Well-Compassioned

276 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 3:12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. (2 Tim 3:12) I think we all need to let this statement sink in. We should pay special attention to the word “will!” It's not “might” suffer persecution, it's will! Who “will” suffer persecution? Those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus. Let's break this down a little bit. Those who “desire” to live godly are those who are “determined” to live godly. This “determination” (which we are able to resist by exercising our free will) is a gift from God and it comes from the Holy Spirit, and those who follow the Spirit's leading instead of resisting it, are spiritually alive! (That's what the word “live” implies). When one is spiritually alive, he is “godly in Christ Jesus.” The idea is that such a person is “well compassioned,” He or she takes on the compassion that earmarked Jesus. Just a quick word on compassion. The classic example is the story of the good Samaritan. He had compassion on the man in the ditch, and the word compassion means “his bowels yearned.” Now I know this is a little crass, but I don't know how else to say it, When my bowels yearn I am compelled to act and I look for the nearest restroom! One of the earmarks of a born-again Christian is they are well compassioned, and why not? The most well-compassioned person who ever existed now lives in them! They can't help but listen to the Spirit who prompts them to take action. The compassion of Jesus is summed up in the term “agape love.” Agape love is giving people what they need, not necessarily what they want, and this is where the persecution will come from. People need to know that Jesus is the only way to salvation, but they will come after you for being intolerant. People need to know that sexual sin is harmful, (and yes, that includes sex outside the bounds of marriage) 1Co 6:18 says, “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.” But they will come after you for being an old-fashioned prude. People need to know that abortion is murder, but they will come after you for sticking your nose into their body, conveniently forgetting that there is another body involved. People also need to know that there is forgiveness for these sins and all others, but their flesh keeps looking for other ways to deal with their guilt. Being “well-compassioned is to stick to speaking the truth....in love no matter what! Keep responding to human need around you, (that's love) but never weary of proclaiming biblical truth. It's something we all need! If you do this, you will likely not be appreciated by the world, but neither was Jesus!