 
The Return of the Good Samaritan
By Doug Phillips
Posted September 30, 2005
Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses. (Nehemiah 4:14)
Self Government or Statism: The Battle for the Family
 The defining cultural issue of this generation is the battle for the Christian family. At stake is the definition of marriage, the meaning of masculinity, the preservation of a godly seed, and the future of a multi-generational vision of victory in which our posterity will continue to enjoy the blessings of liberty.
This battle must take many forms. We must proclaim truth from the pulpit, disciple our children around the table, model Christ in our households, and even “stand with the enemies” in the very gates of the land without fear (Psalm 127). But there is another oft-overlooked, but crucial component in a wise strategy of defense for the Christian family — we must reject the welfare junkie mentality, stop looking to the state as our provider, and look to God to work through His people with private-sector solutions to real problems.
Two Theories of Salvation
The Bible indicates that it is the duty of the people of God who make up the Church, not the state, to meet the needs of the Church. Though we have a duty of love and charity toward all men (1 John 3:17,18), our first obligation is to the household of faith (Galatians 6:10), and those directly within our jurisdiction of responsibility (1 Timothy 5:8). Those who fail to provide for their own are deemed “worse than infidels.”
A key difference between Christianity and humanism is our soteriology (our view of salvation). Christians believe that man’s basic problem is sin. Humanists believe man’s basic problem is his environment. Consequently, humanists advocate salvation through legislation. The idea is that the State can save man through education, wealth redistribution, or other environmental changes.
The Christian Duty of Self Government
Christians, not the federal or state government, are to care for their own, including widows and the fatherless (James 1:27). One reason for this is that such care is given in the name of Jesus Christ and for His sake. A second reason is that long-term giving must come with accountability. A third reason is that God has ordained the state to wield the sword as a minister of justice (Romans 13), not to become a welfare agency.
The contrast between the Christian vision of care and the statist vision was manifest during the recent devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. On the one hand, the potential of communities marked by (1) fatherlessness; (2) welfare statism; and (3) immorality to produce large numbers of individuals given over to pillaging and mayhem when disaster strikes was highlighted in bold on the streets of New Orleans. On the other hand, the most effective disaster relief efforts were accomplished not by the government, but by local Christian churches and organizations like the Southern Baptists who demonstrated resourcefulness, organization, love, and a desire to minister in the name of Christ.
New Options in Health Care for Christians
Few problems are as potentially devastating to the family as the rising cost of healthcare coupled with the burdensome expense of most medical insurance programs. In fact, the number one reason stated for bankruptcy in America is not credit card debt, but unpaid medical bills. The simple truth is that wise parents need to do what is in their power to safeguard themselves and their children against a potential crisis due to a medical emergency. On a more fundamental level, the Christian community needs to take a good hard look at their biblical duties — one toward another — in meeting the needs, especially the needs of the sick and infirm.
It is for this reason that I am so personally grateful for Samaritan Ministries — America’s premier private-sector solution to the rising cost of medicine. Today, I want to go out on a limb and do what we have never done before at Vision Forum — offer a special endorsement of a medical program.
The Big Picture
In making this endorsement, my mission is to (a) further Christ-centered private sector solutions to real problems; and (b) to answer the question: “How can I afford healthcare for my family?” In my view, wise twenty-first century Christian fathers will not only embrace their own duties to anticipate the need for providing care for their families, but will seek creative means for encouraging the Church to step up to the plate of its responsibilities through diverse means designed to show the love of Christ in the way we care for one another.
As one of the administrators of the Vision Forum Ministries Life and Liberty Medical Program, I have personally observed the devastation that can come to families who lack medical coverage, either because they do not prepare for health crises, or because they can not afford coverage. On the other hand, I deeply sympathize and personally relate with the tremendous expenses associated with healthcare.
What is Samaritan Ministries?
The highly professional executive team at Samaritan Ministries is made up of deeply committed Christian professionals (some are personal friends of mine) who understand that it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. And the candle they have lit is burning bright.
Samaritan Ministries is not an insurance company. Samaritan seeks to meet the needs of the saints through Christians helping Christians. For more than a decade, Samaritan Ministries has been the “shared medical assistance program” of choice for thousands of families. Their track record of support and satisfied members is simply superior. This is a medical assistance provider that is run on Christian principles, by Christians, for Christians. More than just an outstanding alternative to the overwhelming costs of insurance programs, Samaritan Ministries is a means of strengthening individual families and the Body of Christ through a program of personal responsibility, prayer support, and shared financial needs. The benefits of being a member of Samaritan are strong, and the cost is extremely reasonable. In fact, Samaritan families pay a fraction of the typical costs to insure a family through an insurance provider.
Do Yourself a Favor — Investigate This God-Blessed Option
The mission of Vision Forum is to encourage the rebuilding of the Christian family. Samaritan Ministries makes my life, and the life of the families at Vision Forum, easier by standing beside us (and we beside them) in the advancement of this mission for the glory of God. They bless us by helping families with healthcare needs, by modeling a godly vision of Christians helping Christians, and by providing cost-effective, excellent alternatives to the exorbitant expense of modern healthcare.
With gratitude to the Lord for the executive team and the faithful families who have wisely and successfully managed Samaritan Ministries for more than a decade, I want to invite you to learn more about them at SamaritanMinistries.org or by calling (888) 2-OTHERS. Moreover, as a satisfied subscriber to Samaritan Ministries and a Christian brother who is deeply grateful to them for their principled efforts to work within the Body of Christ to provide crucial financial medical assistance, I am pleased to wholeheartedly recommend this Christ-proclaiming, family-defending ministry to my brothers and sisters in Christ. There is no doubt in my mind that God has raised Samaritan Ministries up for such a time as this.
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