For Or Against

You can tell a lot about people by their friendships and their enmities. Unbelievers in God are against everyone. Children of God ought to be for Him and for others, and especially for His other children. Unbelievers are especially and uniquely against God and His people. Believers ought to be against Satan and his followers and they are instructed so to be.

Genesis 16:11: And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. 12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man*s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

Against every man is an apt description of Ishmael and his descendants, but not just them. It also described you and me before we were saved.

2 Corinthians 6:14: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

Galatians 6:10: As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Do you know anyone that seems to be against everybody and everybody seems to be against them? I know lots of them. Our only chance to become for God and others is through the blood of Christ. Jesus make our enemies into friends.

Ephesians 2:13, 16: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. . . . 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

There is something that is unique to believers. They are commanded to love their enemies, to be for those whom they have been against.

Luke 6:27-28: But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, 28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

Unbelievers can*t even truly love their friends. Believers are to love even their enemies. What a contrast the Holy Spirit of God wants to put between unbelievers and believers, from being against everyone to being for everyone. You and I were against everyone before we were saved and we ought to be for everyone since we are saved. When we were against God we were against everyone. When we are for Him we ought to be for everyone. Here are a couple of passages that speak about unbelievers and about the fleshly nature of Christians even after they become Christians.

Romans 8:7: Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

James 4:4: 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.

Galatians 5:16: This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

It is impossible for unbelievers to be for everyone because they do not have the Holy Spirit.

Care to discuss For Or Against with Ron?

He'd also like to hear your prayer requests