Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:16:17). For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:14). Understanding there are things not of the Father does not cause the Grace of God to be diminished. The sins of the world are forgiven. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:2). If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you (John 15:19). He who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes (1 John 2:11).
“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18). Pride tells us to hate those who hate us. Vanity tells us we have rights – it is about us – we are the people of God. Jesus came to rescue sinners; to give sight to those who are blind; to set at liberty those who are captives. “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Matthew 9:12-13).
Evil wants us to hate those God is sending us, as the body of Christ, to rescue. If they hate us and we hate them, evil has built a stronghold. If we love those who hate us, the body of Christ has prevailed against a stronghold; the gates of hell cannot prevail. One more thing; we need to be in unity about loving one another (if we hate our brother, we are among those blinded; the blind leading the blind). The Gospel news is God came, in the form of Jesus, to give sight to the blind. If we are blinded by our hate for our brother, Jesus is ready and willing to heal our blindness. Truly, the gates of hell cannot prevail.
© 2010, Tim D. Coulter Sr.