It is good to be oppressed than to be the oppressor (2)

We continue in the following articles the subjects of oppression. The question we asked last edition is, what do we do if some one oppresses us? The answer is: we should do what our Lord Jesus Christ commanded us to do (if your brother sins against you go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.) {Mt 18:15-17} first try to talk to the person who wronged you. If he does not listen, then take someone with you. And if he does not listen, as Jesus Christ said, you have to tell the church, for this is one of the roles of the church. The church has to honor the word of God without partiality to anyone regardless of the person’s contribution from his money or his time to the church. We now value the person according to his financial status and not according to the bible. And if the person who is at fault does not listen to the church, let him be like a heathen and a tax collector. The heathen is the one who worship a heathen god or Satan. The tax collector is the one who used to collect the taxes by whatever it takes, he was hated for he was a greedy, deceiver and a harsh person. This was our Lord’s instruction for anyone who does not obey the bible, that is to avoid and stay away from him until he knows his fault, accept him only if he repents (Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.) {Lu 17:3,4}. We see form the words of Jesus Christ that the person who wronged you has to repent for his wrongdoings. If he repents for his wrongdoing and apologize to you, then you have to accept his apology and forgive him no matter how many times he has wronged you (Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven) {Mt 18:21,22} I want to mention that it is your obligation to forgive the person who wronged you if he repents, but if you feel that this person has wronged you over and over and this is causing you a problem then it is your right to avoid him (But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.) {2Th3:6} this means that the person who does not live according to the teachings of the bible, we should withdraw from him and avoid him for the sake of our peace, and for him to realize his mistakes and to follow the teachings of the bible. What if the person does not realize his wrongdoings? What if he is not one of God’s children, whom I can reason with according to the Word of God? What is the solution? The best solution is prayer, it is the most powerful and effective solution. The Word of God is full of the promises of justice and the swords of the Spirit which is powerful and sharper than any two–edged sword, (For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two–edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.) {Heb 4:12}

Beloved: believe me God will protect the repentant person from his enemies, the person who appreciates and understands the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives in the fear of God, and honor the bible’s commandments. (When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him) {Pr16:7} I can assure every one who reads this article that if we are pleasing to our good God no one can oppresses us. This is the promise of God to us. As long as we obey the commandments with joy and gladness of heart {De 28:47} if anyone harmed one of God’s children who serves Him or honors His Word faithfully, this person will never escape God’s punishment , whoever he is. My life and the lives of many of us are full of many examples of this truth. Some may ask this question: Why do I suffer many oppressions and unjustness?      Why God does not intervene to justify me?

To answer this question I want to ask you this, what do you do when some one wronged you?

The first thing you say, Lord forgive him, true or false? If you can forgive without bitterness, then this is good. But if you cannot forgive then when you say forgive him Lord, you have just withdrawn all your right form the heavenly courts. You have said before the heavenly judge I surrender all my rights by asking You to forgive him, and at the same time you are full of bitterness and sourness. You also blame God for forsaken you. I personally do not do this, if I feel hurt when some one wrong me and I did what Jesus said and it did not work, and I cannot accept this wrongdoing, I do what the prophet David did, who his heart was after God’s heart (‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will) {Ac 13:22} king Saul chased David everywhere to kill him. David said (Let the LORD judge between you and me, and let the LORD avenge me on you. But my hand shall not be against you.’) {1Sa 24:12}David lifted the whole matter to Supreme Court, to the Divine Judgment. David did not say to Saul, God forgive you, but he said “Let the LORD judge between you and me, and let the LORD avenge me on you. But my hand shall not be against you” David did not avenge himself but he asked for the intervention of God as a righteous judge. We all know that God judged as a righteous judge between David and Saul. Saul and his sons were killed and David became the crowned king, and the greatest king in the history. Christ came from the seed of David.

If you want God to judge, you have to accept God’s judgment if you are wrong, for He is a just judge. He judges fairly between the oppressor and the oppressed. That is why it is wise to read the bible to know the commandment of God. If the Christians knew the bible, honor, and obey it, when they sin the Holy Spirit will convict them and they will repent. you must obey the bible so when you are faced with unjustness and you are the oppressed one, then you can ask God to judge for you. Eventually God will judge with His justice for you regardless of who is the oppressor is.       

What should I do when I feel some one was unfair with me? I personally go to the heavenly throne, before the highest and most just Supreme Court and pray like this: My heavenly father I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. You know the problem that I am facing now. If I am wrong, show me so I can repent of my sin, and if I have wronged anyone, I will apologize for my mistakes. But if the other person is wrong, I pray that you will be the judge between us. And I stand and see the salvation of the Lord. I can most assured everyone if you do the above, no one will escape God’s judgments, no matter how long it takes, and regardless of who he is. Normally, but not always, you will know God’s judgment, for at times we do not know every thing (The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law) {De29:29}

In the next articles we will see what the bible say about our oppressors. It is never pleasing to God that anyone oppresses His children. His true children because if you are not a true child of God, the Word of God will not benefit you even if you repeat it a hundred times a day.