When we say, ‘God is good’, we are saying a lot. To expose just one aspect of this truth is to do injustice to the whole. Truthfully, it is in the minutia we see the handiwork of God’s goodness. One such aspect is the fact that He is ‘full of compassion’.
Think about it, His compassion is why He forgives. Psalm 78.38 says— “But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not…”
David said God is full of compassion in Psalm 86.15— “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” David made this part of His thematic thought process as we see in: Psalm 111.4; Psalm 112.4; Psalm 145.8.
Lamentations 3.22 says that God’s compassion never stops— “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.”
It’s because of His compassion, that He choses to forget our sin according to Micah 7.19— “He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
He has compassion for the destitute, as we see in the life of Christ— “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.” (Matthew 14.14)
Specifically, Jesus has compassion for the hungry— “Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.” (Matthew 15.32)
He even has compassion on physical ailments— “So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.” (Matthew 20.34)
All of these demand some kind of action. Jesus patterned for us that when you have real compassion, you act! Jesus healed, forgave, fed, clothed, and raised from the dead. All of this shows His unfailing, intimate goodness. Isn’t it sad how fast we forget what He has already done, when we didn’t get what we want? Isn’t it just as distrusting when we turn from Him the second something went wrong in life, just after He had bestowed his compassion on us before? I can’t help but see the spoiled nature we have as His children. We have such a wonderful Father, yet we forget His compassion on us.
We are the Body of Christ; the hands and feet of Jesus in this age. So, our compassion should be as prevalent as His. The hands and feet of Jesus serve the body. We find this in James 2.14-20— “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”
The two most basic needs for physical survival are: food and clothing. The Apostle Paul said the Disciple of Christ is commanded to be content if he has these two basic needs met. “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” (1 Timothy 6.8) Yet, the person in the James text, is in extreme and obvious need. He is “naked and destitute of daily food.” He is naked— without adequate clothing. He is destitute of daily food— starving to death. He is beyond malnourished, in other words.
If you respond to such a person with only words, something is way wrong. Verse 16 says— “And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?” If you say but do not do, then you have false compassion. This has some major implications, because John said “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” (1 John 3.17) Where is the love of God in you? Ouch! James and John are both saying the same thing then— our love, shown from a heart of compassion, is non-existent if we do not act.
This passage brings us to our key verse, verse 17— “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” Real faith is demonstrated by true compassion. And, true compassion Is faith In action.
A real faith is never alone; if you are truly saved you will care, and you will act.
Man is made up of more than just a body isn’t he. He has an eternal soul. We are not just the hands and feet of Jesus for the body, but for the soul of man as well. This is precisely portrayed in Jude 1.22-23—“And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”
The Bible says those who are not saved are spiritually: Lost, Condemned, Unforgiven, Blind, Halt, Naked, Destitute, and Dead. Therefore, both the body and soul must be taken care of at the same time. If you see a need, act. If you know a lost soul, act.
It is disingenuous for us to claim to have faith in Christ without working out the faith of Christ. As James said— “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
A disciple of Christ is one who is demonstrating, in a tangible way, the compassion of Christ.