THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REJECTION AND BETRAYAL.
To reject a person who is close to you is to disown, perhaps, because of a prompting which urges to do so,or out of fear of being embarrassed, scorned, avoided,killed or laughed at by others because of him or her.But you do react this way because you hate or don’t value them.
On the other hand,to betray is to deny a person who is close to you with deliberate reasons,and not by being pushed by force.You disown them for your own selfish interests.Betrayal is a vice.
Peter, for example,denied the Lord Jesus for fear of being arrested and flogged by him.But we see that this disciple had assured the Lord,on the evening, moments before his arrest,that if the others disowned him,he(Peter) would never.(Matthew 26:33-35).
Later,when Peter had repented, and while at the Sea fishing, the Lord appeared to them there.This disciple reassures Jesus thrice that he loved him truly(John 21:15-17).This shows that Peter was driven by fear into disowning his Lord, something he really didn’t intend to do.Although he had rejected Jesus,yet his heart was still set on him.
Judas was a different kettle of fish altogether.He did not love Jesus from the beginning.Despite he was a thief,Judas was well-loved by the Lord.There’s even a time when Jesus shared some of his secrets with him.Yet he later turned his back on Jesus.
Psalm 41:9;
“Yes, mine own familiar friend,in whom I trusted,which did eat of my bread,hath lifted up his heel against me.”
In return for Jesus’ love , Judas hated him.He repaid evil for good.He himself went to the Chief Priests asking what he would be given if he handed Jesus over to them.Yhey agreed to give him money.(Matthew 26:14-16).
Betrayal is like when one is ready to kill or bring harm to their parent,to satisfy their own selfish desires.They do so perhaps,to inherit or get fortunes,secure a position or earn themselves the respect of others.They neglect the fact that this same parent they now turn their back on,once cared for them while in the womb and breastfed them.They forget all the selfless efforts their parent made in bringing them up,and providing them with education.
Yet the Bible warns us against such things.We should not reject or betray our Lord, whether in word or deed.
Today, many people betray Jesus.They include the false prophets,teachers, and Christ’s.Although they know where Jesus got them from, and that they were redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, they turn their backs on him.They use the grace and opportunity given to them by God for selfish gains.They forsake their duty to which they were called and are instead driven by the desire to satisfy their stomachs.They are the likes of Judas.
Philippians 3:18-19;
“(For many walk,of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping,that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Whose end is destruction,whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame,who mind earthly things.”)
All Christians are born again but are not wholeheartedly committed to Christ(lukewarm) reject him through their deeds.They quickly fall away on account of Jesus,when a brother or parent turns up against them,or when persecution comes,or because of the youthful age, circumstances,and pressures of this life.They will consciously avoid open, deliberate and vocal denial of the Lord.But loving the world, failing to do as God directs and tolerating sin are subtle ways they,in effect,deny the One who has redeemed them.This is dangerous.The Lord said:
Matthew 10:32-39;
“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men,him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
But whosoever shall deny me before men,him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Think not that I am come to send on earth:I came not to send peace,but a sword.
For I am come to set a man at variance against his father,and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter in law against her mother in law.
And a man’s does shall be they of his own household.
He that loveth father or mother than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter than me is not worthy of me.
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me is not worthy of me.
He that findeth his life shall lose it:and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”
Which is better?Would you choose to be hated by the world for Christ’s sake,taking your cross every day and following him?Or would you deny him and pursue things that are of earth?If we live for Jesus and serve him in self-denial,we will reap fruit for eternity and be with him forever in heaven.However,if we devote ourselves to the things of this world,and deny him who redeemed us,we will spend eternity apart from him forever.Remember the words of the Lord above.
Let us not be afraid of being seen as insane or rather weird all because we are born again.We should be bold in our witness and openly identify with Jesus.We ought not to be afraid of what might happen to us . Even if we’re ridiculed,beaten, laughed or treated with contempt, or regarded as being out of our minds, let’s speak his name ,and be ready to own his cause.Christ himself was also humiliated and scorned,yet he despised it all and bore it on the cross for our sake.(Isaiah 53:3).
We need to live each day by the law of the cross.Remember,for one to enter into the kingdom of heaven,they must press forcefully into it.
God bless you!
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