, and they would tell them
about him and give them the gospel.
I have issue with the social gospel of so-called
Christians who go out and feed the poor and the needy, but they don’t try to
evangelize. What’s the sense then? Should you just make them more comfortable on
their way to hell? No! Use the power God gave us; we can minister to
them, not only in food and clothing, but with the gospel! That’s what you do.
So you’re right.
The purpose of soup kitchens used to be Christian organizations sharing
the gospel, but they’ve left that now and have made it a social thing. It has been secularized so as not to
offend. Offend how? You’re loving them by telling them they’re
going to hell!
2 Corinthians
5:20
Now then we are
ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you
in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
You’re being gracious by giving them food, drink and
clothing. That is good will. Think about Good Will. That is what good will is. And it’s about
your motivation.
1
Corinthians 13:3
And though I bestow all my
goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have
not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
God never
intended saints to deal with the lost and not share Christ. A church near us had a thing on Halloween and
invited the community to a safe place for children to come and have some candy
and a party. A big expensive
shindig. I went there and I waited for
someone to hand me a tract. They didn’t
say anything about the Lord; they didn’t give out tracts; nothing. I was disappointed. They gave out all that stuff and they could
have at least handed out tracts. If we
had the money to do that and we wanted to do something like that, believe me,
we would give out tracts and share the Lord.
They didn’t do that. It was kind
of sad because here was a church that claimed to be Christian but they weren’t
even talking about the Lord Jesus.
2
Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to
make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all
things, may abound to every good work:
Hopefully this helps...!
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