- Luke 3:7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
3:9-10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.†And the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?â€
He then tells them what they/we must do. Part of his answer is….
- 3:11 He answereth and saith unto them, “He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.â€
The surface meaning is to give in love, for charity is love….as is written…..
- 1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
So, to clothe and feed the poor, is to love others. They are works we of faith should do….
- James 2:14-16 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (26) For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
On a deeper level when we understand the “meat†of the Word, then we are to share that with others…..
- Hebrews 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Then we are told we are to offer a coat, if we have two. We must first be clothed ourselves. I see not having a coat as not having Christ. Those without Him are spiritually naked and hungry.
Satan and his workers keep Christ from many…..
- Job 24:10 They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry;
But, a “just man,†one that is “lawful and right,†[Ez.18:5] will…..
- Ezekiel 18:7 And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;
If we feed the spiritually starving with the meat of the Word then we clothe them with a cloak of understanding….they are no longer naked and hungry for when they repent and accept Him….they have the Savior.
- James 5:20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
Our goal is to be as perfect for Him as we can be but knowing that we are all sinners…..see that working for Him helps others as well as ourselves as we produce good fruit.