If I place a particular verse in these letters to you, and in your life and walk with the Lord you are not adhering to it, submitting to its commandment, and you feel bad about that, is it my fault that you feel bad?
If you speak to someone who is holding fast to the lies and deceits of any religious organization that teaches works for salvation, about how they are incorrect, how the Word of God goes against what they profess to believe, and that if they do not repent, they will die in their sins and they rebuke you vehemently, even hate you, who are they honestly hating, you or His truths?
“Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” (Gal. 4:16)
The only persecutions that count for the glory of God my friends are those done for His glory with no concern for ourselves.
If those you have spoken His truths to feel bad, if they hate you, if they persecute you, they do so only because they cannot reach the Lord Jesus Christ. His messengers have suffered for His glory since Abel.
“Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.” (Luke 6:23)
My beautiful wife spoke a wonderful truth this morning, she said, “I do not think about rewards much.”
Neither should you, neither did any of those who have come before us or those who are suffering for His glory today. We do so because of love. And then, in part of course, because of our love for Him, but mostly because of His love for us.
“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:14)
The Almighty is not really concerned about you feeling bad if you are not obeying Him, He does expect you to do something about it. He is not overly concerned if you have negative emotions when you sin against Him, He expects you to repent of them and not perform that sin again.
The emotions of our new heart of flesh that are directed in love towards Him are just as important as those works we do in agreement with the Holy Spirit for His glory are, and if you will stop here and consider that truth, you will find that those two cannot be separated from each other.
That my friends is the foundational truth of John 14:15.
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
If you feel bad because you are not being obedient in some matter contained within the Scriptures, and you honestly are hid in Christ, that is the Holy Spirit speaking to your soul, and you would be wise to listen to Him. When you speak the truths to the unrepentant, that is the Holy Spirit speaking to them through you with your full agreement of those truths.
Some will hear, most will hate you, and because you are the messenger sent, it is you they will take their hatred out upon.
We are to rejoice in those times, but there is also great sadness within us, because we know their eternal end if they do not repent.
There are two important truths in this short letter to you that you need to grasp, if you feel bad about something from the Scriptures that concerns your walk with the Lord, you must ask Him to strengthen you in that area of your life.
And He will.
And you must understand that when you speak His truths to those in this world, it is not you that their hatred is poured upon, it is on the Lord.
His messengers live and die upholding His truths.
