“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter3:9 So, I don’t know how much experience you have with hate in your life. I have passionately hated people who didn’t deserve it. I have been embittered by others’ sins and not been able to move on, trapped by my own snares of ‘rights’. I have had people act like my friend to my face and then turn around and scheme and stab me in the back. I have had people spitefully, maliciously sneak around and purposely set things in motion to destroy me in pure unadulterated hate. I have had family disown me. I have had friends cut me off with no explanation or reason. Needless to say, I have my own experiences, many and varied with the root of bitterness, and hate, within my own heart, and thrown at me like weapons by others. A lot of people believe that God chooses and sends to Hell good people, just because they don’t follow his exact instructions. Those people would be mistaken about who God is and what salvation is. Hell is real. People who do not have a personal, submissive relationship with God through Jesus Christ will go to Hell for eternal judgment when they die. Hell was not made for man but for prideful, fallen angels. However, when man rejects God’s way to Heaven and rejects God for their own ideals and idols, man assumes the same destiny as the angels who chose the same. God wishes that all men would be saved and that none would die without Him. But he has given each person free will to choose what he wants to worship, how he wants to live, and what he wishes to believe about life, eternity, God and himself. God has placed a moral compass in each human heart to decipher between right and wrong, and he has set eternity in man’s heart. Man has the power to exert his will over that God-given compass and needle pointer to do and be and believe whatever he wants either in conjunction with or in opposition to God’s imprint. When man chooses to kick the goads and resist everything about God and input his own agenda into his reality, he is rejecting God, His Ways, His Promises and His Presence, both here and in the life to come. Heaven is God’s Home, God’s Ways, God’s complete Presence, God’s fullness expressed to and with man. Hell is the absence of God’s goodness and attributes and is a place that He reigns over but in full wrath, without grace. Heaven would be Hell to a man who hates God. He would have to see Him everywhere, talk to a bunch of people who are in love with Him, listen to His praise forever without end, and live on His life blood and air for eternity. To someone who hates him, and rejects everything about him for their own desires all of his life, Heaven full of God would be the worst place to be for eternity. This all ties together in that, the last place you want to be is in the presence of the person you hate, listening to people talk about how great they are and how much they love them, eating their food and drinking their drinks and being dependent on them for life and happiness. That would be awful! However, for the good God, who loves all people, because they are made in his image and because He is mercy and love, it is sad but necessary to carry out the end result of life choices made here on earth. He wishes that none would die and perish for eternity. However, when that is what man chooses, He grants his wish. Have you ever forgiven someone, and God has placed a supernatural love for them in your heart, but they still hate you with every fiber of their being? Have you ever watched how tortured they are to just see you or hear your voice, or God-forbid hug you? It is the polite, gracious, loving thing to stay off in the background and let them live their life or pass you by as if you didn’t exist because to be near you instigates so much venom in them that it is destroying them and distorting them. This is how God is faithful to many who turn away from Him and His grace and goodness, faithful love and forgiveness. He steps away, into the shadows, should they seek Him, He is ready and willing to welcome them with open arms, but until then, He watches from afar, wishing them well, wishing things were different between them, and patiently waiting to be gracious to them. I wish so badly, that you would turn and run to Him and be reconciled to God! His love is better than life! He is waiting patiently for you. Do not perish, but believe in Him and receive everlasting life. Follow Him as Lord and you will never walk alone and will pass from life to life. Lord Jesus, Please draw all men unto you. Help me not to be a hindrance to any, but be a beacon of light and love to all, even those who hate me. Help me love them well, how you love me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
1 Comment
Joseph
1/5/2022 07:10:39 pm
Amen
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About MeI want to glorify God with my life and use my gifts for His Name's sake. This blog is an effort therein. Archives
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