LIVING IN A LOST WORLD
Every day we deal with others, including their choices, actions and reactions. How well-equipped are we in handling these interactions? In school, most of us were taught to “play well with others.” Secularly, one will only learn the worldly way of interacting with people. But as Christians, we come to realize it is not so simple and that there is also a spiritual factor to consider. By realizing how the spiritual dimension is intrinsically involved, we can handle the ungodly interactions with a deeper understanding. Let us first consider what secular education teaches.
Each individual has roots and generational inheritance that they are born with. But there are more factors that shape our character such as the culture we are raised in, or where we live for many years, family behavior and rules in life, our neighborhoods, friends and classmates, as well as spouses and co-workers. Basically, the people around us, the environment and nation we live in, influence the way we perceive life, the way we think, make decisions and act.
Once we become Christians, we begin to realize that the spiritual aspects of life are also of great effect. This is something not taught in secular education, or even in some churches. They may teach that religion affects people and their character, but what is being brought out here is that the differences in Christians and non-believers, greatly affect their interactions.
The basic difference.
Becoming a Christian and growing in Christ, develops anyone into being their best self. Not knowing the Lord and refusing Christianity, keeps a person literally in the dark. A real Christian understands the profoundness of “once being lost and now being found, once being blind and now can see.” But these are just empty words to someone who has never experienced it. When we become children of God, we forsake the devil and his ways. We literally depart from living a life of selfishness and evil, to a seriously changed life for the better.
Light and darkness do not really mix.
But for those who refuse to believe that God is real and accept the love and grace that He has for them, they are still in the dark and under the bondage of the devil. It is natural that they cannot stand the Light. It helps us to realize that many times when we have conflicts with unbelievers, that the underlying problem is not with us personally, but is really with the Light in us, Jesus Christ, the One seated on the throne of our hearts.
We are no longer of the world.
Jesus was perfect in His behavior and in all He did for others, but they hated Him, because He was not of this world. In all eras, people like those who are the most similar to them, and are uncomfortable with and usually dislike those who are the most different than them. It was the same in Jesus’ time. His heart was obedient and loving to the Father and He never sinned. John recorded that Jesus came as the Light and the darkness did not comprehend it. The Lord has said that He chose us out of the world, and the world hates us because of that. We no longer think, feel, talk, or act the same and because of it, the darkness in them is uncomfortable around the Light, and even hates the Light.
The difference is real. Believers, as children of God, follow after the ways of Jesus, and those still lost, do not practice righteousness or have the love of God for their brother. This is how we can tell those who are truly of God, and those who are not, even if they claim to be of God.
John has written that this scenario goes back to the Garden of Eden. John said that it was heard from the very beginning, that we should love one another, and not be like Cain who murdered his brother. Cain, who was wicked, murdered Able. And John records the motive. Because Cain’s works were evil, and his brother's were righteous.
So, we can know that if the world hates us, it is because we left the world and have become the loving children of God, choosing the ways of God and truly loving others.
Those who are not believers are not the children of God but rather the darkness.
One day when Jesus was addressing the opposition, He addressed the real issue of why they were opposing Him. They were not truly of God but of the devil. And as children of the devil, their desires were like their father, the devil.
Those who are not believers cannot hear past their carnal nature.
The truth is, there is a great difference between those living in the Light, and those that are living in darkness. Those in the Light, can relate to “how it used to be” but those in the darkness, cannot comprehend living in the Light. Many today are frustrated with not being able to communicate with non-believers, many of which even hate us, but we must realize that the problem is spiritual.
Non-believers are subjects of the carnal nature and what is good to the carnal nature is contrary to what is good to believers, creating friction.
This is huge. This friction is spiritual first and results in the mental. The definition of “good,” for godly people, is way different from the definition of “good,” for those living in darkness. For the first, good is what pleases God and is in one accord with the Bible, for the second, it is what pleases them, is for their personal benefit, pleasure, social position or profit. This is why a person who is their own lord, may call a real Christian evil. A true Christian does not lie, steal, or do anything to hurt someone else. When pressed, we would rather suffer loss than disobey God’s Word and commandments. And when our decisions interfere with the interests of a selfish person, they consider us evil, and they want us out of their way.
