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; Te parau ra o Iesu, the more you will be hamani-ino-hia by the world and by the people around you. Following Jesus means, paying a price. Te vahi pe'ape'a râ, Aita e rave rahi mau kerisetiano, who are willing to pay this price. Because following Jesus will cost you everything! It means giving up yourself; to outou iho hinaaro, Tātāro'a, Ō'opa, Te mau mana'o, wishes, Te mau nota, e te mau hinaaro. E ere i te tu'ena te tumu parau., following Jesus will have consequences for your relationships with colleagues, Fa'aito'ira'a, hoa, ōrama'ohu, 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, you will be persecuted. Following Jesus could mean, that you have to give up your family, hoa, Fa'aito'ira'a, e te mau hoa ohipa. 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
Teie râ, ua parau Iesu, that He came to bring division and that you will be hated because of Him (Mataio 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 te poieteraa apî; ei tamaiti na te Atua.
E rave rahi taime, 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 te haapa'oraa i te Parau, 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, e your love for Jesus Christ.
Te hinaaro nei te ao nei ia outou ia ti'aturi, that you are too religious, mea ti'a roa, and too old fashion, but these are big lies from the devil.
When you haven’t killed and Tūtū, 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. No te mea, 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
Ua parau Iesu, 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. E, even discord within families.
Eiaha e mana'o e, ua haere mai au no te horo'a i te hau i ni'a i te fenua nei: Aita vau i haere mai no te horo'a i te hau, te hoê 'o'e râ. No te mea ho'i e, ua haere mai au no te faaatea ê i te hoê taata i to'na metua tane, e te tamahine i to'na metua vahine, e te tamahine i ni'a i to'na metua vahine i roto i te ture. E te mau enemi o te hoê taata, o to ' na iho ïa utuafare (Mataio 10:34-36)
Ia parau outou e, e haere mai au no te horo'a i te hau i ni'a i te fenua? Te parau atu nei au e, Iy; te tahi atu râ i roto i te pǔpǔ: E pae vahi i roto i te hoê fare i vavahihia no te mea mai te reira te huru, e toru i nia i te piti i te piti i nia i te piti, e e toru i nia i te toru o te mau. E faataahia te metua tane i ni'a i te tamaiti, e te tamaiti i nia i te metua tane; te metua vahine, e te tamahine i ni'a i te metua vahine; the mother-in-law against her daughter in law, e te tamahine i ni'a i to'na metua vahine i roto i te ture (Luka 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 (John 6:67). Ua ite maitai o Iesu, that He spoke hard words, that offended the carnal nature of te hamaniraa tahito. Ua ite maitai o Iesu, 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. E, it was necessary to speak hard words.
Aita Iesu i faarue i te ao nei, for the sake of winning and pleasing people. Nor did Jesus allow anyone to tempt or mislead Him.
Ua mǎta'u Iesu i to'na Metua; Jesus loved Him above all and respected Him, and therefore Jesus only stayed faithful and haapa'o Ia'na, 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. Noa'tu e Jesus was born on this earth, E ere o Iesu no teie nei ao; te basileia o te diabolo. Jesus belonged to the Kingdom of God. Iesu, te Tamaiti a te Atua, was an Ambassador; a Representative of the Kingdom of God, and preached and brought the Kingdom of God to the people.
Ei te taata ti'aturi fanau-faahou-hia, e e tamaiti na te Atua. You have become an Ambassador; a representative, of the Kingdom of God.
Noa'tu e, te ora ra outou i ni'a i teie fenua, Aita faahou outou e no teie nei ao. ta'na i te auraa, 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. E, the world forces Christians to approve and accept things, o te hoê ïa faaoreraa i te Atua, and therefore also to them.
Te arii o teie nei ao, o te diabolo ïa, works in the sons of this world. O te diabolo to ratou metua tane, and they listen to and obey him. Te feia ti'aturi ore, 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 hinaaro o te Atua.
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.
A friend of the world is an enemy of God
Teie râ, te Bible; te parau, that friendship of the world is enmity with God and that whosoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God (Iakobo 4:4)
Ia outou te reira, eaha ta outou e rave na roto i te reira. Will you be led by your feelings and emotions, and compromise with the world and accept things, o te hoê ïa faaoreraa i te Atua? Will you walk in here? Do you take a stand for the world or do you take a stand for Jesus Christ and do you stay haapa'o i ni'a?
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.
'Ia riro ei miti no te fenua’
