Have You Neglected This Righteous Cause Of God?

By: David Hopkins

Wed, Feb 09, 2005

Righteous Man

There are certain things you should know if you intend to be a righteous man or woman in Christ while rightly working in the kingdom of God.

As believers, we have a responsibility to care for those who have been left without a bread winner, which begins with the responsibility of caring for our own family and relatives who may be in distress.

1 Timothy 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

An infidel is a person who does not even acknowledge God. So what does that say about someone who doesn't take care of his own family in need?

Helping the poor and needy is the only Christ like response there is in dealing with widows and orphans and people that are tragically left without a bread winner.

James 1:27 "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the father is this; to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world".

God is deeply concerned that the poor and needy receive justice and deliverance. This should be high on the agenda for anyone seeking to honor God and receive His divine blessings.

Psalms 41:1 "Blessed is he who considers the poor, The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, and he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed".

The above scripture is one of more than twenty five times in which psalms mention "the poor" , usually either in terms of what the wicked are doing to them or what God is doing for them.

So to be on the side of God is to take up the cause of the poor and oppressed.

Helping the poor has to do with one's responsibilities toward upholding the weak and disadvantaged.

Wherever scripture raises this issue, it challenges us to share at least some of our material wealth with people in desperate need.

Exodus 22:25-27 "If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a money lender to him; you shall not charge him interest".

Whatever charity we show to the poor will be repaid, not necessarily by the poor, but by the Lord because the Lord assumes the debt.

God is aware of what we do and because of that we never really "waste" our charity, even if the person who receives it turns out to be deceptive, God still makes it right. The poor person will have to answer for how he uses the resources God brings into his life.

Likewise, we must answer for how we have used the resources God brings our way, and in most cases God wants us to use at least part of those resources to assist the poor.

Those that honor God show mercy to the weak and disadvantaged, Yet In contrast those that depart from Godly ways abuse and manipulate the poor.

So part of our responsibility as Christians involves seeing that the poor benefit from truth and justice, by demonstrating that commitment at our jobs and communities.

Proverbs 11:24-25 "There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself".

God also condemns favoritism toward the rich and discrimination towards the poor. This includes treating rich people better than poor people based on their socioeconomic status.

Exodus 22:22-24 You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. If you afflict them in any way, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry; and My wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

So in conclusion to take up this righteous cause of God you must provide for the needs of your family. (1 Tim 5:8). Visit orphans and widows in their trouble. (Jam 1:27). Don't be like a money lender to the poor (Ex 22:25-27), and not afflict any widow or fatherless child. (Ex 22:22-24).