Meek, Not Weak!

General James Green

IN THIS AGE of “soft” and “pampered” Churchianity, the image given to Jesus the Christ is girlish and sentimental. Years ago I put forth several messages for radio called “The other side of Jesus.” I’m not going into all the contrasts you can find in your Bible about Jesus’ two sides, but I will put forth a short lesson along those lines.

     The same Jesus who said “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them…”(Mark 10:14), is the same Jesus that “…entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of those selling doves” (Matt. 21:12). And He is the same Jesus that “…entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they (the religious leaders) watched Him, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath day; that they might accuse Him. . . . And He said unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? ... And when He had looked round about on them WITH ANGER, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts…” (Mk. 3:1-6). Yes, my dear “Jesus is only love” friends, you better read your Bibles!

JESUS HAD ENEMIES — WE’RE GOING TO ALSO

JESUS’ DISCIPLES WERE LIKE their Lord—they were meek but not weak. John was called the apostle of “love”, friend of the Savior and of all men, and he was also the brother of James, and Jesus named them Boanerges, which is SONS of THUNDER! Was not John the one who penned “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God ... and this commandment have we from Him, that he who loveth God love his brother also” (1 Jn. 4)?

SAME APOSTLE?

YES, JOHN IS the same apostle that bitterly speaks of Satan’s possession of Judas and of his traitorous character. John also is the same apostle who never speaks of religious leader Nicodemus without a touch of antagonism to his timidity, and who also writes this of those who betray Christ’s teachings, “If any one cometh unto you, and bringeth not this teaching, RECEIVE HIM NOT into your house, and GIVE HIM NO GREETING: for he that giveth him greeting partaketh in his EVIL WORKS” (2 Jn. 10:11).

NOW, MY DEAR ENEMIES…

WHY GET ANGRY AT US who follow brother John’s instructions? Yet you all do! I have not the time or space to put forth all that could be said here on this point. Be it known that we have had and do have enemies (calling themselves “Christian”!) who would MURDER us IN A MOMENT’S time if it were not against the law. These are “Christians”, so called! They get irate because we will not receive them into our camps. Why should we be partakers of your evil?

OUR LOVE

OUR LOVE FOR AND LOYALTY TO JESUS our Lord is more important than fellowshipping devils! If professing “Christians” are not fully committed to the Gospel and to Jesus’ doctrines, then they are not our friends, nor are we commanded to love them (as we would a true brother or sister). Second John 9 says, “Who-soever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath NOT God! He (or she, or “it”) that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.” That is good enough for me.

ALL YOU HATERS OF TRUTH

THERE ARE PLENTY out there that claim to be so “loving” and so “Christian”, yet their fruits belie their words. There is much in God’s Word on this subject if you care or DARE to read it.

     Brother John’s authoritative and cutting words, inspired by the Holy Spirit, were, back then, and are now, OFFENSIVE, HARSH, and UNLOVING — to the wicked.

YOU LACK A LOVING ATTITUDE !

WE’VE HEARD THIS FOR YEARS. I guess we could say the same about Jesus, His apostles and the Church Fathers that came later. We’ve been accused of “splitting up churches and families”. No dear ones, the Sword that Cuts and the Fire that Burns does that. Didn’t Jesus even say in Matt. 16:34-42 that there is a cost to discipleship—part of that is separation from others (read those Scriptures for yourself).

     John’s words and Jesus’ too, seem wrong in this Politically Correct age. Only those who despise, yea, hate God’s Word have this problem. The “loving” John and Jesus were meek, but not weak. They had tender hearts, but hardened wills against falsehoods, phony and hypocritical leaders and followers alike. They hated lies and liars.

CHRISTIANITY — WHAT IS IT?

IT CERTAINLY IS NOT what is presented in this backslidden and hell-bound generation. It is love, forgiveness, patience, endurance and all the fruits of the Spirit listed in Gal. 5:22-23. On the other hand, true and real Biblical Christianity is a life of work, warfare, suffering, persecution, (even death) resistance of evil and wrong — SIN! It blesses friends but will confront foes. It will not cry “peace and safety” when there is none. It will not seek rest when there is work / war to be done. Biblical Christianity puts up a vigorous struggle to defend the truth as well as to overthrow lies and liars. We must not condone what God’s Word is not silent about. God loves men but hates sin! The very capacities for love in God involve capacities for hate. Jesus hated as well as loved but found peace in both. Shall not we also?

“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness: Therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows” — Ps. 45:7.

JESUS SAW IT ALL !

AS GOD IN FLESH, Jesus the Christ of God saw sin and sinners in all their destructive force. He saw sin in its infinite and sinister ravages in the very human nature He had assumed and was come to redeem—yet He loved and He hated. He guarded the sheep and lambs as the good shepherd and drove away the wolves in sheep’s clothing. He took all the sins upon Himself, as if He committed them, because He loved the Father and gave Himself in behalf of guilty mankind.

     Jesus denounced the devil, Satan was called the father of lies. He fought him to His death, for you and for me. Yet Jesus had to tell the truth of the whole matter when He told Nicodemus, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (Jn. 3:3). Verse 5 He stated, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.” If we preach this today we are called hate messengers, narrow minded and bigoted.

     Jesus made the rules, “…whosoever believeth in Him should not perish” (Jn. 3:16). Perish? Who wants to hear about that dreadful reality of eternal punishment? That doesn’t sound “loving” does it? Let Saint Matthew answer that: “…fear Him (the Father) which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell”(Matt. 16:28). Write for our free HELL booklets for further info. on this subject.

HOLY AND NOBLE

IT IS TRUE that love for and obedience to God must be the dominant thing of life. But love necessitates hate — we must love the good and hate the evil. We must combine a hatred and resistance of evil and a godly reverence and desire for purity. The prophet Amos taught us this.

     We have definite adversaries as did Jesus and His apostles. Don’t be fooled, adversaries came in both concrete and abstract forms. Many times we are accused of being “cold hearted”. Rightly so! We turn a cold heart towards sin and the enemies of the Gospel. But to our enemies, they warm their hearts when sin approaches. Should we not look upon evil and evil men with abhorrence? Should we not let the virtue of His passion come between us and them? We should and we do.

GET INTO THE RIGHT CAMP

GOD’S WORD TEACHES that judgment on evildoers is certain. Our “Christian” enemies may find this doctrine unpleasant, but truth is truth. Jesus IS THE TRUTH. We want to serve Him and Him alone.

     Yes, dear readers, the meek man of Galilee spoke of such “harsh” things such as: “fire that never shall be quenched”, “everlasting fire”, “wailing and gnashing of teeth”, “casting into outer darkness forever”, of endless torment and anguish and separation from heaven forever — Jesus was meek but He was not weak! He had the grit and guts to speak the truth IN LOVE. Amen.