God allowed Biblical Israel to conquer the land through wars, under the leadership of men such as Joshua and David. What is the difference between that earlier taking of the land and that of the modern state of Israel?
The history of God leading them to the promised land through Joshua is used as an excuse or as evidence that it is God’s will for them to do the same today. The difference between the past taking of the land and the modern taking of it is great, as are the principles behind each.
In Israel’s history, there are two exoduses: one from Egypt and another from Babylon. The first time, they were to take the land of Canaan, which was promised to them by force. The second time, it was to be given back to them by a decree. This means that when they returned after the Babylonian captivity, the land would not be reconquered but would be returned to them after it had been mostly deserted for 70 years. God had asked those Jews remaining in the land to stay, but they fled to Egypt instead. Still, God made sure the land was ready for their return. No armed conquest was necessary. “And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years” (Jer. 25:11)
According to His law, God had declared what would happen to the land if they were unfaithful and were taken from it: “Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths” (Lev..26:34).
As prophesied, it came to pass: the land lay mostly desolate before being given back to them. Moreover, the prophecy of 70 years of desolation was followed by the prophecy of their probation in the land for 70 prophetic weeks, ending some three years after Christ’s death.
After Christ, the Jews were scattered, and the land was taken over by other nations one after the other: Rome, Byzantium, the Arabs, the Crusaders, and the Ottomans, to name the main groups. Through DNA analysis, we can see that Palestinians have Levantine ancestry and have lived in the Middle East for many generations. Some Jews continued to live there as well; some were converted to Christianity, some to Islam, and some remained Jewish. The genetic pool is very mixed.
The land of Israel was already inhabited when the Jews began their large-scale immigration in the 20th century, and because it was populated, a conflict arose between the Arabs and the Jews that continues to this day.
This time, the state was not given to the Jews peacefully, but through war and terrorism. The land had not been left barren for them. There was no prophecy about their return after the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. For nearly 2,000 years, the land had been controlled by different groups and inhabited by populations of several religious backgrounds.
The question is, can this establishment of modern Israel be compared to the establishment of Israel when it first took the land from the Canaanites? Is it a similar situation?
The conditions for taking the land the first time
Although God had given the land to Abraham and his grandson Jacob, Abraham had not been permitted to conquer it in his day. The Canaanites had settled in a land promised to Abraham’s lineage, yet he could not simply drive them out. This would result in bloodshed, and God values human life. He told Abraham that it was not enough to be chosen or to have a right to the land; God would not take it by force before the appointed time: “But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full” (Gen 15:16).
This means that settling in land that did not belong to them, when it was largely barren, was not a sufficient crime for God to punish them. God operates as a governing justice system watching over all people. He did not only stand for the rights of Israel; He also told Israel not to take specific areas of land on their way to the promised land: “Do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, not even a footprint, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as his possession” (Deut. 2:5). He said the same about land given to another nation. Neither ofthose two nations was faithful to God at the time, yet He still cared for their rights.
As Jesus said: “That ye may be the children of your Father who 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” (Matt. 5:45). God does see to the rights of other nations as well, whether they give Him glory or not.
Abraham comes to Canaan.
He also judges. The land given to Abraham was inhabited by other nations, yet as long as God could try to reach them, He would not permit Abraham to shed any blood. The dividing of the territories most likely occurred as recorded in the Bible: “And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan” (Gen 10:25). There was a division according to God’s order, and Canaan had not continued southwestward as instructed but had chosen to dwell in Canaan, as it was a strategic trade route between Egypt and Mesopotamia, the region of the descendants of Ham and Shem. Even so, God would not drive them out of the land; He loved them and wanted to reach them first.
Before Israel took the land, God’s judgment fell upon only a few cities in Canaan, the two most well-known being Sodom and Gomorrah. God rescued them through Abraham when the kings of Mesopotamia took them captive. Rather than rejoicing that the people dwelling in the land promised to him had been removed, Abraham defended them and helped free them so they could continue living there. He did not exploit the situation for his own benefit. Later, the cry from the city grew great; their evil behavior was affecting many and caused people to bring their complaints before God. God judged them and destroyed them after an investigation through His justice system. But for the rest of the land, there was still hope. God gave them another 400 years, not only to relocate but to receive the truth and be saved.
By the time Israel was led to take the land, the country was under universal judgment, and Israel had been called to execute God’s judgment over them.
In no way were they to think God gave them the land because they were some superior people with greater rights than others. They were chosen because they had agreed to uphold God’s laws and because the heavenly court had decided that Canaan must be judged to save the rest of mankind. The Canaanites were, in a sense, the Aztecs of the Levant.
