Grace Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
The Doctrine of Compassion Point 1, Definition. Compassion is defined as a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another's suffering or misfortune accompanied by a desire to alleviate the pain and remove its cause, Gal 6:1-5.
Jam 2:13-18, - if we see needs, cruelty or wrong and that we have the power to stop it, and do nothing, we make ourselves sharers in the guilt.
Three categories of compassion.
a. Genuine compassion.
b. Pseudo compassion.
c. The misuse of compassion.
Genuine compassion is very vital because until a person extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, even including animals, a person will never truly find real peace with God and His creatures.
In the downfall of every client nation to God, pseudo compassion and the misuse of compassion are involved.
Point 2. We noted that the Lord is compassionate toward His people and expects them to be compassionate toward others, 1Ki 8:44-50.
and make them objects of compassion before those who have taken them captive, that they may have compassion on them.
"Any effort that has self-glorification as its final endpoint is bound to end in disaster."
Point 3. The Lord sends messengers and in the Church-age pastor-teachers to warn, reprove, correct and rebuke
His people and the Bible says the reason is because He has compassion, 2Ch 36:15.
In His compassion, the Lord will find a way to get doctrine to those who desire to eat it in spite of all the satanic opposition and false doctrine to stop it.
Point 4. Because of compassion God forgives sin, PSA 78:38.
PSA 78:38 But He, being compassionate, forgave {their} iniquity, and did not destroy {them}; And often He restrained His anger, And did not arouse all His wrath.
David was not disciplined by God because of his sin with Bathsheba, he was disciplined by God because he passed judgment on someone who had done the very same thing that he had done.
He wanted the Lord to be compassionate toward him but he didn't want to be compassionate toward others.
EPH 4:32 And be kind to one another, tender‑hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
This is why a kind and compassionate act is often its own reward.
This is why when we have compassion upon each other and as strong individuals we are able to nurse the weak into strength, and guide the blind until they can see the way for themselves.
2SA 12:7, Nathan then said to David, "You are the man!
David learned the lesson that he taught Solomon in PRO 28:13 He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.
PSA 51:1 "Be gracious to me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Thy compassion blot out my transgressions."
ACT 13:22 "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will."
DAN 9:9 "To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him;
MIC 7:19 He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, Thou wilt cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea.
Point 5. Compassion also motivates longsuffering and patience.
LAM 3:22-23, The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness.
Point 6. Compassion serves as a motivation for the production of divine good.
a. Healing to take place in the lives of others, Mat 4:13-14, Luk 15:20.
b. Compassion motivated our Lord to feed the hungry, Mat 15:32.
c. Compassion motivates identification with those who have lost loved ones in Luk 7:13.
d. Compassion motivates forgiveness toward others, Mat 18:27 "And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt."
e. Compassion motivates the believer to perform divine good, Luk 10:30-37, the Good Samaritan.
HEB 5:2 "He will have compassion with the ignorant and misguided,"
1PE 3:8 To sum up, let all be harmonious, compassionate, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;
ZEC 7:9 "Thus has the Lord of hosts said, 'Dispense true justice, and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother;
EXO 33:19 And He said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion."
DEU 32:36 "For the Lord will vindicate His people, And will have compassion on His servants; When He sees that their strength is gone, And there is none remaining, bond or free."
ISA 49:15 "Can a woman forget her nursing child, And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you."
ISA 30:18 Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.
Our attitude even toward the wicked and unrighteous must be one of compassion, Isa 55:7.
Lam 3:32 for if He causes grief, then He will have compassion according to His abundant lovingkindness.
MAT 9:13 "But go and learn what {this} means, 'I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
MAT 12:7 "But if you had known what this means, 'I desire compassion, and not a sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.
Point 7. Pseudo Compassion.
Pseudo compassion is a system or weapon for the manipulation of people.
Pseudo compassion is a system of manipulation through the use of conspiracy (revolution, human good, activism, socialism, and through the function of political power to achieve political objectives which are contrary to the principles of freedom.
Absalom used the hypocrisy of "concern for others" as a system of manipulation to forge the weapon of revolution out of the people.
Absalom used pseudo compassion as the facade of concern for the people to manipulate the people into a weapon for revolution, so that the power of the greatest king in Jewish history would be set aside for the evil of revolution.
The malcontent status of self-absorption (the third arrogance skill) is vulnerable to the hypocrisy of pseudo compassion.
Point 8. The Misuse of Compassion.
The misuse of compassion can be described in three ways: the wrong use of compassion, the improper use of compassion, and the misapplication of compassion.
Misuse of compassion describes the victims of pseudo compassion, those on a guilt trip, who are sucked into the propaganda of pseudo compassion, 2Sa 15:5-6.
Absalom used his friendly manner, his pseudo compassion, and his stimulating personality to undermine his father's authority as king and to manipulate the people into misuse of compassion.