你越是因為耶穌基督而否定自己、放棄生活中的事物, 你越是按照神的道生活; 耶穌說, the more you will be 迫害 by the world and by the people around you. Following Jesus means, paying a price. 不幸, 基督徒不多, who are willing to pay this price. Because following Jesus will cost you everything! It means giving up yourself; 你自己的意願, 觀點, 想法, 感情, 願望, 私慾, 和慾望. 除此之外, following Jesus will have consequences for your relationships with colleagues, 熟人, 朋友們, 家庭, 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, 你會受到迫害. Following Jesus could mean, that you have to give up your family, 朋友們, 熟人, 和同事. 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
但是耶穌說, that He came to bring division and that you will be hated because of Him (馬修 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 新的創造; 作為上帝的兒子.
很多次, 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 順服神的話, 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, 和 your love for Jesus Christ.
世界希望你相信, that you are too religious, 過於墨守成規, and too old fashion, but these are big lies from the devil.
When you haven’t killed and 放下你的肉, 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. 因為你知道, 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
耶穌說, 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. 是的, even discord within families.
不要以為我是來為地球帶來和平的: 我不是來寄和和平, 但是一把劍. 因為我來將一個男人與父親差異, 和女兒反對她的母親, 和女兒反對岳母的女兒. 一個人的敵人將是自己的家庭 (馬修 10:34-36)
假設你們是為了在地球上實現和平? 我告訴你, 不; 而是分裂: 從此後開始，一所房屋應分為五個, 三個反對兩個, 兩個反對三個. 父親應與兒子分開, 兒子反對父親; 母親反對女兒, 和女兒反對母親; the mother-in-law against her daughter in law, 和女兒反對岳母的女兒 (路克 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 (約翰 6:67). 耶穌知道, that He spoke hard words, that offended the carnal nature of 舊造. 耶穌知道, 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. 是的, it was necessary to speak hard words.
耶穌沒有向世界妥協, for the sake of winning and pleasing people. Nor did Jesus allow anyone to tempt or mislead Him.
耶穌敬畏祂的天父; Jesus loved Him above all and respected Him, and therefore Jesus only stayed faithful and 聽話 對他, by doing His will.
它 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. 雖然 Jesus was born on this earth, 耶穌不屬於這個世界; 魔鬼王國. Jesus belonged to the Kingdom of God. 耶穌, 上帝的兒子, was an Ambassador; a Representative of the Kingdom of God, and preached and brought the Kingdom of God to the people.
作為 重生的信徒, 你已經成為一個 上帝之子. You have become an Ambassador; a representative, of the Kingdom of God.
雖然你生活在這個地球上, 你不再屬於這個世界. 這意味著, 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 服從他, 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. 是的, the world forces Christians to approve and accept things, 這是神所憎惡的, and therefore also to them.
這個世界的統治者, 哪個是魔鬼, works in the sons of this world. 惡魔是他們的父親, and they listen to and obey him. 不信者, 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 神的旨意.
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.
與世俗為友就是與上帝為敵
但聖經; 聖經說, that friendship of the world is enmity with God and that whosoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God (詹姆斯 4:4)
由你決定, 你用它做什麼. Will you be led by your feelings and emotions, and compromise with the world and accept things, 這是神所憎惡的? Will you walk in 假愛? Do you take a stand for the world or do you take a stand for Jesus Christ and do you stay 聽話 到聖言?
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.
‘成為地球之鹽’