God said: “Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people” (Deu 9:5-6).
V0050134 The Israelites’ encampment in the wilderness, guided by God Credit: Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images images@wellcome.ac.uk http://wellcomeimages.org The Israelites’ encampment in the wilderness, guided by God in the form of a pillar of smoke. Watercolor by J.J. Derghi, 1866. 1866 By: J. J. Derghi Published: – Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons Attribution only licence CC BY 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Taking the land was not just something they could do because they were descendants of Abraham, but it was tied to the great ungodliness of the nations possessing it and their special calling. This meant and was written, that if they do what they did, they will lose the right to it as well. The takeover of Canaan began after God miraculously took down the walls of Jericho. But when Israel went to take the city of Ai God did not want to help them because someone had stolen goods from Jericho and hid it in the camp. This shows us the strict policy God had when taking the land, that Israel had to be faithful while performing God’s judgment upon the nations.
Taking the land was not something they could do simply because they were descendants of Abraham; it was tied to the great ungodliness of the nations possessing it and to Israel’s special calling. This was written clearly: if they did as those nations had done, they would lose the right to the land as well. The takeover of Canaan began after God miraculously brought down the walls of Jericho. But when Israel went to take the city of Ai, God refused to help them because someone had stolen goods from Jericho and hidden them in the camp. This reveals the strict standard God held during the taking of the land: Israel had to remain faithful while carrying out God’s judgment upon the nations.
These principles appear throughout the Bible. When they went to war with the Philistines while still being unconverted themselves, God would not go with them (1 Sam. 4:11).
When they sought to execute judgment upon the tribe of Benjamin for its sins, they first had to humble themselves and receive atonement (Judg. 20).
In no way did having the right genetics secure God’s support in the wars. Every time God’s people were backslidden, God allowed the enemy to conquer part of their land until they finally lost everything.
God explained His decision like this: “Then take of them again, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire; for thereof shall a fire come forth into all the house of Israel. Thus saith the Lord GOD; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her. And she hath changed my judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and my statutes more than the countries that are round about her: for they have refused my judgments and my statutes, they have not walked in them. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye multiplied more than the nations that are round about you, and have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my judgments, neither have done according to the judgments of the nations that are round about you; Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, am against thee, and will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations.”
When Israel was worse than the surrounding nations, God would in no way defend them against those nations (Eze. 5:4-8).
This principle appears throughout the Bible: genetics and being a descendant of Jacob mean nothing if the covenant with God is not kept. God tolerates much wickedness without abandoning a people entirely, but He cannot tolerate His name being used to defend cruelty. God’s principles always come before genetic heritage. Moreover, even through the Arab population, the descendants of both Abraham and Jacob are represented in the land. Many Muslims are descendants of ancient Judah and Israel who converted to Islam. If religion does not matter and only genetics do, then they have just as much right to live there as the Jews. If religion does matter, then neither group has the right over the other. If judged by political morality, the greatest right belongs to those who have lived there the longest and are native to the land, and not the invaders.
In one sense, Abraham was like the first Christians. Though he had the right to the land, he was not told to take it by force; instead, he had faith that it would be his inheritance after death, when the world would be made new. He was not to go into battle for it.
To be allowed to possess God’s land, the Jewish people have to:
– Be in a covenant with God – Have received atonement – Follow God’s principles and laws – Not be like the ungodly nations.
From a Christian standpoint, the Jews of modern Israel do not match these criteria.
The Sins of the Canaanites versus the Sins of the Palestinians.
The sins of the people of Canaan, which subjected them to God’s judgment, were so vile that the full extent of them is not written down. We know they practiced human sacrifice and severe sexual immorality. Most of what we learn about them comes from God’s warnings to Israel not to follow their practices.
Illustration of Aztec human sacrifice, a tribe with behavior similar to that of the Canaanites.
“The land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants” (Leviticus 18:25). God said to them: “You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices” (Lev. 18:3). Among the practices God described were all forms of incest, sex with animals, homosexuality, adultery, and human sacrifice, including child sacrifice. The fear and trauma a society experiences from these behaviors lead to mental illness, violence, and aggression, putting everyone on edge. He says: “Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you… (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled)” (Lev. 18:24, 27).
Some of the sexual immorality practiced by the Canaanites is also found in Egyptian and Biblical history. The Pharaohs fathered children with their daughters, who were thus obligated to have relations with their own father. This same acceptance of such behavior is seen in the daughters of Lot, who had been raised in a Canaanite city. They slept with their father under the delusion that it was necessary to preserve his male lineage. Lot did not consent to this pagan practice but was violated by his own daughters while he was drunk. This story has been ridiculed, yet in our day, men are assaulted while intoxicated regularly, and no one would claim it is acceptable when done to either a man or a woman. Lot’s daughters were shaped by Canaanite and Egyptian culture, not by God.
