I have often wondered how so many in the visible church, who profess to be pro-life, are able to justify NEVER having gone to an abortion clinic to attempt to intervene to save a baby from being dismembered or born alive into a toilet. If someone knew that their own child was going to be decapitated or deliberately drowned at a certain place & time, wouldn't it be considered depraved indifference to do nothing to intervene? If we discovered that our neighbor knew that a man planned to creep into our window and rape us and did nothing to warn us or to prevent our harm, what would we believe about that neighbor? Would it be sin for them to stand by? Isn't silence an implication of consent? If we knew that a little infant at a particular address was going to be offered up in a bloody ritual sacrifice to Satan at 9am on Saturday, would it be sin for us to go about our business and allow the abominable torture of that child?
If anyone honestly and truly believes that when a baby is murdered by abortion through all nine months of pregnancy that it is the murder of that wee human being, what exactly would stop them from physically trying to save the imperiled infants in their community? How is it loving our neighbor if we keep passing by on the other side of the road, bible tucked under our arm, hurrying on our way to another Christian retreat or conference or even a pro-life 'event'? How does our neglect of the innocents & their lost mothers show them that we love them as we love ourselves?
Although many people have accused me of caring too much about the babies being murdered by abortion, I have to wonder, don't they ever think that maybe, just maybe, they care too little?
I have taken the liberty to gather some thoughts & scriptures & commentaries on a few biblical themes that I believe come into play when we consider whether or not it is SIN to fail to physically intervene for the little orphans who are being murdered by their mothers and the ones whom she hires. Below you will find notes on the Sin of Omission, failing to meet the need of a neighbor who is known to be in dire distress, refusing to love strangers, etc. I would like to ask the reader to continually keep in mind that poor little voiceless babies are being led to unspeakably painful deaths seven days a week in NINE killing times at Orlando Women's Center (www.womenscenter.com). Think about the tiny neighbors in Central Florida (& wherever you live) who are scheduled to have their arms and legs ripped off their body and their heads crushed today and the next day and the next day and the day after that. For those of you in Orlando, as you read the following, think of all the children, like Baby Rowan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfnNzIzvT-k), who are being delivered alive into the toilet every Wednesday, beginning at 9am. Think of abortion as you read the biblical mandate to "Go" to rescue the perishing in Jesus' Name. And, please, ask the Savior to help you obey His great commission ...
For Life & Eternity,
Patte Smith
Sanctuary Ministries
www.sanctuaryministries.blogspot.com
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Sin of Omission
Zephaniah 1:12
Pictured as holding aloft a lamp as He walks, God searches through the city—Jerusalem, Zion—shining a light to reveal everyone to His judgment. No one escapes the judgment of God. Who is He looking for in particular? He looks for complacent men, like the Laodicean. Just as Hosea uses wine to illustrate the principle, Zephaniah also mentions wine though it is obscured in the translation: the words "settled in complacency" are literally "settled on their lees" like the dregs of wine (cf. the footnote on this verse, NKJV)!
Again, the prophet speaks of a prosperous people who had deluded themselves into believing that their physical wealth meant that they were equally rich spiritually. As the years passed, their relationship with God had diminished into lip service and complacency. When God describes them saying things "in their heart," He means a reasoning process that happens internally. A person could not see it with his eyes, but the attitude cannot be hidden from the Judge walking the city with the lamp of truth.
In today's parlance we call their problem "sins of omission." Like the Laodicean, the religious Jew of that day was not on the streets committing horrible crimes like murder or rape or armed robbery. These verses speak about the thousands and thousands of ordinary people who were stagnant and indifferent toward their relationship with God. Their problem was not what they did, but what they did not do.
Nor does God accuse the Laodicean of the more apparent sins in Revelation 3. He is angry with him because of what he is not doing! He is not a true and faithful witness, and indeed cannot be, because of his poor judgment in prioritizing his life. In focusing on his selfish pursuits and self-centeredness, he leaves God almost completely out of his life. Still, he bears the name of God, attends Sabbath services, and at least in a superficial way, worships God on the Sabbath. Yet the relationship is growing cold as he fails to seek Him earnestly as in courtship.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The World, the Church and Laodiceanism
James 1:27 says, "Pure and undefiled religion . . . is . . . to visit orphans and widows in their troubles, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." Notice what he puts first: Pure religion is helping those who are in need, showing your love to them, and then it is keeping oneself pure. Remember, the knowledge God gives us is predominantly and ultimately practical, useful, helpful, outgoing.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
It Takes a Church
...and one of you tells them, "Go in peace! Stay warm and eat heartily." If you do not provide for their bodily needs, what good does it do?
James 2:16
Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled. Express to the needy only kind wishes; that he be warmed by receiving good clothing and fed by food being provided.
What doth it profit? Such good wishes are worthless unless followed up by active help to the sufferer.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
16. The habit of receiving passively sentimental impressions from sights of woe without carrying them out into active habits only hardens the heart.
one of you-James brings home the case to his hearers individually.
