The Apostle Paul once wrote to a young evangelist who was prone to discouragement saying,- "All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (2 Timothy 3:12)

Paul wrote this last letter while in prison awaiting his eventual execution for the sake of the gospel whom the Jews had rejected. Because of this rejection, they brought false charges against Paul when he arrived at Jerusalem and had him arrested. Being a Roman citizen, Paul appealed to Caesar and was confined in Rome where he wrote many of his important epistles.

Paul commissioned young Timothy to combat false teachings in the Churches. And because Paul loved Timothy as a son and he did not want him to be ignorant of the fact that most of the brethren would "turn away from the truth", he charged him to "fulfill his ministry" and not allow himself to become disheartened. (2 Timothy 4)

Why did Paul warn Timothy that he would be persecuted?

Paul knew that those who had once received Jesus, the promised Seed through the agency of the holy spirit, only to later refuse to follow His lead, would no longer be the children of God but would ultimately become the children of the Devil, enemies of the heritage of God. 

In Matthew 13, Jesus likened the world to a field which has both the Lord's SEED and Satan's SEED sown in it.

The Lord's Seed producing "wheat" and the Devil's Seed producing "Tares" or weeds.

The wheat bears useful fruit while the tares are fruitless and worthless. The Seed is the Word of God, which received, produces repentance, water baptism and reception of the holy spirit and eventually, eternal life in the Family of God.

In the world today there are those who have been called and have said, "Yes Lord." These are presently the children of God. And there are those who have been called and said, "No Lord", or have later fallen away. These are the children of the Devil.

Then there is the vast majority of humanity whom God has not yet called, and have received neither the Lord's Seed nor the Devil's Seed, but are simply still of the seed of Adam. Jesus said,- "No one can come to Me unless the Father draw him." (John 6:44)

The latter are those spoken of in Revelation chapter 20 who will be resurrected after the Millennial reign of Christ, and have the "books" of the Bible opened to their understanding. Then they will be given the opportunity to receive the Word and live, or reject it and perish. 

God has set before man LIFE and DEATH and has counseled, "CHOOSE LIFE." Ultimately, all who have ever been born of Adam will become either a child of God or a child of the Devil. Notice Matthew 13:37-42,- "The one who sows the GOOD SEED is the SON OF MAN, and the FIELD is the WORLD; and as for the good seed, these are the CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM; and the TARES are theCHILDREN OF THE EVIL ONE, and the enemy who sowed them is the DEVIL, and the HARVEST is the END OF THE AGE; and the reapers are angels.

Therefore just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and THOSE WHO COMMIT LAWLESSNESS, and will CAST THEM INTO THE FURNACE OF FIRE, in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Notice that the children of the Evil One are "those who commit lawlessness." Many today come in the name of Jesus but do not teach observing the Law of the Ten Commandments, of which Jesus said would not pass away until heaven and earth pass away. (Matthew 5:17-19)

If observance to these fundamental Laws are no longer required, then for what transgressions are these "lawless" ones cast into the fire? If the Ten Commandments are no longer "in force" then how can the penalty of lawlessness be "enforced?" John said,- "SIN IS. . .the transgression of the Law." (1 John 3:4) And Paul said,- "The WAGES OF SIN is DEATH, but God's GIFT is ETERNAL LIFE." (Romans 6:23) Again, God sets before us Life and Death. 

 

SCRIPTURES WITH COMMENTARY

John Chapter one states that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God,(the Father) and the Word was God (the Son). This one called the Word is Jesus, who came to His own, the Israelites, and theyreceived Him not, but murdered Him. (Verse 11) Now notice Verses 12-13,- "But a many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become CHILDREN OF GOD, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." 

 

What About Those Who Received Him Not?

Answering Nicodemus in John 3 and certain Jews in John 8 who were laying claim to the promises of God through the natural seed of Abraham, Jesus told them in effect, that it was not enough to be born of Abraham to "see the kingdom", but one must be born again of the spirit. Now notice Jesus' response to those Jews who would not receive Him.

"If God were YOUR FATHER, you would love Me; for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me."

"Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word."

"You are of YOUR FATHER the DEVIL, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a MURDERER FROM THE BEGINNING, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies."

Notice that Jesus said that Satan was a murderer from the beginning. He successfully recruited Cain to carry out his evil desire to murder Abel, his righteous brother.

"But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me?"

"HE WHO IS OF GOD hears the WORDS OF GOD; for this reason you do not hear them, BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT OF GOD." (John 8:42-47)

1 John 3:7-13,- "Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous"

"The one who PRACTICES SIN is OF THE DEVIL; for the Devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the Devil."