Sexual immorality is the downfall of a nation in more ways than one. Either children are abused directly, or broken families leave them without a parent, usually a father. Many children then lose their sense of direction and worth and seek validation in all the wrong places.
In addition, God mentions witchcraft, trafficking, transgenderism, idol worship, and the worship of nature.
When it comes to the modern Palestinians who were displaced to make way for Jewish immigrants, they are not particularly known for practicing any of these things. In Islam, most sexual immorality is forbidden, as is idol worship; human sacrifice is not practiced, homosexuality is prohibited, and witchcraft is not permitted. Palestinians are not accused of trafficking either, and where cases do exist, they are far fewer than in Western countries such as the United States, North Africa, and South Asia. All of Canaan’s sins are now normalized in the West following the decline of Christianity, and even among the secular Jews who now live where Palestinians were driven from.
Israel has not upheld God’s laws against incest. Although incest among minors is outlawed, it is not forbidden if the individuals involved are over 21. When it comes to the rights of same-sex and transgender individuals, Israel is a leading voice in the Middle East and Asia, being the first in Asia to recognize same-sex unions. “Tel Aviv was referred to by the Calgary Herald as one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world,” and “According to users of the website GayCities, it was ranked as the best gay city in 2011” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Israel).
Leading the way: Dana International was Eurovision’s first transgender performer, and she won. Her win brought Eurovision to Jerusalem.
The killing of babies for convenience, or abortion as it is called, has been permitted in Israel since 1977, and the rate is high relative to its population. When the United States moved to restrict abortion, Israel called the decision “sad” and responded by loosening its own abortion regulations even further. (https://www.johnstonsarchive.net/policy/abortion/ab-israel.html, https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/abortion-rates-by-country https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-politics-health-israel-68e6acadda5b62ff400a7846d0bae147)
What about infidelity? There may not be a direct statistic on this, but marrying a divorced person is also considered infidelity in the Bible. A report from October 9, 2023, revealed a striking divorce rate of 47.3% in Israel (https://www.wjtv.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/660674663/divorce-rate-in-israel-as-high-as-47-3/).
Modern Israel simply mirrors other Western nations that have rejected God, reflecting the moral practices of paganism. Israeli universities and the state also uphold the theory of evolution, rejecting God and attributing creation to nature. Observing the Sabbath as a holy day while rejecting the Creator means one is not truly honoring the Sabbath.
Israel is just one of many nations that bear the sins of Canaan, but the key question here is: are modern Israelis more aligned with God’s laws and more deserving of the land than the Arabs or Palestinians who held it before them, and who also carry genetics tracing back to Jacob? Is this a situation of an ungodly people in the land who must be judged? Had the sins of the Palestinians reached their fullness, requiring them to make way for God-fearing Jews? Clearly not. In many ways, the Palestinians are more respectful of Biblical morals than modern Israel is.
It is therefore clear that the scenario of ungodly Palestinians being killed or displaced to make room for faithful Jews who do not practice the same evils is simply not present in the modern conquest of the land, and was certainly not the case in 1948.
The conditions and the situation are not the same. God did not leave the land desolate for them to return to; He is likely not fulfilling a judgment upon a morally depraved Palestinian community, nor is He using modern Israel to uphold His name and rule. Furthermore, the terror attacks that Palestinians have carried out to defend their position in the land are mirrored by what Israel itself did when it first sought to take the land. Blood is spilled on both ends.
The first time they conquered Canaan, God walked before them into the Jordan River and then dwelt among them. This time, there was no temple, no Shekhinah, no sacrifice, no ark, and no atonement. God did not lead them into the land. And although these things were also absent when they returned after the Babylonian captivity, there was no conquest then either. They received the land through a decree, not through warfare.
The two situations, therefore, cannot be compared.
Even righteous Abraham could not take the land while the wickedness of the people there had not yet run its full course, even though the land was promised to him. Likewise, the children of Jacob could not take the land when they were in opposition to God, and when people were already living there. They were sent to die in the wilderness.
The damage to God’s name
Israel’s war is fought with severe cruelty, leading people all over the world to draw parallels between the situation today and the conquest described in the Old Testament. By this association, God is made to appear bloodthirsty, unreasonable, and unrighteous. This is precisely Satan’s aim: to make us doubt that God is good.
