And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty
2
Corinthians 14-18
Can
two walk together, except they be agreed?
Amos
3:3
Beware
lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the
tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after
Christ.
Colossians
2:8
Ye
adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the
world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the
world is the enemy of God.
James
4:4
Ye
that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints;
he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.
Psalm 97:10
Woe
unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for
light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet
for bitter!
Isaiah
5:20
THE FRIEND OF MY ENEMY .
As example, there are two old proverbial sayings with which, on principle – especially as a Christian! – I vehemently disagree:
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
I have heard these platitudes declared countless times, but never spoken by true Christians.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Just because a particular person or group is the enemy of my enemy, that most certainly does not mean they are my friends. They may be enemies of my enemy for far different reasons, which have nothing to do with me, or with my reasons for knowing them to be my enemies.
Rather, what I know to be true, according to Christian standards, and based on lifelong experience, is that the friend of my enemy is certainly no friend of mine. Or, in some cases, the friend of my enemy is indeed my enemy.
A case in point: A gossip approaches your friend and makes defamatory comments against you, with false accusations.
No true friend will even listen to such defamatory remarks, but will cut the gossip off and tell her that she is way out of line in speaking against you, and will also notify you of what was said behind your back.
But if your “friend” remains silent, by withholding such damaging information from you and/or allows the slander to continue, then that person is not acting in good faith, and any trust you placed in that person is shown to be unwarranted. And remember this: Anyone who will gossip about others, to you, will also gossip to others about you. Never trust a gossip, nor be a party to spreading rumors.
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
As for keeping my enemies close?
This idea is held by those whose interactions with others (enemies or not) are based on deception and manipulation. They do not operate on principle, nor does the truth factor in to their dealings with others. They are self-serving and seek control over others, thus by my standards they are to be avoided. In truth, such persons have no real “friends”, but rather a cast of characters they seek to direct and exploit for their own ends. This can be indicative of narcissism and/or psychopathy, or even just a profound lack of self confidence. In any case, such persons are hypocrites of the lowest order.
On the contrary, it is my policy to stay as far away from my enemies as possible, and to have no dealings with them, the only exception being when I find it absolutely necessary to defend myself (and/or certain others) against their words or deeds of aggression. And aggression is always at the root of their offenses – the total lack of respect for the privacy and personal boundaries of others – the Inviolability of Personhood.
This holds true across the spectrum, from the gossip and meddling of the garden variety busybody, to the heinous criminal offenses of rapists and murderers, and everything in between. No, all of these offenses are certainly not equal, but they are all without exception based on aggression, in one form or another. And they all lead to trouble and/or damages and/or losses and/or heartbreak for the person(s) at whom the aggression is directed. And by my standards, anyone who engages in any form of aggression against me is someone to be shunned, never embraced.
CHRISTIANS & THE WORLD
But as I have observed, very few people seem to share these standards. Even quite a number who claim to be Christians are to be seen extensively trafficking with The World, adopting their values and standards, and grossly compromising the solid and eternal principles, the universal truths which are inherent in the Christian faith.
Rather than adhere scrupulously to moral absolutes, which can only be determined by God (and which are clearly revealed in His Word), they adopt moral relativism, situational ethics and social engineering. These are the standards observed by The World and have no place in the life of a Christian.
If there were no God, there could be no justice. We, as Christians, are commanded to pursue justice, under His standards, rather than those of The World. We must stand for truth and justice, with no compromise, no matter the consequences.
Instead of equal rights and equal justice for every Individual, the ungodly promote special rights for selected groups, while denying justice to individuals who are not favored under their particular biases or vested interests, which serve anything but justice. Such characters are prone to say: The ends justify the means. They aim to get what they want, no matter the expense, or the harm to others.
FREE WILL AND GOD-GIVEN RIGHTS
Free will is bestowed by God on every Individual. As are God-given (natural, inherent) rights.
