When I attended Hyles-Anderson College (1985-1993) to train to be a preacher, Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001) told us preacher boys, “Fellas it's a jungle out there!” Jesus said something similar to His own disciples in Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Dear reader, the world hasn't changed over the past 2,000 years. Society is a pack of wolves!
When a professed Christian sins and does wrong, there are always some evil people who relish the chance to destroy that person's name and life by spreading the bad news to everyone they can. What saith the Scripture? Proverbs 11:9, “An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.” No one is any less a sinner than anyone else! Don't judge others because they sin differently than you do.
In Matthew 7:1-5, Jesus warned that someone who condemns someone else for the toothpick in their eye, has a beam in their own eye. Parading someone else's sins to condemn them makes you the worse sinner! I'm not talking about the Bible preacher who exposes evil. I'm talking about condemning someone on a personal level for their sins. We ought not do that. Those who have followed my website ministry at Jesus-is-Savior.com for any portion of the past 24 years, knows that I never condemn anyone for their personal sins. I preach against false doctrines, public sin and wickedness, counterfeit gospels, government corruption, and bad pastors who shame the cause of Jesus Christ.
I learned a long time ago that God fights my battles as His child. Matthew 25:40, “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” God has always fought on behalf of His children. Exodus 14:14, “The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” I admit that have a hard part holding my peace. That's a challenge sometimes. God wants us not to retaliate against those who hurt us, and that can be difficult.
Jesus in The Beatitudes teaches us how to honor our heavenly Father. Matthew 5:43-45, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
This passage is not talking about the new birth. We can be saved simply by taking God's free gift of eternal life on faith, trusting in His only begotten Son. This passage is talking about exemplifying our heavenly Father, living in such a way that we bring glory to God. Jesus points out that God the Father is good to the good and the evil, as far as sinners go. Although we are all guilty sinners in God's sight, I think most people are inherently good. That is, most people have some sinful bad habits, but they don't desire to hurt anybody. God is good to everyone, even to evil people, and He wants us to follow His example.
The Lord wants us as His children to do good to those who hate us, love them that hurt us, pray for those who despitefully use us, and bless them who curse us.
Pastor Steven Anderson tells everyone through his unbiblical preaching “Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.” The Lord denounced that unbiblical type of terrible mentality. Steven Anderson is a modern-day Pharisee! Jesus continues, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
Sadly, what the New Independent Fundamental Baptist (New IFB) movement preach does not match what Jesus taught. According to the New IFB (which movement Steven Anderson started in 2006 with his Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona), we're supposed to love each other as Christians, but vehemently hate the LGBTQ+ community, and wish them dead. If you don't believe me, just go search online for what Steven Anderson and Jonathan Shelley preach. That is not biblical Christianity!
Jesus said that we should be as wise as serpents, but as harmless as doves. Christians should be peacemakers, not haters of people. I decided a long time ago not to attack my enemies. God promises to fight my battles, and to avenge all evil (Romans 12:19-21). If you are saved, then you belong to God. When someone attacks us, they are attacking the Lord. May we all learn to trust in the Lord to guide, defend and help us through life's battles.