By mirroring modern Israel with ancient Israel’s conquest of the land, an ungodly image of that original conquest is created. Satan can easily manipulate how people view what happened thousands of years ago. When the West went to fight ISIS, few showed sympathy for ISIS because of its cruelty and depravity. Its fighters cut innocent people’s heads off and taught their children to do the same. Most people wanted to see them defeated. They feared them. This was partly the case in ancient Canaan as well: many nations were relieved when judgment fell upon it. Some had even sought to judge it themselves, as when the Mesopotamian kings took Sodom and Gomorrah. The modern State of Israel’s attempt to portray all Palestinians as being like ISIS, even the children, is not accepted by the watching world. These military campaigns are viewed as genocide rather than liberation. There will always be wars in a world under human rule. We accept that war is sometimes necessary in cases of extreme cruelty. That is why international human rights courts were established, and why the world chose to judge German leaders after World War II. Sometimes things are so severe that war is needed to protect mankind. When the United States entered Europe, it saved it from Nazi Germany. People understand the need to fight a greater evil so that it does not consume the lesser. People have a sense of justice. When the State of Israel implies that all Palestinians are dangerous and must be suppressed, the world does not believe or agree. When the Biblical conquest of Canaan is compared to the modern Jewish taking of Palestine, God is made to appear unjust.
The ungodliness of the Canaanites was terrible. They placed very little value on human life, suppressed and abused one another daily, and harmed children and the weak in society. We know this because God explained His reasons for destroying Sodom, a Canaanite city: “This was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good” (Ezek.16:49-50)
The laws against evangelizing Jews about Christ, and the barriers placed against Jewish Christians returning to the land, reveal a people still opposing God. They believe they can take the land on their own terms, make the rejection of Christ their cornerstone, and use God’s name to their advantage. All of this puts God in a difficult position, where He must defend His honor and expose the lies.
Can Jews take the land by force?
When biblical Israel was unfaithful to God’s commands, God would not help them take possession of the land, even though He had promised it to them. We see this in the account of Moses and the people gathered at Kadesh, where they first rebelled against God. When God told those who had rebelled that they would not be given the land and would die in the wilderness, they decided to defy Him and take it by force. God did not prevent them from trying, but He did not go with them either. The result was that they were defeated by the inhabitants and driven away.
When the next generation was finally permitted to conquer the land, they first had to receive God’s atonement to be cleansed of their past sins so that He could go with them.
Jews may attempt to possess the land by force without meeting God’s criteria or being obedient to Him, but in the end, without God’s support, they will not prevail.
God has not permitted the Jews to take the Temple Mount. Old Jerusalem remains a melting pot of different Abrahamic faiths, not exclusively Jewish. Each group has its designated area, as do Christians and Muslims. Regardless of what modern Israel does, God will likely not allow them to rebuild the temple.
“Who kept the sea inside its boundaries as it burst from the womb, and as I clothed it with clouds and wrapped it in thick darkness? For I locked it behind barred gates, limiting its shores. I said, ‘This far and no farther will you come. Here, your proud waves must stop!” (Job.38:8-11)
The power of victimhood.
Jews had long been disliked in the Christian world, partly because of their disdain for Christ and their labeling of Him as the antichrist, and partly because of their behavior. Gaining sympathy for the Jews was no easy task. The gruesome persecution carried out against them by Hitler’s National Socialist party gave Jews the political favor they needed to be granted a land and to displace those already living there, with few politicians daring to speak out for fear of being compared to Hitler.
Many Christians felt compassion and believed that Jews deserved safety in their own land. For those who believed this had to happen before Christ could return, this was the beginning of the end times.
Victimhood is a powerful tool, so powerful that many fabricate it to achieve their goals. Even though Jews genuinely were victims during the war, victimhood loses its moral standing when it is used to manipulate. Many nations have staged attacks against themselves to generate sympathy and justify action against their enemies. In warfare, this is known as a false flag operation.
This is the power of victimhood. The assumption is that if someone is a victim, they must also be good and in the right. But being a victim does not make one either good or right, and the wickedness of an oppressor does not automatically make the victim virtuous. Yet the power of this misconception gives people an advantage by claiming victimhood to gain public favor, and through it, power and influence.
Although Israel had once been slaves in Egypt, the only God-commanded use of that experience was to treat strangers in their land better than they themselves had been treated in Egypt. They were to use it to cultivate sympathy for those in need and to avoid abusing power or repeating the behavior of the Egyptians. God asked them to let their experience as victims guide them away from suppressing others. “Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Exo. 22:21).