Those who practice sin as a way of life cannot be the Children of God.

"No one who is born (Gk. conceived) of God practices sin, because His SEED abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."

"By this the children of God and the children of the Devil are obvious; any one who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. For this message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another."

"Not as CAIN, who was OF THE EVIL ONE, and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous."

"Do not marvel, brethren, if the world hates you." 

 

Cain was of the Evil One. But how? How did he come to receive the seed of the Devil?

Genesis 4 records that both Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to God, but only Abel's offering was accepted. The reason? His sacrifice was in accordance with his deeds and Cain's was not. Cain's deeds were evil which made his sacrifice more of a offering of appeasement rather than one of appreciation. Perhaps Cain felt that Abel was too righteous which left him lacking by comparison. Certainly, Abel was far more righteous than Cain wanted to be.

Finding a bitter place to plant his evil seed, Satan tempted Cain with the desire to kill his brother. It was at this point that God intervened and spoke to Cain saying,- "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, SIN IS CROUCHING at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." (Genesis 4:6-7)

Once again, God was laying Life and Death before one and pleading, "CHOOSE LIFE!"

Sadly, Cain did not allow the Word to be implanted in him and instead became a son of the Evil One, and carried out the desire of his father by killing his brother.

Abel was the first martyr.

He was the first child of God murdered by the first child of the Devil. Jesus called Abel righteous (Matthew 23:35), and Abel is listed as one the faithful in the cloud of witnesses of Hebrews 11 who await their eternal reward at the return of Christ.

Now Remember,- WHY DID CAIN KILL ABEL? Because his deeds were evil or lawless and his brother's were righteous. The children of God have always, and will always be persecuted by the children of the Devil until the return of Christ.

Notice Galatians 4:28-29,- "And you brethren, (children of God) like Isaac, are children of promise. But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh PERSECUTED him who was born according to the spirit, so it is now also." 

Near the end of His ministry on earth, Jesus entered the Temple for the last time. Facing off with the Jewish religious establishment who were making plans to have Him killed, Jesus pronounced seven woes to them. (woe means great sorrow) For three years He had preached the Word to them, and in their sight healed the sick and even raised the dead, but they would not hear nor receive the Promised Seed (Gal.3:16) so as to become children of God and heirs of the Kingdom. 

Matthew 23:29-35,- "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! (Actors) For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, "if we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets." Consequently you bear witness against yourselves, that you are SONS of THOSE WHO MURDERED THE PROPHETS."

The seed connection here is not of Abraham but of the Evil One.

"Fill up then the measure of the guilt of your fathers."

By killing the Son of God and those who He would send, they would be filling up the measure of the cup of wrath which God will pour out in the day of judgment.

"You serpents, you brood of vipers, how shall you escape the sentence of hell?"

"Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, that UPON YOU MAY FALL THE GUILT OF ALL THE RIGHTEOUS BLOOD SHED ON EARTH, from the blood of RIGHTEOUS ABEL to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar."

How could those Jesus was speaking to be responsible for the murder of men who lived thousands of years before their birth?

Responsible for even the death of Abel?

The only explanation is that the true guilt falls on Satan and his seed, the children of the Devil who carry out the unlawful desires of their father. Like Cain, the first to receive the Devil's seed, these men had also allowed themselves to be conceived of the Devil by rejecting Jesus.

Cain was not deceived, God had warned him directly and personally. He consciously CHOSE to carry out Satan's desire to murder Abel. Likewise, these religious leaders were not at first deceived but also chose to carry out the desire of their father to murder Jesus, the Righteous One. 

The holy spirit, is the spirit of truth and leads a Christian into truth. Sometimes understanding a truth is painful and difficult to accept. It always calls for a confession that you were wrong, and for a necessity for change. Embracing a truth can mean the loss of family, friends and employment.

These self-righteous Pharisees and Scribes would have to denounce their traditions which they held dear. These highly educated religious scholars would have to humble themselves and receive Bible instruction from the likes of fishermen and tax-collectors whom Jesus had called to be Apostles. It was a difficult choice for them, but one which had to be made. Again God was setting before them life and death. 

Truth is the first casualty when one succumbs to Satan.

