UNDERSTANDING COMPASSION
(week 42/14)
OLUBI JOHNSON
Compassion is one of the 3 components of divine love: wisdom, compassion and power.
Compassion is SPIRITUAL (NOT EMOTIONAL) sensitivity to what God is feeling about the needs, weaknesses and sufferings of men.
Hebrews 4:15 AMP: For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have A SHARED FEELING with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning.
Observe that divine compassion BEGINS IN THE SPIRIT (BECAUSE GOD IS A SPIRIT (JN. 4.24)) NOT EMOTIONS even though it will touch our emotions.
1John 3:17-18 AMP: But if anyone has this world’s goods (resources for sustaining life) and sees his brother and fellow believer in need, yet closes his heart of compassion against him, how can the love of God live and remain in him? (18) Little children, let us not love [merely] in theory or in speech but in deed and in truth (in practice and in sincerity).
Observe that it is OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ALLOW GOD’S COMPASSION TO FLOW FROM OUR SPIRITS INTO OUR EMOTIONS AND ACTIONS!
So, like the Lord Jesus, to be moved by compassion, you MUST BE SPIRITUALLY SENSITIVE.
Luke 7:12-15 KJV: Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. (13) And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. (14) And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. (15) And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
Contrastly, the prophet Ahijah DID NOT HEAL Jeroboam’s son because he picked what GOD WAS FEELING and not what JEROBOAM’S WIFE WAS FEELING IN
1Kings 14:6, 12, 13 KJV: And it was so, when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, that he said, Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam; why feignest thou thyself to be another? for I am sent to thee with heavy tidings. (12) Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when thy feet enter into the city, THE CHILD SHALL DIE. (13) And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: FOR HE ONLY OF JEROBOAM SHALL COME TO THE GRAVE, BECAUSE IN HIM THERE IS FOUND SOME GOOD THING TOWARD THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL in the house of Jeroboam.
So compassion IS NOT JUST DIRECTLY FEELING WHAT MEN ARE FEELING, BUT WHAT GOD IS FEELING ABOUT WHAT MEN ARE FEELING! So what we feel in compassion does NOT COME DIRECTLY FROM HUMAN EMOTIONS, but THROUGH WHAT GOD IS FEELING ABOUT HUMAN EMOTIONS, WHICH IN TURN COMES THROUGH GOD’S WISDOM ABOUT THE SITUATION AND THE PEOPLE INVOLVED.
So we increase in compassion by becoming MORE SPIRITUALLY SENSITIVE by revelation knowledge of God’s Word and praying in the Spirit with tongues and all kinds of prayer (Eph. 6.18, Rom. 8.26, Gal. 4.19) with travail.
1John 2:5 KJV: But whoso keepeth his word, in him VERILY (TRULY AND NOT DECEITFULLY) is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
1John 4:12-13 KJV: No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and HIS LOVE IS PERFECTED IN US. (13) Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, BECAUSE HE HATH GIVEN US OF HIS SPIRIT.
