Standing Strong and Remaining Blameless

Many years ago, a non-Christian friend "accused" me of changing as though it was a bad thing. She didn't like the new me after I trusted Christ. She preferred the old me, full of sin and sadness.

 
I am convinced the new me, full of forgiveness from God and joy living in His Spirit, was convincing to her. She did things to attempt to derail my walk with him, I presume with the hope that I would return to the old me.

 
There has been more than one person in my life who did this, and they were all family. One "Christian" who seemed to be jealous of the new me said, "Remember how you used to be?" in an accusatory tone. As though she didn't want me to sense the forgiveness of Christ and experience the freedom from past forgiven sins.

 
I never figured out what this got her, but it produced a wall between us that will never come down unless there is repentance from the jealousy and bitterness.
These interactions were very telling; one person was not born again, the other claimed to be a Christian but acted like the unsaved person who was also jealous of the new me.

Instead of sharing in the blessing of being changed by Christ, they attempted to heap guilt upon me to destroy my peace and joy. It didn't work because when Christ changes us, it is real and permanent, and no attack of the devil will destroy it. And, it was the devil using these two women to discourage and accuse.

 
Revelation 12:10 "
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down, the one who accuses them before our God day and night."

No born-again believer would be jealous of the changed heart of another believer; they would rejoice with them. So, from that time to this, I have been praying for these two women to be born again, trust in Christ, and be cleansed of their jealousy and bitterness.

 
Until that happens, we can have no fellowship; we cannot walk together in solidarity because we are not walking the same path.

 
Amos 3:3 " 3 Can two walk together without agreeing where to go?"

2 Corinthians 6:14
"Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?"

My prayer has been that those who do not know Christ will find Him, submit to Him in repentance, and be changed by Him. If this happens, then we will have sweet fellowship as sisters in Christ walking the same path.

 
Do not be discouraged when you become saved and encounter friends and family who would rather believe you were not changed than share in your joy of being made a new creation by Christ. IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN because the devil hates the new us too, and will use those closest to us to attempt to derail our faith.

 
The stronger we become in the Lord the more He will reveal who are our brothers and sisters and who are the unsaved or pretenders, it will become clear.

 
Matthew 10:34-36
34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to turn a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a person’s enemies will be the members of his household."

We are peaceful because we Christ lives in us, but those who come against us are not peaceful, they are angry and often out of control emotionally.

Romans 12:18
"18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people."

We need not fight with those who try to produce arguments, but we do not capitulate either. We speak the truth and leave their response to it to the Lord. Their response is on them and not our fault or business. The fault lies with them, and it is God's business.

 
Often, when a nonbeliever is angry, they will attempt to blame others for their own anger. Anyone who becomes angry is an angry person on the inside, and it is all on them.

 
Romans 12:19 "19 Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord."

Proverbs 16:7
"When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even the man’s enemies live at peace with him."

When the enemy wants to fight, we let them fight alone without response. Unreasonable people will never discuss anything rationally; they are all about controlling people, never about learning about them or from them.

 
Once we learn the tactics of the devil through his use of human beings, we don't have to take anything personally; we dismiss it as God's business and remain blameless.

Hallelujah!!!!