I have heard some people express the mistaken idea that 'free will' means that you are able to choose all your circumstances and the events in your life. They say they do not believe in free will, because of the bad things which have happened to them, which they did not choose, and were unable to avoid.
Some (for example, New Agers) go to the other extreme, and believe that you 'create your own reality' and that every event and circumstance in your life is a direct result of your thoughts, what you 'visualize' and thus 'manifest' into existence. They even go so far as to say: There are no victims, only volunteers. This, of course, is a horrible falsehood, which leads to blaming the victim(s), rather than the perpetrator(s) of the evil, who are in actuality solely culpable for the wrongs they commit. As for justice? Under such a belief system, it will never be served.
Consider this: How many dreadful events or circumstances have happened in your life, over which you had absolutely no control? And for how many of those occurrences did you 'volunteer'? Really? Seriously? Or, was there an evildoer, a perpetrator (or more than one) who, beyond a shadow of doubt, was totally culpable, guilty as sin?
In a twisted corollary, the New Ager will smugly tell you that everything that happens to you is a 'life lesson', and that there are no enemies, but only 'teachers'.
Some New Agers refuse to even acknowledge that evil exists, and think they can solve any problems, no matter how serious, how dire (which they always identify as 'challenges') by throwing 'love bombs' at evildoers, or engaging in 'heart meditations' where they beam 'love' to all around them, as if the evildoers will respond by ceasing to do evil. Or as if the evildoers will somehow recognize the 'truth' once they are 'educated' to their New Age ideology.
This is purely delusional (and self-glorifying) rubbish, a mindset which, rather than recognizing and addressing evil and evildoers head on, for what they actually are, leads its adherents down a twisted path of denial of the nature of reality.
It is also a form of witchcraft, which seeks to manipulate others. In this mindset, God, Creator of Heaven and earth, is nowhere to be found. Instead, they foolishly believe they are gods unto themselves, who can bend others to their will. As for 'love'? They are terribly misguided as to the meaning of the word.
Free will does not mean that you can control everything which happens to you, only that you may choose your own beliefs, standards, principles, determine your own personal boundaries, and decide your actions in any circumstance. You may choose between doing good and doing evil. And you most certainly have the right to defend yourself against evil as long as you do not return evil for evil.
If some scum criminal breaks into your home, you have every right to defend yourself (and yours) with lethal force, if need be. There is no evil intent in that, given that you are not the aggressor. Consider now, what would happen if you decided instead to fire a 'love bomb' at the enemy, whose purpose is to destroy you. A word to the wise, enough said.
If there were no God-given free will, life would have no meaning. There would be no virtue, no merit, nothing to work for, nothing to aspire to, nothing to hope for. There would be no accountability for one's actions, for good or ill. No good guys and no bad guys. No villains and no heroes. No standards by which to righteously judge. Just a soulless population of pre-programmed slaves, in thrall to random events and circumstances in a godless world. Evil would be called good, and good would be called evil.
And that is exactly what the God-hating, Luciferian leftists, the control freaks, whose purpose is nothing less than to usurp the power and authority of God over all His creation, would have you believe. Their intent, their ultimate goal, is to destroy your personal relationship with God, or to prevent you from ever knowing that such a relationship is possible.
Then, there are the secular humanists, who believe there is no God, no supernatural, spiritual reality beyond the material world. No, they say that man is the measure of all things. That we are not created in the image of God, by God, but rather we are a product of evolution, in a godless universe, where pond scum somehow morphed into living beings. And all this, the result of some Big Bang, billions of years ago, where everything was made from nothing. Secular humanism is a dangerous religion, in which the adherents boast that they are “good without God”. In truth, there can be no good except by the sovereign will of God, Creator of heaven and earth.
SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT
As Christians, we are commanded to discern. To discern what is true from what is false. To discern what is right from what is wrong. To discern what is good from what is evil. To test the spirits, to discern those that are of God, from those who are of the devil. To discern as to doctrines, those which are of God, from those which are the doctrines of men, and the doctrines of demons. To discern who are our true brothers and sisters in Christ, from those who are not. Calling oneself a Christian does not make it so. As the Word of God proclaims, all true spiritual discernment has one Source: The Holy Spirit of God and of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh. The Spirit of Truth, which will never lead you astray.