Jesus made it very clear. Anyone who is not of God, cannot hear God’s Words, and cannot believe the truth. They have their own “truth,” which contradicts the absolute truth of the Word of God and serves their interests. That is what they think. The reality is that anything contrary to God’s Word, even if it seems to serve someone at a certain moment, will work against the person in the long run. There is only one way to heaven and His Name is Jesus Christ. And we only stay on the right way, by being His true followers and keeping Him the Lord of our lives.
We must hold on to godliness at all costs and understand that the lost literally are not on the same page as us.
The evil decisions of those around us who hate the Light, may hurt us deeply and the hurt may even last for a while, but if we choose to keep our hearts pure, giving our hurts to the Lord and leaving them there, love people anyway and pray for their salvation, God’s grace and love will give us the victory. The Lord loves us, and whenever we are wronged by those around us who disobey His prompting, His presence and glory are there to help us, and we will enjoy His rewards forever. Jesus said in John 8:43 that those who do not believe in Him are “not able to listen to His Word” and as a result they cannot understand it. The carnal nature cannot receive and understand God’s Word. Only when Jesus becomes the true Lord of someone, their heart changes, and they are born-again into God’s image. When God becomes their Father, and the eyes of their hearts are opened to the biblical truth, it changes everything!
True unity between believers and non-believers is impossible because the non-believers’ choices are made from a different mindset and a lack of godly discernment.
It is so true, darkness and Light do not mix, like oil and water. It may seem that the two are one for a while, after working hard to blend them, but just let them sit for a bit and they separate again. We cannot truly be in union with unbelievers. We are to love them, help them find Jesus and be born-again, but until they do, we cannot do what they do, or expect them to make right choices or have discernment.
The increase of evil people in influential places are trying to make immorality “normal” and a standard.
With the increase of more evil ones in powerful places, such as government, the job world, entertainment, etc., Christians are finding themselves facing greater opposition every day. For many of us, we were not raised this way but came from a culture where godly morality was the standard in all areas of life. But we are now living in a time where immorality is the norm and being true to our morals is politically and socially incorrect. This is very difficult for any and all true believers to cope with.
History repeats itself.
The prophet Isaiah lived through a similar time, when Israel backslid and became very evil. The Lord prophesied His frustration with the people through Isaiah.
The struggle is real.
Laws, company policies, relatives and even friends are today more emboldened to say and do things, that to us as Christians, go against our faith and morals. Our children and grandchildren are being taught that “evil things are good and good things are evil” on every turn. Where has common sense and discernment gone? With the increase of wickedness, the ability to recognize true good morals and real truth is decreasing drastically.
Believers must stand in the truth, being anchored in the Lord and His Word.
Hate comes from the dark side. While being in the dark, there is no way to realize the direction they are going. There are so many lies presented as truth lately and we hear them again and again from all secular sources. The repetition even affects us, who know they are lies, and have the Biblical truth as our standard. But for those who do not have the Biblical truth set in their minds and hearts, the repetition of the same lie, turns it into “their truth.” This is why we need to be studying God’s Word daily and be anchored in it. The more we think about what the Bible has to say in relation to what we hear and see, the quicker we recognize the lies and refuse them. We need to stand for the real truth and try to help others to see it also.
How people decline spiritually, corporately and also individually.
In Romans 1, Paul addressed how spiritual decline happens. He explains how all people are born with a basic innate knowledge of God and of what is right and wrong.
When people refuse to give God the honor and respect due Him, or be thankful, it is because they have rebellious hearts. This results in people having darkened foolish hearts, whose thoughts are vain and unproductive.
When people continue to rebel against God and His help, at some point God will give them up to their bad choices and rebellious hearts. This principle applies to societies as well as individuals.
When we chose to forsake our wicked ways and follow Christ, we started on the path to become more Christlike. But when people continue on the evil path, they actually grow in becoming more evil. The end result can be seen in the following verses.
