THE WITNESS OF TRUE FRIENDSHIP
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. Ex. 20:16, N.I.V.
You get a helpless feeling when someone who you thought was your friend deliberately says something about you that is not true. People believe your friends more than your enemies. They know your enemies are out to get you. But your friends...
Neighbors know you too. They live near you. They know what you're up to--whether or not you yell at the kids, or return borrowed tools, or throw wild parties. So when a neighbor spreads falsehood, people tend to accept it as gospel truth.
God understands; He's experiencing it, too! That type of activity was what Lucifer did in heaven. He was the highest created being; stood next to God's throne; knew what God was up to. The worst of it was that Lucifer was also one of God's best friends. Of all the angels in heaven, Lucifer was capable of the highest communion with the Father. And because of this, his songs had the most melody; his bearing was the brightest. To him God was the most vulnerable. Lucifer took advantage of God's friendship to promote himself among the angelic family.
Through man God would demonstrate that Lucifer was wrong. He would allow man to enter into close union with Himself--and let man tell the truth about Him. But man too believed Lucifer (new Satan). But God really loves the human race and knows that we have been deceived. So He's going ahead with His plan. He's allowing us the privilege of knowing who He really is--if we choose to know. And in understanding we will see how horrible it is to give false testimony against a neighbor. We'll see what it has done to the Father and to the universe.
Like God, we'll feel no need to build ourselves up at someone else's expense. No. We'll do just the opposite. We'll give of ourselves to build up our friends and our neighbors--all those who need our love. And that leaves no one out! When we are falsely accused we will not retaliate, even as God has not retaliated against Satan. Our energies will be focused upon those who need our caring.
In giving ourselves, we will witness to our likeness to the Giver of life. In Him there is no fault at all.
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. Ex. 20:16, N.I.V.
You get a helpless feeling when someone who you thought was your friend deliberately says something about you that is not true. People believe your friends more than your enemies. They know your enemies are out to get you. But your friends...
Neighbors know you too. They live near you. They know what you're up to--whether or not you yell at the kids, or return borrowed tools, or throw wild parties. So when a neighbor spreads falsehood, people tend to accept it as gospel truth.
God understands; He's experiencing it, too! That type of activity was what Lucifer did in heaven. He was the highest created being; stood next to God's throne; knew what God was up to. The worst of it was that Lucifer was also one of God's best friends. Of all the angels in heaven, Lucifer was capable of the highest communion with the Father. And because of this, his songs had the most melody; his bearing was the brightest. To him God was the most vulnerable. Lucifer took advantage of God's friendship to promote himself among the angelic family.
Through man God would demonstrate that Lucifer was wrong. He would allow man to enter into close union with Himself--and let man tell the truth about Him. But man too believed Lucifer (new Satan). But God really loves the human race and knows that we have been deceived. So He's going ahead with His plan. He's allowing us the privilege of knowing who He really is--if we choose to know. And in understanding we will see how horrible it is to give false testimony against a neighbor. We'll see what it has done to the Father and to the universe.
Like God, we'll feel no need to build ourselves up at someone else's expense. No. We'll do just the opposite. We'll give of ourselves to build up our friends and our neighbors--all those who need our love. And that leaves no one out! When we are falsely accused we will not retaliate, even as God has not retaliated against Satan. Our energies will be focused upon those who need our caring.
In giving ourselves, we will witness to our likeness to the Giver of life. In Him there is no fault at all.
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