The world can’t hate you, but it does hate me, because I keep telling it how wicked its ways are. John 7:7 CJB
Because of the Holy Spirit and the truth or light, this verse hit home today. Maybe it is the Common Jewish Bible version that made it more clear, but doubt it. At minimum it is a combination of both.
This is also the hardest part of being righteous in God and knowing him and that he expects righteousness in us all, OR, you will not be in the Kingdom of God. When you understand this truth, you know you must tell others about it for two reasons. First one is because you do not want that any would perish. When you know the truth and that we must walk in that truth, you have to tell that truth. Even though that truth will hate you for it or be upset with you. Actually the majority of the people will hate the message. Like 99.9% of the people.
The second reason is because God makes it clear, you must spread the truth to the people. Stop telling them what they want to hear and start telling them what they need to hear.
As I am writing this, the Lord flashed a memory back at me about a one time bible study we went to. One time because I was basically told to stay away after the first visit. The main verses were from 1 John 3 where it says clearly we are not to sin and if we remain in sin it is because we do not know God. Add onto this that because we do not know God our works are evil in his site, then we start to understand the importance of knowing him and obeying him.
The truth shows you who you are, and what it looks like in the sight of God being who you are instead of who you are supposed to be. That is the light we ignore and push away, which becomes our judgment.
Back to the bible study, the main guy just kept coming at me, asking question after question not in a way to find understanding. But in a way to find fault in me and my testimony or what I was saying. He could not handle the idea of someone being able to overcome sin in their life, and being in a better place than him. Which is normal for most people. For some reason it is OK to understand that Michael Jordan is a way better basketball player than any of us. But to see another man more advanced in the Spirit than us is another thing. We all want to believe we are all in the same boat in sin and the Messiah saved us in our sin instead of taking us out of our sin through his truth.
This guy went even to the point of many people where he tried to manipulate me into complying. He said he saw my wife sad or frustrated because she wanted to be a part of something like this and I keep ruining it. Although there was some truth to that, it did not matter if the people I was going to hang with were not in the truth. I would rather be alone in the Lord than with even a million men in sin and apart from God.
The other thing that happened in that study was a woman who came at me with a comment. She said “don’t you want to cheat just a little?” My short answer is no! But it is also you can’t. Well you can but you can’t, because you know who the Lord is and you want to worship him and honor him for all he has done. But you also, when in the Spirit, know what would happen or where you are going if you do not honor and obey him.
Yesterday when talking with the guy at the gym who is heading down the right path with the Lord. He brought up the verse about a man who gets cleaned up and then goes back and 7 more demons come into him and the state of the man is 7 times worse than before.
When you know God and his truth, you know this is the result and you do not want to go there. NEVER! You see just how stupid that would be.
This also speaks to the once saved always saved doctrine. It is not like they teach it, because you are not saved because of your religious beliefs or a sinner’s prayer or confession or…. The reason for the verses they quote to support their OSAS doctrine is because of what was just written. You fear the Lord and his truth and righteousness, so you would never go back to the sin, NEVER!
This is very different from their teaching.
To bring this back to the main verse and tie it together, because it is a double edge sword. And to go a little further in the chapter of John 7, Yeshua said “the world will hate you because it first hated me.” WHY? Because you will be like your teacher, and you will push truth no matter who it offends and upsets. Not because you want people to hate you or be offended, but because you know you cannot tell lies, you must tell truth. Telling people what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear or the truth is never a good idea. But at the same time, this is what upsets people and makes them hate you.
This truth can come in a small way or a big way. Most of the time it comes through me in a small way like about health. I am always telling people about health and not to eat the trash foods, trash drugs, trash drinks… And to eat real whole foods God created. Or it might be about finances, and telling people you cannot make ends meet because you spend money foolishly instead of responsible. To most people there are only a few things important to them. Health, wealth and family. The truth hurts all three and anything else you want to discuss.
But the main truth Yeshua expects us to tell people is about their salvation and how it works. As well as the other things like wealth, health and family. Seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness. And then everything else will be given to you.
This is the big problem, the people seek these other things and think they will find salvation through them because they belong to a certain religion. But the funny thing is when you seek God and his righteousness, then those other things are all done at a very high level, higher than you can do by focusing on them and putting them first and then doing them your own way.
Remember in “seeing they do not seem and in hearing they do not hear. Least they turn from their ways and be healed.” And when you try to help open their eyes with the truth, they hate you for it. All except the .01% who are also seeking the Lord, they are grateful but hard to find.
In the end we must seek the truth and seek Yeshua who is the truth. Then live according to his truth, way and light (wisdom) how shows you. He will prefect as no one else can.