Often we lament the fact that we do not have family support for our walk with Christ. Christ is enough be joyful and confident in Him.
I am stronger supported by Christ than if I had been supported by family. Support from ungodly people is often superficial and insincere, it is not real help but almost a burden.
In these cases, it is better to be alone with Christ.
The Incomparable Christ
13 For He rescued us from the [b]domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: 16 for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.
17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
18 He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross."
Isaiah 60:2
"For behold, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness is over the peoples; but the LORD will rise upon you, and His glory will appear over you."
Ephesians 6:12
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world's darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
The struggle we endure in this life is not just in the world, it is also in the church gatherings because they have been filled with the worldly-minded unregenerate people who love to pretend they are Christian but have no love for Christ.
Narcissism is rampant everywhere now causing many to pretend to be good while they remain in rebellion against God. They are more interested in appearing good on the outside without having a changed heart. OR, they try to change their own heart in their own power without Christ, full of pride at their own accomplishment.
Their love and service fall short because it is not Christ working in them, it is their monstrous pride in self-glory that dominates and controls them.
The hostility against the Word of God while defending their own idea of goodness, using scripture to justify their arrogance they misuse God's Word and rage against those who expose their lies.
We are living in the days of apostasy, when self is on the throne and not Christ.
2 Timothy 4:2-4 "…2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. 4 So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.…"
These apostates defend the sin of others who defy God and abuse those who speak the words of God.
Isaiah 30:10
They say to the seers, "Stop seeing visions!" and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy to us the truth! Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions."
Jude 10-11
"10 But these people disparage all the things that they do not understand; and all the things that they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed.
11 Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have given themselves up to the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
12 These are the ones who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, like shepherds caring only for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted;
13 wild waves of the sea, churning up their own shameful deeds like dirty foam; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved forever."
Because we as a culture are so accustomed to the way things are we are easily fooled by happy smiles and phony kind deeds. As long as the outside appears good we do not look into the hearts.
Galatians 5:22-23
"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
This fruit of the Holy Spirit is only seen by the Spiritual mind of those who have been born again, it is a heart matter that only those who love Christ will be able to discern.
1 Corinthians 2:13-15 "…13 And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14 The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment.…"
Finally, we will not be understood by most people, not even those in church gatherings because those who think in terms of God's Word will come against nearly everyone since our minds think automatically in Biblical terms.
Most "Christians" take parts of the Bible they believe elevate them in some way out of context and believe they have been faithful to the Bible when there is very little of God's Word they actually honor and obey.
Do not be dismayed when you are reviled by those who say they love you but do not, and do not be dismayed when they betray you in favor of being accepted by those they wish to impress, God sees it all and judgment is coming.
2 Timothy 2:12-14 "…12 if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us; 13 if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. 14 Remind the believers of these things, charging them before God to avoid quarreling over words, which succeeds only in leading the listeners to ruin.…"
Those who are self-important and resistant to truth will never listen and will punish anyone who attempts to reason with them, let them go.
May God have the final say in all things for His children, may He teach us truths that sustain us and grow us in holiness. May we ignore our emotions that lead us to become like those who revile us. The temptation to react rather than respond rationally is always present as the devil messes with our minds, don't let him.
James 4:6-8 "6 But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.…'"
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