Amen!
Luke 12:32 "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
Imagine a child who has been adopted into a family and then imagine one of that child's 'friends' whispering into his ear...'you are not good enough,you are an anti-intellectual fool,a silly little child flapping around in the shallow end of the pool imagining yourself part of a holy royal family but look at yourself.You might think you're acceptable standing there dressed in rags looking for all the world like a lame dead dog...you bring shame to the holy family!You can't get your own life sorted and yet you dare to imagine you will simply cruise in and sit at the King's table!If you weren't so tragic you'd be laughable!'....but God said....'WE will tell you what He said and what He means!'(Galatians 4:17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.)
What might God think of such a 'friend'?
Mark 10:15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Knowing you are accepted FROM THE START is what sets you on the road to doing the "work of God" (John 6:29)
If a father about to adopt a child were to first lay out just how evil and unacceptable that child was,that child could be forgiven for simply running away in terror.God has made us acceptable to Himself by laying down His own life in our place and when you realise this...THEN you will begin to see for yourself just how bad your own situation really WAS.The Holy light of God will be right up close and very personal and you will begin to see the truly awefull state you really WERE in.
The fleshy mind wants NOTHING to do with that terrifying light so will NOT enter that throne of grace for fear it will be exposed!
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life,*A*N*D* that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God ie:Do THE "work of God".(1 John 5:13)
The "desperately wicked and deceitfull above all things" human heart will stand on the outside and look sideways at any who dare to walk past and enter that throne of grace.Better to stand off and hurl insults with the same carnal mind that is KEEPING them out!
God help them and us all!
Gee, that sounds awfully familiar.....
But what does GOD call us?
His Beloved, the Bride of His only son, friends and more than friends - SONS, the elect, a joint heir with Christ, the righteousness of God in Christ....