The spiritual decline seems to be global and a precursor to the rapture.
So as the number of evil people has greatly increased, the volume and intensity of their wicked behavior has too. For many of us, it has been hard to comprehend what Lot went through in Sodom and Gomorrah, but living in these last days makes it much easier to understand. Just like the people of Lot’s day, the wicked ones today continue on their immoral decline, even knowing “the righteous judgment of God” is upon them and that “those who practice such things are deserving of death.”
Verses in Ephesians that clearly explain the decay.
These verses in Ephesians tell it all. The “futility of their mind” is really referring to vain and unproductive thoughts. Their understanding (moral reasoning) has become darkened as the result of a seared conscience from having justified their sins and mistakes over and over. By refusing to repent, one alienates themself from God. Not only does God give these people over to their choices, but “they give themselves over,” to “unbridled sensuality, eager and greedy to indulge in every form of impurity [that their depraved desires may suggest and demand].” (AMP).
The realization of the biblical truth of spirituality, for better or worse.
For many it is shocking to learn that not everyone is a child of God. After all, He is the Creator of all mankind. And in the creative sense, we all are children of God. But the biblical truth is, God is holy, and we are all born unholy. Spiritually we are born as children of the devil. And only when we are born-again, do we become the spiritual children of God.
Realizing the impact.
Why is this so important to realize? Because not only are we born spiritual children of the devil, but we are also born slaves to sin. We cannot break free from the bondage of sin and darkness without the salvation found in Jesus Christ. People can try to be moral or obedient to their culture and laws, but only true salvation sets a person free from being a slave to sin and darkness.
There are people we interact with that are lost to varying degrees, but no matter to what degree it might be, they are still lost. The devil speaks to them, and without discernment, they do not even realize that it is the voice of the devil they are listening to. They might be directed to harm themselves or even cause discord for others. If and when the time comes for them to break free and come to the Light, the Holy Spirit will help them. But if their heart stays rebellious and hard, they will live a life in bondage. They do not have to look like a drug addict or hard alcoholic either. They may be in bondage to greed or pride, secret perversion or fake religion, or any of a whole array of trouble. As Christians, we really need to realize that Light and darkness are opposites and there is no true common unity between the two.
In conclusion.
As Christians living in the last days, it helps to understand the dynamics of what we are living through. We must realize we are living in a time that is in the process of becoming like it was for Noah before the flood and Lot before the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah. God is love and we are His children, born-again into His image. We are to love others and help them find the Light, start seeing the truth and have discernment. Some people are easier to love than others, but with the help of the Lord, we can love them all, even when they hurt us. Loving them does not mean that we accept their evil ways or allow abuse from them. But we must treat everyone as we would like to be treated to keep our heart pure, and as we stay in right standing with God, we can hear His guidance in handling the lost around us, knowing that the lost are in a totally different place mentally and spiritually, we can handle interaction with them accordingly.
Every day we deal with others, including their choices, actions and reactions. How well-equipped are we in handling these interactions? In school, most of us were taught to “play well with others.” Secularly, one will only learn the worldly way of interacting with people. But as Christians, we come to realize it is not so simple and that there is also a spiritual factor to consider. By realizing how the spiritual dimension is intrinsically involved, we can handle the ungodly interactions with a deeper understanding. Let us first consider what secular education teaches.
Each individual has roots and generational inheritance that they are born with. But there are more factors that shape our character such as the culture we are raised in, or where we live for many years, family behavior and rules in life, our neighborhoods, friends and classmates, as well as spouses and co-workers. Basically, the people around us, the environment and nation we live in, influence the way we perceive life, the way we think, make decisions and act.
Once we become Christians, we begin to realize that the spiritual aspects of life are also of great effect. This is something not taught in secular education, or even in some churches. They may teach that religion affects people and their character, but what is being brought out here is that the differences in Christians and non-believers, greatly affect their interactions.
The basic difference.
