The more you deny yourself and give up things in your life because of Jesus Christ, and the more you live according to what the Word; Yesus berkata, the more you will be dianiaya by the world and by the people around you. Following Jesus means, paying a price. Sayangnya, tidak banyak orang Kristen, who are willing to pay this price. Because following Jesus will cost you everything! It means giving up yourself; kemauanmu sendiri, pendapat, pikiran, perasaan, harapan, nafsu, dan keinginan. Selain itu, following Jesus will have consequences for your relationships with colleagues, kenalan, Teman, keluarga, and sometimes even Christians, who are not like-minded. When you don’t live according to the world and deny the things, which the world doesn’t consider evil, and when you do what the Bible; the Word of God tells you to do, kamu akan dianiaya. Following Jesus could mean, that you have to give up your family, Teman, kenalan, and colleagues. You may lose them, all because of the decision you’ve made to follow Jesus and to stay obedient to the Word. But not everyone is willing to lose people for Jesus. That’s why the Word is twisted and adjusted and Christians compromise with the world.
The price for following Jesus
Namun Yesus berkata, that He came to bring division and that you will be hated because of Him (Matius 10:22). He warned His disciples about this matter, and He revealed the price. He made known, what it would mean and what it would cost, to follow Him, and to walk as ciptaan baru; sebagai anak Allah.
Berkali-kali, Christians begin to doubt themselves, as soon as they are persecuted and accused by the people, whom they are fond of and whom they love. They begin to wonder, whether they are indeed too enthusiastic, too exaggerated, too old-fashioned, or become too legalistic.
But discipline and taking a stand for Jesus Christ and staying taat pada Firman, and not compromising with the world and its works, has nothing to do with legalism or being too old-fashioned. But it has everything to do, dengan your love for Jesus Christ.
Dunia ingin Anda percaya, that you are too religious, terlalu legalistik, and too old fashion, but these are big lies from the devil.
When you haven’t killed and meletakkan dagingmu, then these opinions of people matters and will get to you. But when you have laid down your flesh, the opinions of the world and people will no longer bother you. You have become untouchable in Christ. Karena kamu tahu, that it’s not about what the world thinks of you, but what Jesus and what God thinks of you. That’s what really matters.
Jesus came to bring division and discord within families
kata Yesus, that He didn’t come to bring peace, such as the world defines peace. But Jesus said that He came to bring division on this earth. Ya, even discord within families.
Jangan berpikir bahwa Aku datang untuk mengirimkan perdamaian ke bumi: Saya datang bukan untuk mengirimkan perdamaian, tapi pedang. Sebab Aku datang untuk memisahkan seseorang dari ayahnya, dan anak perempuan itu melawan ibunya, dan menantu perempuan terhadap ibu mertuanya. Dan musuh seseorang adalah orang-orang seisi rumahnya sendiri (Matius 10:34-36)
Misalkan kamu datang untuk memberikan kedamaian di bumi? Aku beritahu kamu, Bahkan; melainkan perpecahan: Karena mulai sekarang akan ada lima orang dalam satu rumah yang terbagi, tiga lawan dua, dan dua lawan tiga. Sang ayah akan terpecah belah melawan putranya, dan anak melawan ayahnya; ibu melawan putrinya, dan anak perempuan melawan ibunya; the mother-in-law against her daughter in law, dan menantu perempuan terhadap ibu mertuanya (Lukas 12:51-53)
Jesus was not afraid to lose people
Jesus was not afraid to lose people. When the majority of Jesus’ followers left Him, Jesus even dared to ask His disciples if they wanted to leave Him also (Yohanes 6:67). Yesus tahu, that He spoke hard words, that offended the carnal nature of ciptaan lama. Yesus tahu, that not everyone was able to hear these words, without being offended. Let alone accept and obey His words. But the truth was needed to expose all the lies, which kept people in darkness and bondage. Ya, it was necessary to speak hard words.
Yesus tidak berkompromi dengan dunia, for the sake of winning and pleasing people. Nor did Jesus allow anyone to tempt or mislead Him.
Jesus feared His Father; Jesus loved Him above all and respected Him, and therefore Jesus only stayed faithful and patuh kepada-Nya, by doing His will.
It cost Jesus everything to fulfill the will of His Father. Jesus shrank from nothing.
Jesus His attitude should be an example for the sons of God
The attitude of Jesus Christ should be an example for all born-again Christians. Walaupun Jesus was born on this earth, Yesus bukan milik dunia ini; kerajaan iblis. Jesus belonged to the Kingdom of God. Yesus, Putra Tuhan, was an Ambassador; a Representative of the Kingdom of God, and preached and brought the Kingdom of God to the people.
Sebagai a terlahir kembali percaya, kamu telah menjadi a putra Allah. You have become an Ambassador; a representative, of the Kingdom of God.
Meskipun kamu hidup di bumi ini, kamu bukan lagi milik dunia ini. Ini berarti, that you will not live according to what the world says, but according to what the Word says.
When you apply His words in your life and stay obedient to Him, then the world shall consider you a fool. But God shall consider you a wise son, who listens and obeys His words and does His will.
The world forces Christians to compromise with the world and to tolerate and accept sin and iniquity. Ya, the world forces Christians to approve and accept things, yang merupakan kekejian bagi Tuhan, and therefore also to them.
Penguasa dunia ini, yaitu iblis, works in the sons of this world. Iblis adalah ayah mereka, and they listen to and obey him. Orang-orang kafir, who are sinners, shall do the will of their father; the devil and the works of their father, which go against the Word of God and against the kehendak Tuhan.
The devil shall do everything he can to deceive and tempt Christians and cause them to turn away from Jesus; the Word and compromise with the world.
Teman dunia adalah musuh Tuhan
Tapi Alkitab; kata itu mengatakan, that friendship of the world is enmity with God and that whosoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God (Yakobus 4:4)
Terserah Anda, apa yang kamu lakukan dengannya. Will you be led by your feelings and emotions, and compromise with the world and accept things, yang merupakan kekejian bagi Tuhan? Will you walk in Cinta palsu? Do you take a stand for the world or do you take a stand for Jesus Christ and do you stay patuh kepada Firman?
If you chose the latter one then persecution will come from the people around you. It could even mean, that you will be persecuted by the church. You must be aware, that the devil especially uses people, who you know very well and are close to you, in order to try to lead you away from the Word, so that you will compromise and enter the self-chosen paths of the world.
'Jadilah garam dunia’
