The End of Orphan Care by Samuel J. McLure is an in depth study on the Biblical basis for Orphan Care. Two interesting ideas found in the book are the evangelistic nature of Biblical orphan care and the necessity of the Holy Spirit to motivate believers in the work of orphan care. These concepts are important aspects of the book, and are important to a biblical understanding of orphan care.
In the book, McLure lays out three ways in which orphan care is evangelistic. The first way is that the goodness of orphan care shows God’s goodness. Caring for the earthly needs of an orphan not only shows God’s compassion, but functions as a work of mercy, bringing greater order and stability to a fallen world.
The second way that orphan care is a means of evangelism is the opportunity it provides to share the Gospel with the needy. McLure highlights the point that while meeting the physical thirst and hunger of a child is important, we do them little good if we fail to point them to their sin and the savior.
The final aspect of evangelism in orphan care is the testimony that it bears to the world. McLure quotes Matthew 5:14-16 which says – “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” The good works of a believer come only from a new life in Christ that is given by God, and these works put this new life on display before unbelievers.
McLure is aware that orphan care is futile without the Holy Spirit. He explains that seeing the neediness of orphans and hearing the commands of the bible will not in themselves motivate anyone to biblical orphan care. Apart from the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, our hearts are at enmity with God, and we will not love the things he loves. God loves orphans and he loves the building of his kingdom. If we are to be used of God in this work, the Holy Spirit must convict us of the truth of his word, that we are sinful people who need Christ as our savior, and that we should respond to our salvation with love and gratitude. The Holy Spirit does not stop at convicting us of these truths, but he changes our hearts, making us more like Christ, so that we do love what God loves and we do want to do his work.
These are two foundational concepts of The End of Orphan Care, but this is only scratching the surface of the content of this book. McLure gives clear evidence of the need for Orphan Care, and he gives a firm Biblical basis for all his arguments. The End of Orphan Care is a detailed explanation of the ‘Pure Religion’ spoken of in the book of James. The End of Orphan Care is available in Kindle format and Paperback, click here to view the book on Amazon.
My name is Brennan DePace. Born and raised as a pastor’s child, I have always had strong Biblical values. Being Home-schooled, my parents made sure to give me a rigorous and thorough education. I am now a Freshman at Auburn University at Montgomery studying History, with the hopes of attending law school and becoming an attorney.
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