"I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”
They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.”
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”
Jesus is engaging in a conversation with Jews. Given the conventional way in which people approach religion, the reaction and logic exhibited by these Jews appear understandable. Nevertheless, Jesus is conveying a powerful truth: human beings are essentially coupled beings. We're either connected with God (influenced by His providence) or linked to the dark, unseen realm inhabited by forces, demons, and malevolent entities that elude our detection.
Interestingly enough, Jesus provides them with a method of uncovering to whom they are connected: Loyalty. He underscores the importance of loyalty, suggesting that it serves as a litmus test for understanding the nature of one's spiritual alignment. If our loyalty lies with God, we are operating within his sphere of influence; if not, we are exposed to negative entities in an unseen realm. This notion fundamentally shifts the paradigms of spirituality and loyalty, introducing a profound perspective that continues to resonate today.
Let's break down the contra-views from Jesus in this passage:
1. Jesus: Speaks from Father Vs. Human: Speaks from devil
2. Jesus: Works of Abraham Vs. Human: Killing
3. Jesus: Truth teller Vs. Human: Lies and half-truths
4. Jesus: Love God Vs. Human: Hate God
5. Jesus: Understands God Vs. Human: Not understand God
6. Jesus: Obeying God Vs. Obeying demons
7. Jesus: Help, Healing & Life Vs. Violence & Murder
8. Jesus: Belief & Faith Vs. Unbelief & Doubt
Every person we meet - including ourselves
I have walked a path where every person I meet, and even myself, were just mere individuals. Historically, I treated myself, my thoughts, my person, my body, as though they were all just individual aspects of me. However, the reality is: we are not alone. We constitute a connected being. Our lives are lived intertwined with entities from an unseen realm. These entities are imperceptible, beyond our senses. This holds true for both non-Christians and Christians.
As believers and disciples, you and I, assuming Christ has indeed been formed within us, also constitute a connected being. We are ourselves, indwelt with Christ within us by His Spirit—the Spirit of God. We become worthy of this connection through the power and action of God, conferred upon us at the Cross by Jesus Christ. Without the Cross, without Jesus, without the labor of Christ bestowed on us in that sacred place, we are not connected with the Spirit of God within. Instead, we maintain our connection to sinister forces from the unseen realm.
Furthermore, whether intentionally or unconsciously, we have the choice to stray from the path of Christ. We have the ability to sever our connection, which consequently re-establishes our ties with demonic powers. We may reconnect with these malevolent forces either through direct choice or through unintentional decisions. This idea is powerfully demonstrated in Paul's letter to the Galatians.
Nevertheless, we are all connected creatures—either to the demonic forces lurking in the darkness of the unseen realms or to Jesus, or within the Spirit of Christ in the brilliance of His light. This is not only true for us, but for everyone around us: me, you, they, them, those, others, and everyone else. In light of this, we must first safeguard ourselves, and as we reach out to others, we must bear this in mind: The individuals we are reaching out to are not alone. There are demonic forces operating around them that not only despise them, but also despise us and will instigate self-destruction within those people and within ourselves, provided these individuals are vulnerable and willing.
Proclaim, drive out, heal, and make friends
In the Bible, specifically in Matthew 10, Jesus communicates a powerful message to His disciples. He blesses them with His divine power, instilling within them the very essence of the Kingdom of God. Consequently, Jesus instructs them to journey to the places where life unfolds for individuals afflicted by demonic forces. Their responsibility was to announce the inception of the Kingdom of God within themselves as they went on this journey.
When everyone understood and recognized that the Kingdom of Christ was in their midst, the disciples, armed with divine power, were there to expel the demonic forces causing distress and harm to the population. Continuing with the Kingdom's business is impossible if an enemy presence is in the camp, hence, expelling the enemy became their primary task. This included cases of demon possession, but it was not confined to this alone. The overall mission was to completely rid the area of these demonic forces.
Translating this scenario to the 21st-century context, it is crucial to note that nothing has fundamentally changed. Demonic forces continue to exist; they possess, oppress, torment, and generally demonize the individuals they are coupled with. It is not only appropriate but wholly necessary to declare the arrival of the Kingdom of God within us. Furthermore, it is crucial to fast and pray to expel these demons—perhaps even before their arrival. This could be likened to an army artillery unit preparing the ground for an impending invasion.
Once damaging and violent demonic forces are driven out, the power of God in us turns to healing the damage done. This damage pervades all levels: mental, emotional, intellectual, and even physical. It manifests physically in the form of diseases and other body maladies.
Does this imply that these people are "saved"? Not at all. It is the benevolence of God that leads us to repentance. Therefore, all activity of this nature is an act of kindness. However, for those who do not accept Christ, the demons and their violent damage will return and surround them. After all, we are beings united in spirit and the absence of spiritual content can cause a vacuum that will not survive for long.
The primary objective here is for the benevolence of God to guide individuals to pledge their loyalty and faith to the Lord Jesus Christ. The ultimate goal is to bring them to the cross of Christ and to recognize His power to liberate them from both worldly desires and the demonic influence associated with such desires.
Once this freedom is attained, the spirit of God can enter within us. By doing so, it provides us the necessary power to not only grow in Christ but also strengthen our allegiance towards Him.
Furthermore, it is essential for the kingdom to reciprocate this action. We need to endeavor to rescue others, just as we have been rescued ourselves. This chain continues, with disciples creating more disciples, until the eventual return of Jesus.
The ultimate aim of the Lord's mission to humanity has always been, and remains, the eradication of rebellion and the reassertion of His Kingdom on both heaven and earth. The end goal is the manifestation of loyalty or disloyalty to Christ through God's power and actions applied to us.
Eternity looms and the period of testing and proving will eventually come to a halt. All of creation will face a final judgement: those deemed righteous will attain salvation while disloyal dissenters face eternal destruction.