Now, back to the idea of friends and enemies. Generally speaking, as a Christian, it follows that I will love those things that God loves, and that I will hate those things that God hates. When God's laws are written on your heart, this seems to happen effortlessly. It is a matter of recognizing the truth, of understanding what is good and what is evil. Your actions will then be determined by what you know to be true, what you know to be of God, and according to His will.
But when God-given discernment is lacking, the troubles begin. God tells us in His Word that we are to “be ye separate”. That, as Christians, we are to love and obey Him. That we are not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly. That though we be in the World, we are not of the World. But how many among us who say they are Christians are listening?
ANTI-CHRISTIAN VALUES & DOCTRINES
~Tyranny in any form: Progressive, Socialist, Marxist, Communist, Democracy, National Socialism, Fascism, Leftists
These are all tyrannical, because they deny the God-given rights and liberties of the Individual, while operating on the false premise of government control of a collective. Mob rule, or rule by the majority, no matter how unjust.
~United Nations
The UN is an evil institution which seeks to bring every man, woman and child on the face of the earth into a system of totalitarian slavery. The UN openly promotes Luciferian ideology. I regularly observe people who will support, promote and endorse UN programs and treaties, while falsely believing they can still defend the US Constitution. Some of these characters claim they are defenders or activists for human rights. They most certainly are not. The only so-called “human rights” advocated by the UN are those which adhere to control by a New World Order, One World Government. There is no excuse for trafficking with the UN, or supporting their programs, for any reason. Such individuals are anathema to Liberty, to Justice, and to the Christian faith.
~QAnon
This is a dangerous cult which indoctrinates its followers to place their trust in political figures, rather than in God. It is a psy op and conspiracy of vast proportions, run by government shills and rife with false prophets, merchants of false hope and con artists, who falsely mix Christian principles from the scriptures with the doctrines of men and of devils. Downright anti-Christian.
"Wokeism"
This is a leftist cult which viciously opposes and denounces the natural order and the natural laws of Nature's God. Christians need not apply – or ever would want to.
~Secular humanism
(See above.)
~New Age
(See above.)
~Sexual perversion: pornography, pedophilia, sexualizing of children, bestiality, transgender activism
Crimes against God, against nature and against humanity. No true Christian will have anything to do with these reprobates.
~Racism/bigotry: CRT, BLM, Jew-haters
No true Christian will take any part in these false doctrines. They promote hate and division and come from a carnal mind. They are of the anti-Christ spirit.
~"Christian" Dominionism
This cult seeks to implement a worldwide takeover and to impose their values and religion on society. It is legalistic and totalitarian and does not respect the free will or personal boundaries of others, individually or collectively.
Another concern on my heart is what has become known as “Christian Nationalism”. I find this to be a growing threat to the Christian church in America. Christianity, nor the values and principles thereof, cannot be limited to one nation, nor to any political party, nor to any of the cults claiming to be Christian.
I do not believe that any true Christian can support, endorse or promote any of the above systems. They are anathema to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
A Christian must, first and foremost, be a Christian. There is nothing wrong with engaging in political activism. I believe God expects His people to work for justice, and to adhere to sound principles in government, but only according to His will and from adherence to the Word of God.
If any political system operates outside of these moral absolutes, or seeks to modify them, or, to add contrivances to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for any form of political expediency, that system is not of God, nor serves His will.
Choose this day whom you will serve.
In closing, I must repeat that the friend of my enemy (those who support, promote or endorse anti-Christian values) is no friend of mine.
Barbara Hartwell
September 21, 2022
ON THE NATURE OF EVIL
https://barbarahartwellvscia.blogspot.com/2011/03/on-nature-of-evil.html