Becoming a Christian and growing in Christ, develops anyone into being their best self. Not knowing the Lord and refusing Christianity, keeps a person literally in the dark. A real Christian understands the profoundness of “once being lost and now being found, once being blind and now can see.” But these are just empty words to someone who has never experienced it. When we become children of God, we forsake the devil and his ways. We literally depart from living a life of selfishness and evil, to a seriously changed life for the better.
- Psalms 19:7-8 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
Light and darkness do not really mix.
But for those who refuse to believe that God is real and accept the love and grace that He has for them, they are still in the dark and under the bondage of the devil. It is natural that they cannot stand the Light. It helps us to realize that many times when we have conflicts with unbelievers, that the underlying problem is not with us personally, but is really with the Light in us, Jesus Christ, the One seated on the throne of our hearts.
- John 15:18-19 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”
We are no longer of the world.
Jesus was perfect in His behavior and in all He did for others, but they hated Him, because He was not of this world. In all eras, people like those who are the most similar to them, and are uncomfortable with and usually dislike those who are the most different than them. It was the same in Jesus’ time. His heart was obedient and loving to the Father and He never sinned. John recorded that Jesus came as the Light and the darkness did not comprehend it. The Lord has said that He chose us out of the world, and the world hates us because of that. We no longer think, feel, talk, or act the same and because of it, the darkness in them is uncomfortable around the Light, and even hates the Light.
- John 3:20 “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.”
The difference is real. Believers, as children of God, follow after the ways of Jesus, and those still lost, do not practice righteousness or have the love of God for their brother. This is how we can tell those who are truly of God, and those who are not, even if they claim to be of God.
- 1 John 3:10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.
John has written that this scenario goes back to the Garden of Eden. John said that it was heard from the very beginning, that we should love one another, and not be like Cain who murdered his brother. Cain, who was wicked, murdered Able. And John records the motive. Because Cain’s works were evil, and his brother's were righteous.
- 1 John 3:11-12 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous.
So, we can know that if the world hates us, it is because we left the world and have become the loving children of God, choosing the ways of God and truly loving others.
- 1 John 3:13-15 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Those who are not believers are not the children of God but rather the darkness.
One day when Jesus was addressing the opposition, He addressed the real issue of why they were opposing Him. They were not truly of God but of the devil. And as children of the devil, their desires were like their father, the devil.
- John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”
Those who are not believers cannot hear past their carnal nature.
The truth is, there is a great difference between those living in the Light, and those that are living in darkness. Those in the Light, can relate to “how it used to be” but those in the darkness, cannot comprehend living in the Light. Many today are frustrated with not being able to communicate with non-believers, many of which even hate us, but we must realize that the problem is spiritual.
- John 8:42-43 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.”
- John 8:45, 46b, 47 “But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. … And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."
Non-believers are subjects of the carnal nature and what is good to the carnal nature is contrary to what is good to believers, creating friction.
This is huge. This friction is spiritual first and results in the mental. The definition of “good,” for godly people, is way different from the definition of “good,” for those living in darkness. For the first, good is what pleases God and is in one accord with the Bible, for the second, it is what pleases them, is for their personal benefit, pleasure, social position or profit. This is why a person who is their own lord, may call a real Christian evil. A true Christian does not lie, steal, or do anything to hurt someone else. When pressed, we would rather suffer loss than disobey God’s Word and commandments. And when our decisions interfere with the interests of a selfish person, they consider us evil, and they want us out of their way.
Jesus made it very clear. Anyone who is not of God, cannot hear God’s Words, and cannot believe the truth. They have their own “truth,” which contradicts the absolute truth of the Word of God and serves their interests. That is what they think. The reality is that anything contrary to God’s Word, even if it seems to serve someone at a certain moment, will work against the person in the long run. There is only one way to heaven and His Name is Jesus Christ. And we only stay on the right way, by being His true followers and keeping Him the Lord of our lives.
We must hold on to godliness at all costs and understand that the lost literally are not on the same page as us.
