The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Biblical reason for helping the underclass

I had always thought the reason for helping the underclass is to show them the gospel and Christ's love for them, even in their time (or life) crisis. Since the vast majority of them have no interest in the gospel after receiving help from Christians or a church. I started to think it is better for us to let them remain in their current state instead of helping them because by meeting their physical needs allows them to ignore their spiritual needs. God is using their circumstances in getting their attention about their spiritual circumstance. Most often, helping them does not draw them closer to God. They mostly see Christianity as helping people with their physical needs, not their spiritual needs of having their sins forgiven.They see Christianity as being all good works.

Recently, I begin thinking that Scripture calls us to help them because they are made in God's image, not as a method of evangelizing them. Yet, we are definitely called to preach the gospel as our primary focus. How can we do one without neglecting the other?

I think this idea of helping the "underclass" as a means to create an opening to "share the Gospel" was simply someone's brain child who either didn't understand that salvation is of the LORD or who thought he had a "better way to win souls for Jesus". And personally I think the whole idea is nothing short of deception.

We are to help those in need as we are able because they are in need. We are also to be discerning in our giving as well. It is unwise to hand out $5 bills to every panhandler on the street who says he/she is hungry, knowing that the money would probably be spent on anything but food. My practice, when I was able, was to tell the person I wouldn't give them money, but if they were truly hungry, I would be more than willing to buy them breakfast, lunch or dinner. More often than not, they wouldn't take me up on my offer, which justified my practice of not handing out money.

We are to evangelize and preach the Gospel because every man, woman and child is under the wrath of God and destined to eternal damnation if God doesn't show them mercy. And the means by which God extends His mercy and grace is through the Gospel (Rom 1:16; 10:12-17). And, I just have to mention that indiscriminately telling people "God loves you" or any other unbiblical, psychologically manipulative phraseology is not the Gospel. Sometimes we will only be able to plant the seed by explaining just a bit of who the true living God is and/or who is man and what he was like before the Fall and then after the Fall (1Cor 3:6-9). One cannot honor God nor do anyone any good by rattling off some 10 second sound byte of a gospel message which is meant to stir someone's emotions enough to read a trivial so-called prayer on the back of a business card.

In my estimation, we are to do both when possible. And our motive to help the "underclass" and/or to bring forth the Gospel is because we have a passion to do so having received an abundance of mercy and grace from God Himself.