“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:18)

In the Good Samaritan account of Luke 10:29-37, we read about a couple of the religious people of that day; a certain priest and a Levite, who both had an opportunity to do the right thing, but failed to do so simply by doing nothing.

There is nothing that we can truly do ourselves to obtain salvation. Because Jesus paid it all, all to Him we owe. In John 3, verses 16 and 17 explain just that. But if we believe, or agree with God, that these facts are true, then we are being obedient to what God required for salvation.

“Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?” (John 6:28)

“Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” (John 6:29)

To see and understand the truth of these words, God must first reveal to a condemned man that he is condemned. Because the wages of sin is death, and sin affects every man that is born; then every man is born under the judgment for sin. But there is “something” that can be done to avoid the ultimate judgment when it is administered. And that “something” is the only way; and that way is to receive and confess that Jesus has already paid the wages of sin for us. And because this is the only “something” that can be done, the doing “nothing” is the worst thing to do.

I think the Priest and the Levite in the Good Samaritan story are pictures of a religious person and a ritualistic person who looked good outwardly, but their actions told the truth about what was on the inside, in their hearts. Their actions revealed what they truly believed. They will have to answer to God for doing nothing. They refused to respond, probably because of fear. Also the wounded man will have to answer to God as well, for what he did. He simply received the help that was offered unto him by the certain Samaritan. For him to do nothing and reject the compassion of the Good Samaritan, would have caused him to experience the full effect of his encounter with the thieves.

In verse 30 of Luke 10, the Bible says that the certain man had been left “half dead.” If the Good Samaritan had chosen to do nothing or the wounded man had chosen not to receive his help, I truly believe that death would have taken its full toll.