As individuals, we reach a point in life when the internal assessment of our own strengths and weaknesses makes a 180 degree turn and we begin to examine the traits of our fellow human in an ongoing outward experience. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to have an encounter with Jesus Christ (the only essential experience of life on earth) then turn to the words of the Bible in assessing and appraising the characteristics of those we see around us. We also start to learn that; as sources of spiritual light, we will certainly attract individuals who display forms of behaviour that will puzzle and confound us in a variety of ways. Every single person alive today is active in the spiritual realm in one way or another. For those who have no interest in God, who don’t care about taking Biblical obedience seriously, and who couldn’t care less about Jesus’ imminent return; whilst they might trumpet their atheism, are in fact spiritual beings themselves, fully active in this great spiritual conflict of life. Because we know Jesus Christ, we have become acquainted with the Holy Spirit (the most powerful force in the spiritual realm) but we are also required to interact with those who do not know him. Those who are under the pure control of the god of this world – with all of his dark prowess and invisible weapons, which he uses to torment us. Those people regularly display characteristics signifying one thing – demonic influence (a term completely ignored in modern psychiatry) but who conduct themselves in a way that is completely antithetical to that of our own, and which often persist with features such as a lack of patience, fits of rage when objected to, and a perverse tendency to continuously place themselves at the top of the pile, never entertaining the notion of letting others have things their own way. As believers, we need to understand what the end of these people will be. Our life experience is hard, there is no denying that fact. But what will be the outcome for people who do not follow us? – for judgemental people, who have hearts made of stone and who think that showing mercy is an entirely trivial matter, benefiting neither the one who receives nor the one who gives it. Right now all believers need not wait to be cheered on and encouraged. We are getting to know the only one to whom judgement truly belongs. We are fully aware of the cost of following Jesus; and we are therefore aware of the ecstasy that awaits us – that we should have a voice in God’s full and final appraisal of the lives of the people of darkness; giving us the opportunity to describe how their actions affected us, and the great lengths we went to to offer them a hope.
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