Romans 12 - Living Life - Part 20

Romans 12: Living Life Study 20:

Romans 12v13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Here in verse 13, Paul is referring to helping other Christians in need, as and when we can. Note I said need and not want. By helping other needy people in the Church, such love reflects God’s love. As well as evangelism, the Church also has a social mission – to help cover the needs of those outside the Church.
Part of that need would be giving hospitality to people. We should be looking to pursue opportunities to give hospitality and not just when we want to. If I came to your door, cold, hungry and thirsty, would you feed me, give me a drink and put me near the heater? Jesus taught in the parable of the sheep and the goats from Matthew 25 that any act of love and mercy we do for others, was also an act of love and mercy toward Him.
When we provide the needs of others and practise hospitality we are reaching out to others – just as God reaches out to humanity with a free offer of salvation. Perhaps one of the great sins of our generation is the neglect to do good to others – doing good by supplying needs and practising hospitality. For you see, sin is not just doing bad things, it is also not doing good when we have the opportunity.
Over the last 2 months, my wife and I have been in need. Almost every day of those 2 months, somebody we know has helped us out in helping alleviate that need. We may well be in need for a little while longer, but it is a comfort to know that people care and will help us out at our point of need. Praise God for them!
We Christians show that we love God, by practically loving others. Helping the needy and doing hospitality, not as a means of salvation (for that is by grace alone) but as a means to show our salvation to those in need of embracing Jesus’ love for them. Go and help those in need and practise hospitality. Not just to your friends but also those you don’t know.

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