Information Related to "Are We Our Brother's Keeper?"
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Are We Our Brothers Keeper? |
America witnessed its share of Good Samaritans during and after the recent World Trade Center disaster. They are to be commended for their call to duty and sacrifice, some even giving up their lives in the process. Like the original Good Samaritan, their examples should remind us of God's love for mankind, which transcends even such outstanding examples of human love and sacrifice.
God calls us to a way of life exemplified by Him and His Son, Jesus of Nazareth. "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:7-8).
You and I can come
to understand and apply the kind of love and sacrifice Jesus made for all
humanity. The Bible describes it as being our brother's keeper,
one
who unfailingly "keeps" his brother or sister. Such constancy is
more than an immediate and unplanned sacrifice for others, commendable as
that is. To be your brother's keeper means to consider your neighbor's needs
at all times, whether he is present or not.
A brother's keeper is one who understands godly love as expressed in Christ's sacrifice (John 3:16-17). That kind of love is embodied in the final words of Jesus as He hung dying on the stake: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23:34). This is what Jesus asked of the Father for His murderers.
This kind of love for others is not a part-time job but a way of life. It follows the example of the Good Samaritan at all times. Ultimately the way of life God desires for us involves God's calling (John 6:44), repentance from dead works and faith toward God (Hebrews 6:1-2). To learn more, request our free booklets Transforming Your Life: The Process of Conversion and The Ten Commandments. GN
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Related Information:
Sidebar to America's Good Samaritans: Selfless Sacrifice and Heroism
Table of Contents that includes "Are We Our Brother's Keeper?"
Origin of article "Are We Our Brother's Keeper?"
Keywords: brother's keeper Christian living God's way of life
God's way of life: