As we discussed this morning, the Lord is full of compassion. He has certainly had compassion on us. Compassion is “sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it”. What does God want us to do with the compassion that he extends toward us? He wants us to have compassion, Jude 22. We should:
Forgive our brothers’ trespasses
Matt 18:23-35 shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? The Lord has had pity on us. He paid the entirety of our sin debt. There is not one sin of all the sins we have committed that he hasn’t forgiven or that he won’t forgive. Our sin debt is like this servant’s debt. It’s huge and we couldn’t pay it. So, when some one trespasses against us, the Lord wants us to forgive their trespass. Forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you”, Eph 4:32.
Have compassion one of another
1 Pet 3:8-12 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing. There are times when someone is going to do something evil and we are not to give it back to them. Or they may rail on us, and we are not to rail on them. With compassion we are conscious of their distress and we try to alleviate it. Therefore, keep your tongue from evil and speak no guile. Seek peace and ensue (strive to attain) it. You do this and the Lord will open his ears to your prayers.
Have compassion to help with our brothers’ needs
1 Jn 3:17 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? Heb 10:34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. What you lend to the Lord he will pay you again, Prov 19:17. We will have more opportunities for this in the future.
Tell our friends what Jesus has done for us
Mk 5:18-20 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. Jude 21-22 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference. We should seek to help those who may be in the same case as this demon possessed sinner was in. 23 goes on to say, And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire. Most of us would probably rather scare the hell out of them than try to love them to Jesus.