Pastor Hill: Friend or foe?

Does it ever seem unbelievable to you that there are people who not only deny the truth of Jesus’ existence but go so far as to be outspoken foes or enemies of our Lord?

That Jesus would even have enemies after we know of all that He has done is also beyond comprehension. We know there has been more written about Jesus than any other who has ever lived and history has proven the fact that Jesus was a real person who walked among men here on earth.

Speaking the Truth in Love by Pastor Tommy Hill

Speaking the Truth in Love
by Pastor Tommy Hill

When we consider these truths and see the outspoken hatred of Jesus, we must conclude that, even though He went about doing good, Jesus is an enemy to many people. The Bible teaches us that if we are not trusting in the Lord that we are His enemies, James 4:4, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

Some, we know, are enemies through ignorance; some unfortunately are enemies through malice. The question begs to be asked, what was there not to like about Him? No one ever appealed to Him in vain. He loved Peter, Paul, and Pilate alike. He showed respect and love to the woman at the well in the same manner as the rich young ruler. To Him, Judas was loved as much as John was. There was no unfairness in Him at all. He cared for rich and poor, wise and foolish, young and old, men and women alike.

He was always truthful, never cheated, never caught spreading gossip about anyone. In Heaven He is worshipped continuously by the angelic band. Therefore, we are greatly surprised that He would receive such merciless treatment when He came to earth to pay the penalty for our sins. Maybe the only reason we can find for the enmity against Jesus is that He was just GOOD.

He looked at people with eyes that saw through all of life’s little disguises. He knows when our motives are selfish instead of being selfless.

In the day of His earthly sojourn, He was rejected by the political party because He rejected their platforms. They desired immediate war and victory, where David (Israel) would be victorious against their Goliath (Rome) and the kingdom of Israel would once again be established as supreme.

He was rejected by the religious crowd because He rejected their interpretation of the scriptures that they had. The Pharisee’s had adopted an oral law that they believed superseded the written law and were imposing their views on the nation. Jesus never bought into their way of thinking. He was God in the flesh and He easily refuted their views.

One truth we find to be evidently clear in every century since our Lord was crucified is that whenever we deviate from God’s written truth to appeal to our fleshly desires we set ourselves up to stand against God. God’s word is true and man cannot make changes for any reason, be they political or religious. Whenever we interpret God’s word to match our beliefs we fall into the same category as those in Jesus’ earthly days, we become the enemies of Christ.

When God’s word does not allow us to do as we please we find that our position, our prosperity, and our power is threatened and this we will not stand for. When we enter this arena, we change God’s word instead of allowing God’s word to change us, thereby making us God’s enemies.

What’s more important to you today, being a friend or foe? Will you abide by God’s word or adjust its meaning to meet your needs. When we are a foe, we crucify Him once again in our hearts, but when we are His friends, we worship Him for what He has done for us on the cross of Calvary. May I encourage you to take some special time to worship Him this Easter Sunday as a Friend?

Pastor Tommy Hill is the pastor of First Free Will Baptist Church in Hamlet. He is a Richmond County native. He can be reached at firstfwbchurchhamlet@gmail.com. His column will appear each Friday in The Pee Dee Post.

 

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