“If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.” (1 John 3:17, The Message)
...Turn a cold shoulder to a brother or sister in need. This is one of those scriptural directives that is clear and unambiguous. We ought to help a brother or sister in need. When we turn a cold shoulder God's love disappears in us (since this is a paraphrase Mr. Petersen is going for the spirit of the message, not the letter). It's not that God's love disappears, it just disappears in us. The ESV reads: How does God's love abide in him? As if to say, "How can you claim to have God's love in you when you don't even help a brother or sister in need?" A good question.
Charity—especially to those of the faith—is most basic to the Christian life. We need to remember this...and practice it faithfully.
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