Paul told the Thessalonian brethren that when one loses his love for truth, God will actually send upon him a spirit of delusion in order that he would believe lies. (2 Thes. 2)

It is at that point they become a child of the Devil and lose their salvation. They may actually believe they are carrying out the desires of God when in fact they are carrying out the desires of the Devil. Notice,- "They will make you outcasts from the synagogue; but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is OFFERING SERVICE TO GOD."

The Jewish religious leaders had already received this same mind-set from the spirit of delusion, believing that Jesus should die to protect the people from being deceived. Word had just reached them that Jesus had resurrected Lazarus from the dead, and it was witnessed by many. They knew that much more people would begin to follow Him after so great a miracle. Their Solution? Kill Jesus! Persecute and discredit His disciples. Spread lies.

But the children of God who are faithful will love truth even when it hurts, because they know God must be worshiped in spirit and truth. (John 4) And they have the desire of their heavenly Father to worship Him. 
 

STORY OF KING SAUL

When Israel demanded a king in the days of Samuel, God gave them Saul and placed His anointing and blessing upon him. Saul was commissioned by God to carry out a judgment against a pagan king named Amalek. God instructed Saul to destroy both man, woman, child and beasts of the Amalekites. But Saul did not carry out the desire of God.

God spoke to Samuel and said that He regretted making Saul king of Israel because he had not followed the commandment He had given him.

When Samuel confronted Saul concerning his disobedience, Saul said,- "I have carried out the command of the Lord." And said that he had only taken possession of the flocks and herds to offer them in sacrifice to God.

Notice Samuel's reply,- "Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice. And to heed than the fat of rams."

"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry."

"Because you have rejected the WORD of the Lord, He has rejected you from being king." (Samuel 15:22-23)

Chapter 16, verse 14 says that the spirit of the Lord departed Saul and an evil spirit entered. The transition was complete. Saul had gone from a child of God, led by the holy spirit, to achild of the Devil terrorized by an evil spirit.

This evil spirit would compel Saul to try to kill David who was a man after God's own heart. WHY DID SAUL SEEK TO KILL DAVID? Because his deeds were evil and David's were righteous. And because,- "Saul was afraid of David, for the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul." (Samuel 18:12)

Again, all it takes to be persecuted by the children of the Devil is to be faithful children of God. Ultimately, we will all be persecuted or become a persecutor. 

 

CHILDREN OF GOD STRUGGLE WITH SIN 

 

CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL STRUGGLE WITH GOD 

 

In Romans 7, Paul says that as a Child of the spirit living in his physical body of death, he found that the pulls of the flesh wage war with the spirit man and the ways of God.

Paul said that he had given his will to God, and agreed with the laws of God with his mind, but found himself struggling against the law of sin.

Like Paul, Christians may often find themselves saying or doing things that they immediately regret, and even wonder why they did them. Christians repent daily. Like Paul, they find themselves in spiritual warfare and struggle against sin.

But it is a fight to overcome sin and its nature, not a fight against the Word of God. As Paul told Timothy,- "Fight the good fight of faith."

 

WHEN THE STRUGGLE AGAINST SIN STOPS

THE STRUGGLE AGAINST GOD BEGINS

 

God may lead one into a truth that is so difficult to accept that instead of struggling to carry out the desire of God through repentance, the struggle becomes against the truth itself.

As the children of Israel grumbled in nonacceptance of where God had led them after the exodus, the temptation is there for the children of God to grumble against a revelation of truth which requires action. In this, God again is setting before us Life and Death, and counsels "Choose Life!" 

God had delivered Israel out of bondage in Egypt. Egypt is a type for sin, so God had freed the slaves from bondage to "sin." But lying between them and the land of promise was the wilderness of sin. It was there that almost all of them perished.

Likewise, the spiritual children of God find themselves released from the bondage of sin through the sacrifice of Jesus, but living in a wilderness of sin with all its perils.

Jesus prayed, "Father, I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but keep them from the Evil One" (John 17:15) 

To the Philippians, Paul wrote that he had not obtained perfection but was pressing toward the mark of his high calling in Christ Jesus; determined to remain steadfast in the faith and teachings of Jesus.

"Brethren, join in following MY EXAMPLE, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us."

"For MANY WALK, (children of the Devil) of whom I often told you, and now tell you EVEN WEEPING, that they are ENEMIES OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST."

"Whose END is DESTRUCTION, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who SET THEIR MINDS ON EARTHLY THINGS." 

 

"For OUR CITIZENSHIP (children of God) is in Heaven, from which also WE EAGERLY WAIT for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will TRANSFORM THE BODY of our humble state into conformity with the body of HIS GLORY." (Philippians 3:17-21)