Depart in peace-as if all their wants were satisfied by the mere words addressed to them. The same words in the mouth of Christ, whose faith they said they had, were accompanied by efficient deeds of love.
be . warmed-with clothing, instead of being as heretofore "naked" (Jas 2:15; Job 31:20).
filled-instead of being "destitute of food" (Mt 15:37).
what doth it profit-concluding with the same question as at the beginning, Jas 2:14. Just retribution: kind professions unaccompanied with corresponding acts, as they are of no "profit" to the needy object of them, so are of no profit to the professor himself. So faith consisting in mere profession is unacceptable to God, the object of faith, and profitless to the possessor.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
2:14-26 Those are wrong who put a mere notional belief of the gospel for the whole of evangelical religion, as many now do. No doubt, true faith alone, whereby men have part in Christ's righteousness, atonement, and grace, saves their souls; but it produces holy fruits, and is shown to be real by its effect on their works; while mere assent to any form of doctrine, or mere historical belief of any facts, wholly differs from this saving faith. A bare profession may gain the good opinion of pious people; and it may procure, in some cases, worldly good things; but what profit will it be, for any to gain the whole world, and to lose their souls? Can this faith save him? All things should be accounted profitable or unprofitable to us, as they tend to forward or hinder the salvation of our souls. This place of Scripture plainly shows that an opinion, or assent to the gospel, without works, is not faith ...Living to God, as it is the consequence of faith, which justifies and will save, obliges us to do nothing against him, but every thing for him and to him.
I John 3:17 But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?
Geneva Study Bible
{17} But whoso hath this {p} world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and {q} shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
(17) He reasons by comparisons: for if we are bound even to give our life for our neighbours, how much more are we bound to help our brothers' needs with our goods and substance?
(p) Wherewith this life is sustained.
(q) Opens not his heart to him, nor helps him willingly and cheerfully.
Wesley's Notes
...The very sight of want knocks at the door of the spectator's heart. And shutteth up - Whether asked or not. His bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him/ - Certainly not at all, however he may talk, 1Jo 3:18, of loving God.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
...How is it possible that "the love of (that is, 'to') God dwelleth (Greek, 'abideth') in him?" Our superfluities should yield to the necessities; our comforts, and even our necessaries in some measure, should yield to the extreme wants of our brethren. "Faith gives Christ to me; love flowing from faith gives me to my neighbor."
Geneva Study Bible
{17} But whoso hath this {p} world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and {q} shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
(17) He reasons by comparisons: for if we are bound even to give our life for our neighbours, how much more are we bound to help our brothers' needs with our goods and substance?
(p) Wherewith this life is sustained.
(q) Opens not his heart to him, nor helps him willingly and cheerfully.
People's New Testament
3:17 But he who hath this world's goods, etc. If this be true, what shall be said of one who refuses to succor his suffering brother with all his goods?
Wesley's Notes
3:17 But whoso hath this world's good - Worldly substance, far less valuable than life. And seeth his brother have need - The very sight of want knocks at the door of the spectator's heart. And shutteth up - Whether asked or not. His bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him - Certainly not at all, however he may talk, 1Jo 3:18, of loving God.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
17. this world's good-literally, "livelihood" or substance. If we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (1Jo 3:16), how much more ought we not to withhold our substance?
seeth-not merely casually, but deliberately contemplates as a spectator; Greek, "beholds."
shutteth up his bowels of compassion-which had been momentarily opened by the spectacle of his brother's need. The "bowels" mean the heart, the seat of compassion.
how-How is it possible that "the love of (that is, 'to') God dwelleth (Greek, 'abideth') in him?" Our superfluities should yield to the necessities; our comforts, and even our necessaries in some measure, should yield to the extreme wants of our brethren. "Faith gives Christ to me; love flowing from faith gives me to my neighbor."
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
The Holy Spirit, grieved at selfishness, will leave the selfish heart without comfort, and full of darkness and terror. By what can it be known that a man has a true sense of the love of Christ for perishing sinners, or that the love of God has been planted in his heart by the Holy Spirit, if the love of the world and its good overcomes the feelings of compassion to a perishing brother? Every instance of this selfishness must weaken the evidences of a man's conversion; when habitual and allowed, it must decide against him. If conscience condemn us in known sin, or the neglect of known duty, God does so too. Let conscience therefore be well-informed, be heard, and diligently attended to.
"If you love those who love you, what thanks do you deserve? Why, even sinners love those who love them.
Luke 6:32
Wesley's Notes
It is greatly observable, our Lord has so little regard for one of the highest instances of natural virtue, namely, the returning love for love, that he does not account it even to deserve thanks. For even sinners, saith he, do the same: men who do not regard God at all. Therefore he may do this, who has not taken one step in Christianity.
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
Matthew 5:46
Wesley's Notes
5:46 The publicans These were generally odious for their extortion and oppression, and were reckoned by the Jews as the very scum of the earth.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
The meaning, then, is, "In loving those who love you, there is no evidence of superior principle; the worst of men will do this: even a publican will go that length."
People's New Testament
5:46 Do not even the publicans the same? The tax collectors, the gatherers of the Roman tribute, were generally odious, and deemed the scum of the earth, but even they loved those who loved them.
Others salute their brethren, and embrace those of their own party, and way, and opinion, but we must not so confine our respect...Surely more is to be expected from the followers of Christ than from others; surely more will be found in them than in others. Let us beg of God to enable us to prove ourselves His children.
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