Are We Responsible for Other People—R Fritz
We are responsible for ourselves, taking care of our spouse and our children. Do we have any responsibility for anybody else? That question needs to be answered. If we see somebody ready to trip or fall over something, do we let them trip or fall? The answer should be no if we know Jesus Christ. We have a responsibility because we know right from wrong. We do not have responsibility for somebody else’s words or actions. We help people because that is what the Bible says and that is what Jesus would do. We love people or were given that love from God. 1 John 4:7,11 Says “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. We were born with that love and give it to people around us.
The world can change that love into different ways we see things and our experiences can change that for good or bad. We see people that have a need. We step up and do it. When we know Jesus Christ, we look past how people are or sometimes how they treat us. When we have the Holy Spirit, love is part of us because God is love. That makes us love and that makes us feel responsible for other people around us. That is why when Jesus died his followers are given the Holy Spirit to be the “Comforter.” It is the “Jesus” that lives in us. John 14:26 says and this is Jesus, speaking “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” Jesus says the Holy Ghost will teach you and bring all things to your memory. How can you lose? You just need to listen and obey
Those that have the Holy Ghost have an opportunity to do greater works than Jesus. John 14:12 says and this is Jesus, speaking “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” Jesus had to go so that the Holy Ghost would come and with the Holy Ghost, we could do great things with the Holy Ghost being our master. We need to have a relationship, study and obey. When you do that, you will be used mightily. You either do what is asked or God will use somebody else.
I have been there and could not do things asked of me years ago. If you love Jesus, you will overcome ourselves. 2 Corinthians 14:15 says “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” Jesus died for all and we should not live for ourselves but unto him meaning we have given our life to Jesus. Our old life and our sinful nature have died. We should be one with Jesus Christ.
I talked about somebody that I had to give a message to last week for not obeying and knowing this for a few years. I have gotten a couple of phone calls from this person. The first one was for God telling this person to apologize to me for getting angry with me. The next day the call was for the action of doing what the Holy Spirit wanted this person to do and needing some help. I had a responsibility to the Holy Spirit to give the message and did not want to give that message but I will not disobey. If you listen to the Holy Spirit, it will turn out better than you expect. We need to trust the Holy Spirit. We should not think about what we think that person will say or what they will think about us. 1Peter 3:8 says “Finally, be ye of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous.” We are supposed to be compassionate and love all people.
Are we our brother’s keeper? That is the answer Cain gave to God after he killed Abel his brother. Genesis 4:9 says “And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brothers’ keeper? Cain lied to God telling him he did not know where Abel was after killing him. We should be our brother’s keeper because we are supposed to show our love to the men and women God puts before us.
If somebody has a need, we are supposed to take care of their need. Whether it be food, clothes, encouragement, or money. 1 John 3:16-17 says “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother has a need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? Jesus laid his life down for us so we are supposed to lay our life down for anybody who needs our help.
There is no question that we have a responsibility for other people and their needs. Jesus showed us first with his words than with his actions that we should step out especially when he has commanded us to care for other people in his Word. The times the Holy Spirit speaks to our spirit to obey and gives us a mission we need to do with the Holy Spirits’ timing are numerous for me. If I am given a mission to speak to somebody, I ask the Holy Spirit to make the arrangements so we hook up when the Holy Spirit wants it to happen. There were times when I tried to find somebody and could not find them to give them a message. I have learned to ask the Holy Spirit and give the responsibility back to get whoever the Holy Spirit wants me to talk to. It works beautifully because I have seen many times, they meet me and I do not have to do anything different, we just show up together. That’s God’s plan, you choose if you want to be part of it. God Bless.
