Jerry C. Brewer
The denominational world—one of Satan’s mightiest tools—will tell you that the Christian life is one of ease. That isn’t so. Jesus Christ stands as the greatest example that doing good will bring the wrath of the world down upon man. He was perfect, yet enemies hounded Him all of His days and, ultimately, had Him crucified. And, “…all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12).
Living right, according to God’s will, is difficult. It often brings scorn, and hatred, upon those who so live. Abel lived right before God and was murdered by his own brother (Gen. 4:38). Of that, John wrote, “And wherefore slew him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous” (1 John 3:12). The world hates righteousness and opposes it on every turn, making life difficult for the faithful Christian.
That is true even within families. Jesus said his teaching would drive a wedge between kindred.
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me (Matt. 10:34-37).
Many adult children who have no love for the truth despise their parents who live according to God’s will. Parents who reject the sinful lifestyles of their grown children are opposed and castigated by them and their sympathizers. Those parents are called “unloving” by the world when, in fact, they demonstrate the greatest love for their children by trying to turn them from their sins. Love does not tolerate sin. Had that been the case, Jesus would never have died to save us from sin.
Multitudes of parents grieve for their children who live in sin because they love them. Yet, those loving parents who will not tolerate their children “shacking up” without Scriptural marriage or living in sodomy because they want them saved, are often castigated, even by other family members, as “harsh” or “unloving.” Thankfully, God judges righteously. “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: Yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord” (1 Cor. 4:3-4).
