THE FACE OF LOVE CHAPTER 18 IS BELIEVING IN SIN A PHOBIA?

 

THE FACE OF LOVE

CHAPTER 18

IS BELIEVING IN SIN A PHOBIA?

If I tell you that what you are doing is a sin, does that mean that I dislike or hate people like you? To put it a little differently, if I dislike or hate the sin, does that mean that I automatically dislike or hate you? Can you equate one to the other? Is it possible to dislike what someone does, but, to love them and love them unconditionally? You may know the answer to these questions, but, to accept the answer to these questions as it applies to sin, you must have the ability and desire to love, know, and accept Truth, who is God. You must have a hunger and desire for holiness and righteousness, as it pertains to the Will of God. Then, you can see and accept that holiness and righteousness cannot make exceptions for sins that man considers as acceptable, tolerable, or, normal.

God speaks to His children in many ways. One of them is through the written Word, or scripture. However, when you are born again by God's Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit speaks to you. God lets His Children know when they are sinning. The written Word isn't the only proof there is of what God considers to be sin. The Word of God is within each Disciple, equipping them to conquer sin and the world.

If you believe that no one on Earth can call or prove that your behavior is sin, then, my designation of your behavior as sin may cause you to see me in a different light. Under this artificial and false light you may examine my way of thinking. If it does not align with your ideas or ideal lifestyle, if it does not join the popular or trending thoughts of contemporary society, then, you may condemn me as being judgmental, hateful, and having a mind set upon persecuting, demeaning and destroying who you are. You may consider me to be an outlaw and menace to society, who has tread upon your civil rights, or, a mentally unstable person with a condition that warrants professional treatment. 

Considering that you expect others to respect your beliefs or opinions, should my designation of what is sin and sinning automatically translate into a phobic condition that needs to be checked or outlawed? Am I a bad person because I know that your behavior is a sin? Aren't you equally sure that it is not? Are you in turn causing my rights to be violated? Or, has guilt and shame created a barrier and a blind illusion to help you fight back and protect yourself to keep on sinning and remain in darkness?

What does respecting your beliefs and opinions, while allowing you to freely and legally continue in your behavior and sin entail? What must I do to show that I respect your beliefs and opinions? Should I be required to support your behavior, contribute to your behavior, or celebrate your behavior? By doing so my rights and beliefs are infringed upon. I must betray myself and my God to give you the respect that you have required or demanded by law. I have no legal support to defend and respect my beliefs. 

Am I not worthy of human rights because I disagree with your behavior? Is your behavior worth the dehumanizing of others? Perhaps, you don't think that this is your concern, because, you deem yourself more worthy than others. No? Then, how do you defend your actions or lack of action when I no longer have rights and a voice? Does this sound like Holiness to you? Does this sound like Righteousness to you? Does this sound like loving your Brother as you love yourself? Does this sound like Democracy to you? Tell me how you defend selfishness. Tell me how a person or a nation can silence the voice of one group of people to cater to the needs of another group of people? Is it for political gain?

You must know what is in my heart to understand when I tell you that you are sinning. And, I too must know what is in my heart to tell you that you are sinning. Do I love you as I love myself? Do I see you as created by God in His image? Do I yearn to save you and the lost or do I take pleasure in gloating and pointing a finger at them and what has befallen them?

Likewise, you must know what is within your heart when you accuse me of hatred or being phobic. Do you have unconditional love for me? Do you desire me to be saved and live abundantly, eternally? Is God's Holy Spirit speaking Truth to you, guiding you, and abiding within you? Are you filled with holiness and righteousness? Who, I wonder, is actually doing the judging-- me, or you? There are those trying to restrain you and legally punish you for your sinning, but, are you assuming that I am one of them? Is that judging and condemning me without knowing me? Satan is a trickster and always uses irony and hypocrisy to make a fool of us. He will have us accuse others of what we are guilty of doing.

Perhaps, Believers in every manmade religion are responsible for causing the paranoia that arises every time a behavior is marked or questioned to be sin. There is a long history of prejudice, discrimination, violence, and killing connected to the chastisement and punishment of sinners. The most important aspect of bringing in the lost is too often overlooked or omitted. We must do everything in love. Love must be the reason for our thoughts and actions. Yet, the world and those of the world, who cannot see or feel that love and know it to be unconditional, will continue to believe that we who know God and His Word have bad intentions for calling their behavior sin. 

