Finally, someone with a global platform and voice, who rightly divides the word of God says what I've thought all along about thy neighbor and the difference between individuals and the state. You said it much better than I ever could. Thank you Mr Iles.
2 months ago | 47
Well said Martyn 👏great to see another message from you. God Bless your Ministry and Witness 🙏
2 months ago | 17
Another problem is that love is misunderstood to mean that you don't set boundaries.. The biggest act of love is truth and discipline... To promote righteousness and not criminal behaviour... It is because of the wrong understanding and implementation of love that the world is in a mess and unrighteousness became acceptable...
2 months ago | 40
THANK YOU MY BROTHER IN CHRIST JESUS FOR SPEAKING TRUTH TRUTH TRUTH AMEM I look forward to every time you have something new out I’m 59 and I know you’re a young man, but you were a young man that loves the Lord God, Almighty with all your heart and soul and it shows and our father has definitely given you the gift and I thank you for using it to his glory and for his truthpraise you brother I pray for you. You keep going young man and thank you.
2 months ago | 3
This is so well written, it's mine blowing. Thank you for putting things in perspective. Bless 🙏
2 months ago | 10
Martyn never "had me". I know and trust his work too much to contemplate that he would write inconsistently to the Bible. And this piece shows that my faith in his teachings are correct. What I love is this has so many levels I got a lot from it. God bless you Martin. I pray you are doing well.
2 months ago | 6
Very well said Martyn, very clear dissection of the scripture & rightly relating/applying it to the real situation. Rrspect
2 months ago | 6
Thank you! I have wondered if the “love thy neighbor” principle is to be applied to the current situation of illegals in our country. This is very clarifying!
2 months ago | 7
@jorgeeliecerhernandezbeltr1983
Martin, Gracias, Dios te continúe bendiciendo y bendiciéndonos a través tuyo!
2 months ago | 4
Wow! The depth of your take on this is brilliant! Thanks be to God!!🔥
2 months ago | 0
Love of neighbour extends not just to those we meet but to helping the poor here and abroad, the persecuted Church here and abroad, the oppressed and the people in war zones and victims of genocide. They, too, are in our path as we are all connected digitally. Love of God and all people in action as charitable works and sacrificial and generous giving are important.
2 months ago | 2
As only Martin can dissect and disseminate for all of us. Thank you sir🙏
2 months ago | 3
Ooooh for one moment there you had me….😂 I was about to tell my husband, Martin Iles has lost all my respect, he is totally misusing the Scriptures…😉 Funny. Glad I read it to the en
2 months ago | 3
Martyn, you don't have a hammer - you ARE a hammer. A gentle and respectful hammer. It's true, people and nations, mostly post Christian, pull this passage form the Bible, to use it as their hammer to prove a point and advance their ideological/political agenda. These same people/nations openly admit wanting some other people/nations removed from the face of the earth. And not only want, but being active in accomplishing it. Such a controversy between confession and action (incl. the action of thought) derails the train carrying it, leaving it's passengers scrambling. The best picture of charity shines in Christ himself, who was never found ambiguous and betraying his own teachings. And he doesn't put us in a straitjacket of love, instead he lets us learn from our neglects.
2 months ago | 2
Clearly a Luke 12:12 moment. In the courts , Truth is contextual and clear. Jesus, the Just and Righteous One. I am to love, unconditionally.
2 months ago | 1
I really don't think any of us know what it means to "love your enemies" unless you lived through war.
2 months ago | 0
Martyn Iles
Much is being said about love of neighbour at present, in light of migrant policies.
The illustration given by Christ himself to demonstrate love of neighbour was the parable of the Good Samaritan, provoked by the question, “Who is my neighbour?”
It is as simple as this: Your neigbour is the person in need who God has placed in your way.
To love them is to answer their need at the cost to yourself.
The Samaritan in the parable stumbled upon a man in need. He is a neighbour. No other criteria are relevant.
The Samaritan spent his time, money, concern, and convenience on this man, out of his comfort zone and assuming a degree of personal risk.
Notice: this is necessarily interpersonal. It is a command that is supposed to convict you about your own personal life, whether you prioritise your own self or live a costly life of love for those who God brings your way.
Also notice: this is not a command to the state. Who is the state’s neighbour? Other countries? Every person on earth? And, how does the state “love”? It doesn’t even spend its own money. It’s a nonsense. The command doesn’t work if applied to the wrong entity like this. It’s a category mistake.
Scripture deals with the obligations of the state separately, and they are distinct. For example, the state’s powers of punishment and justice exceed those of the individual.
To claim the state must cease from deporting convicted criminals who have entered the country illegally “because love of neighbour” is a mess of an argument.
And notice: this command is not the benchmark for your family. That is higher (e.g. consider the passages on husbands and wives). Scripture takes much more time to articulate the very weighty obligations that flow between families and other such special relationships.
For some people, when all they have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. If all you have in your Christianity is “love your neighbour” then you’ve lost the rest of your toolkit and you’ll be using the wrong tool for a lot of things . . . it’s not even the starting point. That would be “love of God,” which (among many other things) will help you set all of his commands in order and obey them all.
Go, read the Good Samaritan, and don’t make it a political creed. Rather, reflect on your daily life, and love that needy or difficult person in need who God has brought across the path of your life even if it’s not easy.
2 months ago | [YT] | 623