The evil decisions of those around us who hate the Light, may hurt us deeply and the hurt may even last for a while, but if we choose to keep our hearts pure, giving our hurts to the Lord and leaving them there, love people anyway and pray for their salvation, God’s grace and love will give us the victory. The Lord loves us, and whenever we are wronged by those around us who disobey His prompting, His presence and glory are there to help us, and we will enjoy His rewards forever. Jesus said in John 8:43 that those who do not believe in Him are “not able to listen to His Word” and as a result they cannot understand it. The carnal nature cannot receive and understand God’s Word. Only when Jesus becomes the true Lord of someone, their heart changes, and they are born-again into God’s image. When God becomes their Father, and the eyes of their hearts are opened to the biblical truth, it changes everything!
True unity between believers and non-believers is impossible because the non-believers’ choices are made from a different mindset and a lack of godly discernment.
It is so true, darkness and Light do not mix, like oil and water. It may seem that the two are one for a while, after working hard to blend them, but just let them sit for a bit and they separate again. We cannot truly be in union with unbelievers. We are to love them, help them find Jesus and be born-again, but until they do, we cannot do what they do, or expect them to make right choices or have discernment.
The increase of evil people in influential places are trying to make immorality “normal” and a standard.
With the increase of more evil ones in powerful places, such as government, the job world, entertainment, etc., Christians are finding themselves facing greater opposition every day. For many of us, we were not raised this way but came from a culture where godly morality was the standard in all areas of life. But we are now living in a time where immorality is the norm and being true to our morals is politically and socially incorrect. This is very difficult for any and all true believers to cope with.
History repeats itself.
The prophet Isaiah lived through a similar time, when Israel backslid and became very evil. The Lord prophesied His frustration with the people through Isaiah.
- Isaiah 5:18-24 “Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as if with a cart rope; that say, ‘Let Him make speed and hasten His work, that we may see it; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, that we may know it.’ Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink, who justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away justice from the righteous man! Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble, and the flame consumes the chaff, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom will ascend like dust; because they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.”
The struggle is real.
Laws, company policies, relatives and even friends are today more emboldened to say and do things, that to us as Christians, go against our faith and morals. Our children and grandchildren are being taught that “evil things are good and good things are evil” on every turn. Where has common sense and discernment gone? With the increase of wickedness, the ability to recognize true good morals and real truth is decreasing drastically.
- 1 John 2:11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Believers must stand in the truth, being anchored in the Lord and His Word.
Hate comes from the dark side. While being in the dark, there is no way to realize the direction they are going. There are so many lies presented as truth lately and we hear them again and again from all secular sources. The repetition even affects us, who know they are lies, and have the Biblical truth as our standard. But for those who do not have the Biblical truth set in their minds and hearts, the repetition of the same lie, turns it into “their truth.” This is why we need to be studying God’s Word daily and be anchored in it. The more we think about what the Bible has to say in relation to what we hear and see, the quicker we recognize the lies and refuse them. We need to stand for the real truth and try to help others to see it also.
How people decline spiritually, corporately and also individually.
In Romans 1, Paul addressed how spiritual decline happens. He explains how all people are born with a basic innate knowledge of God and of what is right and wrong.
- Romans 1:18-21 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
When people refuse to give God the honor and respect due Him, or be thankful, it is because they have rebellious hearts. This results in people having darkened foolish hearts, whose thoughts are vain and unproductive.
- Romans 1:24-25 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
When people continue to rebel against God and His help, at some point God will give them up to their bad choices and rebellious hearts. This principle applies to societies as well as individuals.
- Romans 1:26-28 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
When we chose to forsake our wicked ways and follow Christ, we started on the path to become more Christlike. But when people continue on the evil path, they actually grow in becoming more evil. The end result can be seen in the following verses.
- Romans 1:29-32 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
The spiritual decline seems to be global and a precursor to the rapture.
So as the number of evil people has greatly increased, the volume and intensity of their wicked behavior has too. For many of us, it has been hard to comprehend what Lot went through in Sodom and Gomorrah, but living in these last days makes it much easier to understand. Just like the people of Lot’s day, the wicked ones today continue on their immoral decline, even knowing “the righteous judgment of God” is upon them and that “those who practice such things are deserving of death.”