So, what do we do, when it has become an automatic defense mechanism to name, blame, and shame Believers for upholding God's Word when it comes to sin? WE BEAR THE CROSS! We carry the weight of Jesus's conviction for having done nothing, but, having been condemned and sentenced to die upon a cross for our sins. If you, as a Believer, can't agree with that and choose to continue to believe that the battle is yours, then, you are unable to bear Jesus's cross. You have chosen to fight flesh with flesh, when God tells us that we must not war with flesh. You have chosen not to follow the Mind of Christ to please God and therefore, you risk your Heavenly reward and your crown.

Will the devil fight back? Of course he will. Are you prepared for that? Will he do anything to keep those he has placed in bondage? But, aren't lost souls worth fighting for, you may ask? Apparently, Jesus thought so and hung His head and died for us. Yes, but, you must know your true enemy or your efforts are in vain and you are helping the real enemy, who is Satan, to achieve his goals. Therefore, we do not war with flesh, for, those who follow after darkness have been blinded and know not what they do. We must know how to fight darkness and be prepared and equipped for a spiritual fight.

People cannot change what is sin, no matter what rebuttal they use to deny it, sin will remain sin in God's eyes for eternity. This is why we must realize that we are NEVER ALONE! If the devil can isolate us and make us feel that we are alone, then, he can win the fight. He will engage you in a battle of words, accusations, and distractions. The words that accuse us of being phobic or hateful begin to take effect and take a tole upon us. Walking in the Spirit by faith, we must constantly acknowledge that we are one with the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Walking in the Spirit, we must constantly acknowledge the Armor of God upon us. Walking in the Spirit, we must walk humbly, but, boldly.

Where are the conquerors of the world and the defenders of the Kingdom, today? Those walking in SELF cannot carry the cross, let alone defend it. They cower at the first mentioning of sin because they are working for themselves and not serving God. They are UNEQUIPPED because they have chosen to cling to the world and love of self. If they truly loved God and their brother as they loved themselves, then, unconditional love would compel them to cry out the sins of the world and dispel the lies that keep their brothers and sisters in bondage. Yet, they deny Christ, over and over again, to please the sinner and protect themselves. They are not LIVING in the Spirit and allowing the Holy Spirit to order their steps and guide them in speaking Truth. MANY can preach the Word of God, but, to LIVE IN THE SPIRIT, one must die everyday. If you have compromised your faith to cling to the world, and please the world, then, you are a hireling. Whose kingdom do you represent, but, your own?

As long as we are alive upon this earth, we will continue to live in dangerous and sinful times. Perhaps, sometimes are more dangerous than others, when speaking out against sin, depending upon the popularity of the sin at that given time. People have very strong opinions and feelings about what they believe in, when it comes to how it affects them personally. They will use extreme and violent measures to harm or kill those who stand in their way. Yet, Christ and His Disciples were up against the same odds and knowing the consequences to what was perceived as radicalism and blasphemy, they persevered. Whether we are speaking out about xenophobia, homosexuality, religious extremism, homegrown terrorists, etc., there will be people who disagree who are ready and willing to harm us or our loved ones. 

Being a Believer is not about self-preservation or self-interests. We must be willing to surrender all to God, as He has sacrificed all for us.

Can an entire nation be in bondage to a particular sin? Yes, as can the world. The adversary knows that once he has opened the door to one sin, others can follow. What one group of people sees as a feel good situation can be death masquerading as life, stealing the identities of millions to destroy them, eventually leading them into the eternal fire.

Those who want to defend and uphold their sin and sinning have cast the Word of God aside as worthless, useless, out-of-date, out-of-touch with today's society, flawed, incorrectly translated, or, just plain wrong. As Believers, do we just stand by and allow this to happen? Shouldn't we defend and protect the Bible and other scripture? What will we do if one day, the scriptures are completely outlawed? If the Bible and other scripture is banned from use, as well as worshipping God, those who practiced religion will most likely have a problem. Those who know The Word of God, Christ Jesus, and abide in God's Holy Spirit can neither be separated from The Word of God, who is Christ Jesus, nor, barred from worshipping in Spirit and in Truth.

Still, we can't let them win, can we, meaning, those who love sin? Win? How do those who love sin win? They have already lost. Where is your faith? Where is your trust in God? God always has a remnant and God always makes a way. God always raises up an army. God raises Kings and kingdoms and causes them to fall. Oh, ye of little faith, why do you try to control the winds of time? Everything is in God's timing. He will chastise whom He will and reward whom He will. I've a message from the Lord, Hallelujah! It is only that you look and live! You are here for these times. Let tomorrow worry about tomorrow. Believe that what you do in this time will affect the future and good will always prevail, for, God is all that is good, therefore, He will not and cannot fail!

