Carnal compassion!

It certainly is a good thing to have our minds set on God. To have our purpose set according to His will, and to focus our walk through life on top of his footprints.

It benefits us to find His voice and live a life of righteousness, a life of justice and of peace, a life filled with compassion for those who suffer, for the sick, for the Hungry, for the oppressed.

We know this is a good thing, most human beings understand the great glory of a life filled with love and passion for the good of others, and in fact many men and women of the world dedicate their lives to do exactly that.

And the reason why so many of us instinctively run to the help of others when they are in distress, is because we were made that way, and because beyond our sinful nature, there is a built up need in our hearts for compassion and love and selflessness,

We were made at the perfect image of God, and God is perfection, he is perfect Justice and love, and a merciful God. He has shown us His character in so many ways, that we would learn from Him and practice what we see as a child learn from his father, and imitate His ways.

Yet as an apple with a worm, we have a decaying nature, a nature which drives us to do things which most times we know are displeasing to God. And we often fall in this rut and get stuck doing things which make us miserable, just to gain a few minutes of pleasure.

That is who we are many would say; but I tell you we are a special creation, a favorite of the almighty, who took the time to make us perfect, to make us much like him, who gave us abilities many of which we have not even yet discovered, who gave us his love, and who beyond all that, set aside His throne, and came to earth in the form of a feeble man to pay the price for our own guilt. That we could be reconciled to Him and that His glory could be revealed to us.

And we know all of that, and we still reject Him, just so we could gain a small moment of carnal pleasure. We reject the hand that is giving us the key to eternal enlightenment so we can have a few minutes of physical relief, which often carries with it long hours of pain. Who is to understand such contradiction, such senseless patterns?

So many of us in spite of ourselves engage in helping others selflessly; an act that comes straight from God, and yet live a life of debauchery, of recklessness, that is odd isn’t it?

God teaches us in the book of Romans that; “the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. (Romans 8:7)

In other words, if you are living a life apart from God, doing things which displease the Lord, it does not matter how many good deeds you do, you cannot please God.

It does not matter that you build hospitals, or rescue lost children, or that you run to the rescue of those who are trapped. If you are being controlled by your body, and acting according to its demands for carnal pleasure, you are lost yourself and in need of rescue. It does not matter that you say that you love Jesus, it does not matter that you pray to God every day, it does not matter that you live a life of frugality and dedication to the lost, a life full of compassion and love for others. If you live in disobedience to the laws which the Lord has put in your heart, you need to repent.

We are all children of God, and as God’s children we ought to follow the steps of our father, but there is not half ways to this requirement, we either love Him completely or not love Him at all. We cannot have it both ways.

I have experienced hundreds of cases of individuals who live a life purposed on the good of others, whose only joy is to see the smile of a hungry child being fed, or the sight of relief of those who are drowning when they are being rescued. And that is a wonderful thing. But living a life for the flesh is still the same whether you live if for love or for hate, living a life for the world, does not bring you a single step closer to God, living a life which does not involve the spirit, living a life which does not include life eternal, a life which does not include Jesus Christ, it is still living a lost life, a wasted life, a life of condemnation.

Many will say. How can you tell me that a person who dedicates his life to the good of others does not go to heaven! My answer is; “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away”. (Isaiah 64:6)

We simply cannot please God by just doing Good. Those who were listening on the day on Pentecost at Peter’s first preach asked, “What shall we do” and his answer was clear and straight forward. “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:37-38).

Following the Lord in true obedience may not seem easy to do, but once you bow to him in repentance, it becomes a second nature, you let Him lead, you follow, and rejoice in your new life. It is the following part which seems so tough to many, then that is another subject which we will discuss at a later date.

May the Lord give you a heart full of compassion, and a humble heart full of love for others, and love for Him.

Rev. Jose A. Luna

A servant of Christ Jesus

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