Have you recently been engaged in a conversation when suddenly disparaging remarks have been made to your face relative your Judeo-Christian beliefs, snide and deprecating remarks made about Jesus Christ even denying the existence of God Himself? It seems like a sharp slap to the face when someone who is considered a trusted friend suddenly blurts out such despicable comments. The times of unity and civility seem to be rapidly dissipating and are being replaced by all manners of disharmony, divisiveness and strife. We see it in national, state and municipal governments all the way down to the smallest unit of government, friendships, even the family. The entertainment business is rife with anti-Christian and anti-God comments and attempts at humor, comments made during the recent US Presidential election about President Elect Trump, Vice President Pence, their religious beliefs and their families were an abomination. The very first Psalm speaks to this; Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so, but are like chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish. (Psalm 1: 1 - 6)
Believers are admonished to shun openly wicked people and not run after them no matter how much fun they are to be with or how nice they seem to be at other times. Whether one understands it or not, they are being openly persecuted and ridiculed for their faith by those who hold a deep seated hatred for God and His Christ. Jesus said, “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure produces evil; for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6: 45)
In order to understand why a supposed friend would act so badly one must understand that when a man or woman turns to God and asks Jesus to come into their life as Lord and Savior, their relationships change positionally, they no longer belong to the world, they belong to Christ. Jesus said, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15: 18 - 19)
Sometimes one wonders about shunning such a person, thinking that perhaps they must have some redeeming quality or something can be said to turn them around, in spite of the vile things they say continuously mocking God and rebuking believers. Often times we see seemingly good but worldly people who turn to Christ and are saved, but those who rail against God and His kingdom, have already made their bed with the devil and so “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways, will receive anything from the Lord.” (James 1: 5 - 8)
This is an admonishment that God expects believers to leave such people completely and not be double minded and wishy-washy about it which only serves to encourage more evil. When one asks in faith, believing without doubt, then God will provide the necessary answers and strength to deal with the problem decisively. One cannot have one foot in the Kingdom of God and the other in the world.
Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
(Mathew 5: 10 - 12)
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