Galatians 4:16-17 "16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? 17 Those people are zealous for you, but not in a good way. Instead, they want to isolate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them.…"
Often we are excluded from truth by people who wish to keep us under their thumb. These people want to keep us away from godly ones who can enhance our spiritual growth leading us into deeper truth.
There are cliques in families and churches that shun those who are seeking a more full and authentic walk with Christ. They think if they treat us badly for not doing what they do it will cause us to become like them.
When we walk in the light as He is in the light most others will be very uncomfortable with us. They will work to undermine what God is doing in our souls.
These types will attempt to draw us into their superficial Christianity through gossip and intimidation believing they can make us jealous for their group.
Little do the mockers and intimidators realize when Christ lives in us and walks with us we cannot be motivated to fall in lock step with them, we are already in lock step with Christ.
In these last days it seems there is a polarization occurring. The goats are moving further and further away toward hell and the sheep are moving further and further in the opposite direction. There seems to be few in the middle straddling the fence anymore.
There can be no fellowship with unbelievers. We are called to preach truth to them hoping they will listen to become born again, but we are not to become pals or close friends with them.
Those who are offended at our attempts to save them from hell must be left behind, to move on to others who might learn the way of salvation responding in repentance.
Many people lack the faith that God can work in someone without us. Sometimes it takes many people reaching a person. It really is true that familiarity breeds contempt.
The prophets were rejected by those that knew them. The greatest ministries were with strangers and those of towns far from their home towns.
Mark 6:3-5 "…3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t His sisters here with us as well?” And they took offense at Him. 4 Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is without honor only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own household.” 5 So He could not perform any miracles there, except to lay His hands on a few of the sick and heal them."
It isn't that family and familiar community know our sins and failings, because Jesus Christ had none and they rejected Him merely because they had seen Him around all their lives, how could He be God, was their thinking.
And so it is with us, those who saw us grow up cannot bring themselves to believe we are anything but the same as them.
Those who have not been changed into a new creation by Christ do not believe Christ changes people. Even those in the church gatherings today do not recognize miracles when they see them. They may see the changed heart and life of a family member but believe it is a fad that will not last.
Christ is the One Who must work in the hearts of family members. IF they do not receive the truth we speak then we can move on and pray that the Lord will send others to say the same things.
May we place our trust in Christ alone, not in methods or people.
Matthew 10:19
"19 But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say."
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