Verses in Ephesians that clearly explain the decay.
- Ephesians 4:17-19 I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
These verses in Ephesians tell it all. The “futility of their mind” is really referring to vain and unproductive thoughts. Their understanding (moral reasoning) has become darkened as the result of a seared conscience from having justified their sins and mistakes over and over. By refusing to repent, one alienates themself from God. Not only does God give these people over to their choices, but “they give themselves over,” to “unbridled sensuality, eager and greedy to indulge in every form of impurity [that their depraved desires may suggest and demand].” (AMP).
The realization of the biblical truth of spirituality, for better or worse.
For many it is shocking to learn that not everyone is a child of God. After all, He is the Creator of all mankind. And in the creative sense, we all are children of God. But the biblical truth is, God is holy, and we are all born unholy. Spiritually we are born as children of the devil. And only when we are born-again, do we become the spiritual children of God.
Realizing the impact.
Why is this so important to realize? Because not only are we born spiritual children of the devil, but we are also born slaves to sin. We cannot break free from the bondage of sin and darkness without the salvation found in Jesus Christ. People can try to be moral or obedient to their culture and laws, but only true salvation sets a person free from being a slave to sin and darkness.
- 2 Timothy 2:23-26 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
There are people we interact with that are lost to varying degrees, but no matter to what degree it might be, they are still lost. The devil speaks to them, and without discernment, they do not even realize that it is the voice of the devil they are listening to. They might be directed to harm themselves or even cause discord for others. If and when the time comes for them to break free and come to the Light, the Holy Spirit will help them. But if their heart stays rebellious and hard, they will live a life in bondage. They do not have to look like a drug addict or hard alcoholic either. They may be in bondage to greed or pride, secret perversion or fake religion, or any of a whole array of trouble. As Christians, we really need to realize that Light and darkness are opposites and there is no true common unity between the two.
In conclusion.
As Christians living in the last days, it helps to understand the dynamics of what we are living through. We must realize we are living in a time that is in the process of becoming like it was for Noah before the flood and Lot before the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah. God is love and we are His children, born-again into His image. We are to love others and help them find the Light, start seeing the truth and have discernment. Some people are easier to love than others, but with the help of the Lord, we can love them all, even when they hurt us. Loving them does not mean that we accept their evil ways or allow abuse from them. But we must treat everyone as we would like to be treated to keep our heart pure, and as we stay in right standing with God, we can hear His guidance in handling the lost around us, knowing that the lost are in a totally different place mentally and spiritually, we can handle interaction with them accordingly.
Copyright © 2024 Eli Cockrell & Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
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As Christians, we must guard our walk and be aware of danger, to stay on the path.
DANGER OF UNHEALTHY FEAR
Healthy fear keeps us on the wise path but unhealthy fear subtly opens the door to the enemy.
FEAR NOT AND DO NOT BE AFRAID - BIBLE VERSES
Bible verses to stand upon.
HIGH COSTS OF UNFORGIVENESS
Unforgiveness can cost a person tremendously, both now and eternally.
IS IT RIGHT TO JUDGE?
Is it right to judge? If so, when and in what way would be right? What did Jesus really mean when He said, "Judge not lest ye be judged"? This article takes a closer look at judging.
IT WOULD BE HARD TO KICK AGAINST THE GOADS
Once we know that God's will is for us to repent and make Jesus Lord over our lives, the time that our ignorance was allowed, comes to an end.
LIES OF THE DEVIL THAT CHRISTIANS BELIEVE
The devil uses the same tricks and lies for generations. By recognizing them we will live more victorious lives.
LIES OF THE DEVIL THAT TEENAGERS BELIEVE
The better we know the tactics of our enemy, the better we can fight against him.
PAUL'S THORN IN THE FLESH
What does the Bible really says about Paul's thorn.
THE DANGER OF BECOMING SELF RIGHTEOUS
As Christians we have to stay humble and not allow self righteousness to overcome us.
TRIALS OF LIFE
And we know, beyond the shadow of any doubt, that God is using the “various trials” to help us make corrections in our trouble areas.
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