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I was talking to someone yesterday from church. They had mentioned that because I have a wicked sinful heart, that any and all external acts of benevolence to others was for nothing, and that I was still a terrible person at heart. The idea is that I am over compensating for being a terrible person by appearing to be nice. Essentially, his argument was that even though I had to be nice to him, I should never assume that the generosity will be recognized or awarded. This made me think, clearly me helping others is falling on deaf ears, which then makes me think why should I bother?

I was talking to someone yesterday from church. They had mentioned that because I have a wicked sinful heart, that any and all external acts of benevolence to others was for nothing, and that I was still a terrible person at heart. The idea is that I am over compensating for being a terrible person by appearing to be nice. Essentially, his argument was that even though I had to be nice to him, I should never assume that the generosity will be recognized or awarded. This made me think, clearly me helping others is falling on deaf ears, which then makes me think why should I bother?

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[–] • 4 pts

In previous generations of French 'nice' meant stupid. The point of being charitable is not about being recognized or awarded. If you're being charitable for those reasons then you're not really being charitable.

"What shall it profit my brethren, if a man say he hath faith : but hath not works? Shall faith be able to save him? And if a brother or sister be naked, & lack daily food: and one of you say to them, Go in peace, be warmed & filled : but you give them not the things that are necessary for the body : what shall it profit? So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in it self." (Epistle of James the Apostle Chapter 2:14-17)