What do we tell the sinner who loves sin? What do we say to those who accuse us of being phobic? What is it that God wants us to do? With God, time stands still as He waits for the hearts of men to change. What do we do as Believers? We continue to walk by Faith, in the Spirit, applying the unconditional love of God.

Those who hate are not worried about keeping God's Word. How can they be worried about something that they don't keep and uphold themselves? They are worried about self-preservation. White Supremacists aren't worried about God's Word, they are worried about self-preservation. Institutional Churches aren't worried about keeping God's Word, they are worried about self-preservation and their ability to control the world. Religious extremists aren't worried about keeping God's Word, they, too, are worried about self-preservation, power, and controlling others. These have already lost their battle because their war is against God.

What do you tell the sinner who loves sin? What do you say to those who accuse you of being phobic? You tell them that God has spoken.

Those who accuse you of fear are themselves living in fear. To uproot them from their sin would be to cut off their roots from the world to which they cling. They would whither and die. Be not dismayed. In the generations to come, God will bring forth new wine for new wineskins. Their hunger and thirst for holiness and righteousness will lead them to turn away from these sins, because, His Word is everlasting!

When sin is normalized, everyone is affected. Innocent minds are misled into ignorance to unknowingly sin and defy God. Those who mislead children must assuredly meet God's wrath.

CAN WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE SIN IS NORMALIZED?

There are times when I feel that I am on a deserted island...a castaway. However, I am quickly pulled back into reality, knowing that the adversary wants to isolate me and make me feel alone. Then, he can have his way with me to kill, steal, and destroy. There are times when living in a world where sin is often normalized can seem unbearable, intolerable, lonely, frustrating, disenfranchising, and marginalizing. You can feel trapped and have the feeling of walking on eggshells so as not to offend anyone and become a target for ostracism and retaliation. Should Believers feel that they have to be on their best behavior to navigate through the complex social structure of society? Should Believers feel that they should have equal footing in the world to live and express themselves freely? Is it right to normalize the behavior of one group of people and then deem the opposing ideology as deviant, radical, or, unlawful? Is that a society where religious freedom is respected and tolerated? Where does the balance come in and who gets to decide or interpret the separation of church and state? Congress? The Supreme Court? Have the lines now become blurred, or, has it become more clear that there are no lines and never have been? This world functions upon what God has built and the laws and principles He has put in place.

If there have never been any lines or boundaries separating church and state, then, can the state make laws for the church without taking into consideration the laws and principles of God? The state takes it upon itself to cross these imaginary lines whenever it is convenient for it to do so, picking and choosing which godly principles it will adhere to and follow or abolish. When it comes to the populace, the church seems to be at the mercy of the state. So, how does one survive and I dare say, thrive, living in such a trapezoid where there are no aligned sides? How does a government represent the interests of all of the people? Can it? Is it really feasible, or, is the government attempting to do the impossible and just faking it to placate and pacify the masses? Where does democracy begin and where does democracy end? Who is allowed to benefit and have control within democracy? Is democracy only for the elite and social influencers? We know that it is not a perfect system, but, how can it improve if it cannot or will not confront truth and be brave and strong enough to oppose and forbid the embedding of lies within its foundation and structure? Won't those very same lies weaken the structure and cause it to crumble?

One must have their eyes open when dealing with the world and those of the world. We cannot expect the world to work in favor of The Kingdom of God or Believers. Within the world a Believer is an Outsider. Within society, the world expects Believers to think and behave as those of the world, so, as not to rip the very fragile fabric that weaves its social structure. As Believers, we are always suspect. The world fears that we are constantly trying to remake it into our image, based upon biblical beliefs. They are not far from the truth, when it comes to Believers who are attached to the world, who are still trying to gain power and control over the government and legal system. However, as Believers who have become Disciples and Equipped Saints, we have an understanding of the world as it pertains to God's plan for mankind and His Kingdom. We understand that we are not of this world, but, of God's Kingdom. This world shall pass away, but, God's Kingdom is everlasting.

Those who know Truth know that sin is sin. To give it any other name is to rationalize and deceive oneself and others. To name, shame, and blame those who know Truth, is to deflect blame, shame, and guilt onto another. Pride has put you into sin and bondage and pride intends to keep you there. Arrogance and pride have convinced you that no one has the right to question your behavior and anyone showing concern for your behavior is judging and condemning you. You cannot see love because pride has removed love from your heart and placed itself there, instead. Life becomes all about you and what you need and desire, without consideration for others who are not like you. How dare anyone assume that they can interfere with your needs or desires. You cannot see how it effects anyone but you. Therefore, they must have a problem, not you. They must be against you, because, they cannot accept who you are. Your wanting to be accepted fuels your pride. You believe that there is no other conclusion to come to other than that they have a phobia about people like you. They are unable to love people like you. 

