Having No Pity for the Poor Is a Sign of Being an Unsaved Person
Although not everyone who has pity for the poor is saved but one of the signs that a person is definitely not saved is having no pity for the poor. Here are a couple of verses from Proverbs that shows how having no mercy for the poor can be a good indicator that you are not saved:
Proverbs 14:31
He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.
Proverbs 17:5
Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.
Proverbs 19:17
He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
This reminds me of the story of the rich man and Lazarus where we read the following;
Luke 16:19-31
There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: [20] And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, [21] And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. [22] And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; [23] And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. [24] And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. [25] But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. [26] And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. [27] Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: [28] For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. [29] Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. [30] And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. [31] And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
It's sick how the rich man saw Lazarus at his gate, he had the resources and did nothing at all to help the helpless beggar. Lazarus was longing for the crumbs that fell down from the rich man's table. One big indicator that the rich man wasn't saved was that he had no pity for Lazarus or for the poor in general. It's evident that later he who denied a crumb of food for Lazarus who was diseased is now denied a drop of water in the flames of Hell. Verse 25 tells the painful truth that the rich man's lack of sympathy for the poor was indeed a sign that he wasn't saved at all.
At the same time, it would be good to question the motive of helping the poor. Are you giving money to the poor to look good in public or do you do it out of a heart that's sympathetic for them? Are you helping the poor because you love the LORD or do you do it in hopes of reaching Heaven? There's a difference between genuine pity vs. fake charity. One seeks to help the other while the other is merely external. What kind of pity towards the poor do you have?
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