One of the hardest things in life is to stand for an unpopular truth while holding no contempt for those who seek to vilify, misrepresent and destroy both us and the truth we speak.
Notice these words that accompany the birth of Jesus:
“Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those WITH WHOM GOD IS PLEASED.”
When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
I went to check on this verse because in my mind I had misquoted it to say “peace on earth and good will to all men with whom He is pleased.” I thought this verse implied that God was pleased with all men…but I was mistaken.
NOTICE: God extends heavens favor to those who WITH WHOM HE IS PLEASED. True, “God so loved the world” – sinners all -” that He gave His only begotten Son” as payment to reconcile man with Himself.
But God was NOT PLEASED with Herod or the atrocity that would soon follow as 2000 innocent little children were killed in Herod's quest to destroy the newborn baby Jesus.
We are called to a challenging task…walking in love with both eyes open. Speaking the truth yet never hating those who oppose us. Realizing that some can be redeemed, and that others will reject redemption because their hearts are not only set against truth, but set on the destruction of Christ and His people.
It may sound simplistic but there are three categories of people in the world:
1. The wise
2. The foolish
3. The evil
Paul said: “And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith.” (2 Thess 3:2)
The FOOLISH are those who do not know what they are doing. They do not know that there is a deep enmity in their heart toward God. This is the bulk of mankind that oppose Christianity as a way of life. To such Jesus prayed “Father forgive them, they do not know what they do.”
The EVIL are those Paul speaks of. He was not like many of the modern Christian community, wearing cosmic glasses and seeing all people as good and confusing God loving all, with Gods pleasure or approval of all. Regarding the evil- You cannot reason with such, because they have no faculty to reason in the first place.
Love all, but do not be naive. There is a battle raging in the heavens and God needs an army “wise as serpents, yet harmless as doves.”
Pray for discerning of spirits.
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