“Lead me, O LORD, in Thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make Thy way straight before my face.” (Psalms 5:8)
The multitude of David’s trials led him by the Holy Spirit to write the most intuitive prayers that transcend the ages. Do we as Christians have enemies? Worldwide the enemy has those who would kill the Christian for any offense real or false. It’s more so in some countries than others. It surprises me that in a country like Ethiopia, where Christianity is the majority belief as a whole, there is severe persecution in areas that are now dominated by religions that are violent. A country like the United States which was founded on Christian beliefs, is run by heathens. The majority of the people in the United States are heathens. Culture is heathenistic.
In the United States, we have not succumbed to the belief that all the ills of the country are the fault of the Christian as happened in Rome with Nero or that happened to the Jews in Germany with Hitler and that is now happening to Christians in many countries. But people are persecuted because they rebuke sin. And so, the Christian is seen as a person who hates because he condemns sin.
God is Ruler and King in Christianity. He provided a way for man to return to the purity of His purpose. There is only one way to reconciliation with Him and that is through His Son Jesus. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (John 14:6) This dogmatic statement infuriates the heathen. We are coming close to the time when Christianity in the United States will be called a religion of hate, and the Bible a book of hate. And why is that? Because God has condemned their evil works. And because they refuse to submit to God.
Watchful eyes are ready to spring on us and call us out when we fail because we don’t approve of their evil works. “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” (Ephesians 5:11) That word reprove means to rebuke and tell them their wrong. When we point out what God says about sin, we are called self-righteous, even by the brethren who have accepted the culture beliefs more than they have God’s precepts, not knowing nor understanding spiritual things.
But we don’t have to offend in our ways or words to stir up strife. The work of the Cross is another point of contention without our failings adding to the persecution. “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness;” (1Corinthians 1:23) The Cross is a stumbling block because it is through our faith in its work that we are saved, not by the works of the Law. Paul stated it clearly, “What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.” (Romans 9:30-33) And to others the Cross is foolishness. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1Corinthians 2:14)
So we pray like David, “Lead me, O LORD, in Thy righteousness because of mine enemies.” The Lord help us so that our actions and words don’t cause the heathen to blaspheme God. Such was David’s sin in all he did to marry Bathsheba. Samuel told David, “Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.” (2Samuel 12:14) David paid dearly for his sin.
Paul rebuked the Romans, “Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.” (Romans 2:21-24) While we do fail because we are living in this flesh in this fallen world, let’s be very careful in the presence of God’s enemies, that our immaturity will not cause the heathen to blaspheme God.
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