Yet, you have mistaken the identity of your adversary. Pain, fear, and pride have partitioned off your heart to prevent further injury, but, it is your wounds that are in need of healing. The world cannot heal those wounds or take the pain away, only the healing balm of Christ Jesus can make you whole. The world and the enemy seeks to steal your identity to prevent you from being a Child of God. After stealing your identity, you are influenced to create a new identity from things of the world. The enemy knows that by robbing you of your identity given to you by God, he can keep you from becoming who you were meant to be and from fulfilling God's plan for your life. Reinventing yourself cannot take away the pain, scars, and heartache you have endured, or make you whole, only REBIRTH through God's Holy Spirit can give you new life and everlasting life. The validation, attention, love, acceptance, and recognition that you seek because of your insecurities and lost identity is no longer needed when you discover who you are in Christ Jesus. 

When we are in pain, the enemy will give us alternatives and ultimatums. He will offer an alternate way of looking at reality and looking at oneself. He will tell you what you should do, who you should be, or, how you can feel if you will choose his way of thinking and acting. This taunting and influencing begins in our early stages of childhood when we are defenseless and unaware of his influence. As children, we only know pain, fear, rejection, self-image (how we see ourselves and how we feel about ourselves). These things and our pride are important to us.

We are unaware of DNA markers and genetics passed down to us that make us susceptible to certain traits and even sin. Therefore, we cannot make rational and informed decisions about what we are experiencing, feeling, who we are and who we want to be. However, the enemy is perfectly aware of our history, genetics, and spiritual curses within our ancestry and he will use them against us.

As parents, God has given us our children to nurture, not to experiment with. Leaving children to their own devices and the devices of the world is an uncontrolled experiment, whereas, you are gambling with your child's life and might as well toss dice to bet on how they will turn out. Children must be nurtured mentally, physically, and spiritually, beginning at birth. This is what God expects of us as parents, for our children, like us, belong to our Heavenly Father. 

If one doesn't believe in the Spiritual World and that we are Spiritual Beings, then, one might attribute a child's thoughts and behaviors to natural instincts. As Spiritual Beings, we must acknowledge the influence of the Spiritual World upon everything around us, especially our children. Children imitate what they see and hear, even that which they see and hear in the Spiritual World.

Due to governmental laws, our children will be educated in schools to respect and support sin. Yet, the teaching of morals and godly principles is considered to be religious indoctrination and banned within school to separate church from state. If those of the world are fighting against the very morals and godly principles that oppose their sin, then, why can't everyone see that the actual behavior or sin is in itself morals and religiously practiced principles by a group of people? Yet, to appease their appetite for self-recognition and self-glorification, the world and government is prepared to corrupt every child. Is this not proof that the world does not work on behalf of God's Kingdom and the government is ill-prepared to counter its influence and demands?

Can we as Children of God live in a world where sin is normalized? Yes, we can and we must. Jesus knew what we would be standing against, yet, He still told us to stand until the end.

One sin leads to another sin, as the devil knows that once he gets his foot in the door, other demons can follow. Sin corrupts and spreads like wildfires. This is why God needs no one to prove what sin is, just like God needs no one to prove His Word. The Word proves itself! Thus, God destroyed entire cities to cut off sin. God destroyed an entire tribe of Israelites to quench the fire of sin within it. God told the soldiers of Israel to kill everyone of their enemies and take no spoils to stop the spread of sin. Sin proves itself and leads to destruction because it is a tool of darkness used by the Adversary.

God is not standing by nodding approvingly at your sin and the normalization of it amongst His people. God protects His children. Never forget that God is in control! Your victory is short-lived in the eyes of God, for He has already cancelled it. You just don't know it yet.

To have a phobia is to fear something. What need do God's Children have for phobia, when they have an Almighty God? The Lord is our strength and our salvation, whom shall we fear?! If God be for us, then, who can be against us?! God's servants don't fear what can and already has been conquered! Jesus paid it ALL! All to Him we owe! Those who oppose the Children of God should have fear of the Lord, but, they have been blinded to their transgressions.

Your accusing the Righteous of being phobic cannot put fear, shame, and guilt into us, when it's not a matter of believing your behavior is sin, we KNOW without doubt what sin is because God is with us always! Know that we are never alone, our Father is within us! Let these words ring throughout the Earth and the Spiritual World and resound in the Heavens for we need not answer the queries of darkness, when GOD HAS SPOKEN!

your servant and soldier, united with the Body of Christ, through the shedding of His Blood, 

God's Grace and Mercy Abounds, Peace Be Unto You

Mishael