This well-known parable describes working compassion as contrasted to selfishness. It also clarifies just who is our neighbor.

Some have wondered, 'How far should we go in helping someone who is not in the church of God?' How does the Bible respond to this question?

God's way of life is a way of outgoing concern for the good of others. It is offering a hand to help others to do what they cannot do for themselves.

Our hearts may overflow with compassion for someone in need, and it could be in our power to help, but if we take no positive action, what good is it?

Showing God's love to our neighbor goes beyond wishing him well but extends to actively doing him good. It means doing what will benefit him.

Without the gift of God's Holy Spirit, it is impossible to understand the kind of love which Christ commanded of His disciples.

When we become fixated on past resentment, we will never find opportunities to display mercy, enabling a repentant brother to move forward.

Mercy is an important dimension of God's character, displayed by our compassion on and forgiveness of those over whom we have power.

It is impossible to become perfect without having mercy or compassion. Jesus' command to become perfect includes showing compassion to our enemies.

Driving out the evil must be followed by cultivating goodness and righteousness. An antidote to depression is to get our hearts focused on someone else.

Kindness goes hand-in-hand with love. It is an active expression of love toward God and fellow man, produced through the power of God's Spirit.

God's way of giving is true altruism, and while we will never attain to such a perfect standard, He exhorts us to develop this characteristic.

Just as love can be feigned to get a spouse's money or loyalty can be faked to attain a promotion, so can compassion be put on to gain sympathy, votes, and power.

Mercy is a virtue that has gone out of vogue, though it is sometimes admired. Jesus, however, places it among the most vital His followers should possess.

God is actively involved in the lives of His people. The command to love our God with all our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves cannot be carried out passively.

As the Good Samaritan took pity on what normally would be his adversary, we are obligated to be sensitive to the needs of those around us, enemy and friend.

Because kindness is love in action, we must galvanize our thoughts into concrete behaviors, including offering encouraging words and performing uplifting deeds.

We are obligated to show compassion and mercy to all, refraining from gossip, exercising righteous judgment, forgiving others and applying the Golden Rule.

Jesus kept the two great commandments flawlessly, providing us an example. These two great commandments are where most of our self-examination should revolve.

The parable of the Good Samaritan depicts a way of life God intends all His called-out Saints to follow.

Micah provides a formula for being a Christian: 1.) Doing justly, 2.) Exercising mercy and 3.) Walking humbly. These demand total commitment, not a pretense.

We are called to take on the very natōre of God, to pōt on the love of God. Sōrprisingly, We can rekindle oōr first love by ardently keeping God's Commandments.

The harsh religion of the Pharisees was unfeeling, placing more attention on rituals and man-made laws, and had turned their super-righteousness into sin.

Jesus set the bar very high when it comes to love. We no longer live for ourselves, but to Christ, who commands us to love everyone, including our enemies.

Communism presents itself as high-minded in its redistribution of wealth, producing prosperity for all. However, reality belies collectivist theory.

Christians who 'sit out' opportunities to serve, becoming in effect couch potatoes, commit sins of omission which may lead to the Lake of Fire.

The Good Samaritan parable teaches that unless one practices doing good rather than just knowing good, his faith will be severely compromised.

Thoughts, words, or behaviors not in alignment with the mind of God are also violations against God's law. Foolishness should never be part of our conduct.