Israel has done the opposite, using what happened to them as justification to suppress and dominate. Around the world, they were discriminated against, oppressed, and subjected to massacres. Now they do the same to the Palestinians, discriminating, suppressing, and carrying out massacres of their own. They have become what was done to them.
Biblical Israel was to trust in God for protection, as long as they remained loyal to Him. The modern State of Israel shows no concern for loyalty to God; it does not seek to follow His rule, but instead places its pride and trust in itself, its military, and its military alliances. In the Bible, this behavior was likened to that of a prostitute (Ezek. 16:28; Isa. 31:3).
So why did God permit the State of Israel, and how will it all end?
Although the unconverted Jews are under condemnation for their decision to reject their own King, it does not mean or give anyone the right to harm them in any way. It is not our right to punish on behalf of God or seek revenge for Him. It is not our right to treat a people or an individual badly just because God removes either protection from them or reprimands them.
This is an important principle seen several times in the Bible. Those who take advantage of someone else’s punishment by inflicting cruelty upon them will find that God will turn toward them and punish them as well. God is sad over the loss of one single human. He does not want anyone to die. Every soul lost or gone astray is a painful loss to God (Ezek. 18:32). “Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents. For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded. Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness” (Psa 69:25-27)
Even in the case of Satan, we are not permitted to take it upon ourselves to punish him. If we may not do so to him, how can we think we are allowed to do it to those deceived by him, or to his victims? “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee”. (Jud 1:9)
An entire book of the Bible is devoted to God’s anger against those who took advantage of Israel’s punishment, those who cheered with joy when God was compelled to remove His protection and Judah was harmed by their enemies. God declared judgment upon Edom, Nineveh, and Babylon for attacking the ones God had punished. In the book of Obadiah, God declares war against Edom because of this attitude:
It is tempting to think that when someone is being punished or calamity strikes, it is because they were worse people than you are. Edom made this mistake. They failed to see that Judah’s fall was so great because their position with God had been so great. This also made the devil even more eager to destroy them once he had the opportunity. Edom was not better, but rather less subjected to Satan’s rage because it had never been faithful to God in the first place. By rejoicing and partaking in cruelty toward his genetic cousins, Edom revealed its true character, and God decided to punish them.
“For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever. In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them. But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress. Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity; Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress” (Oba 1:10-14)
If this does not alert any Christian from gloating, taking advantage of, or taking part in punishing those God has stricken, little will. Even Babylon, which God allowed to conquer Jerusalem and take the people captive, He says will be punished because they did so in a very cruel and heartless manner.
No amount of suppression directed toward the Palestinians can in any way excuse the terror committed against innocent Jews and Israelis on the 7th of October, discrimination at educational institutions, or the harassment of Jews around the world simply for being Jewish.
Even if someone were wronged, killing babies, kidnapping the innocent, and raping the innocent is not doing “God service”. Even if Satan were behind the formation of the modern state of Israel, that would never condone such behavior. Nor does it allow anyone to harass Jews in other countries.
In the ongoing war between Palestinians and Israelis, it is important to reconsider the notion that just because the state of Israel conflicts with God, it is therefore God’s will to aid Muslims in harming Jews. This should not even be thinkable for a true Christian. Nor is God behind the Israeli killing of Palestinians.
We should not be entertained by others’ calamities.
However, both Israelis and Palestinians have a quarrel with God in this sense. The only one permitted to judge or punish such crimes is God Himself.
Despite modern Israel having no scriptural foundation to reclaim the land at this time, the generations born there after the establishment of the state of Israel have no other homeland. They did not go there to chase others away; they do not necessarily have any other agenda than defending what is now the only home they have ever had. Many would have nowhere to go if driven from the land. Any people under threat, religious or not religious, fight for their survival in a threatening situation. It is not always a conspiracy. It is human nature, when faced with an “us or them” situation, to choose oneself and one’s family. The Palestinians do it, the Israelis do it. Everyone would do it.
See the full video here: https://youtu.be/Bvf9bpqL4KM?si=TGuuS2A4fnUeDndH
There are religious Jews who suppress Palestinians’ rights because they believe God wants them to take their property. That is an entirely different situation from those who were born and live in a neighborhood on previously acquired or purchased land and are simply trying to survive. The Arabs did sell a great deal of property to Jewish settlers before World Wars 1 and 2. They cannot sell these areas and then claim afterward that the land was stolen. That is one situation. The other is the theft of Arab properties in our own day, which cannot be excused by any religious conviction, as God does not endorse or stand behind such theft.
There are two distinct Israeli situations, mentalities, and purposes. One group consists of Jews who believe they are still chosen and called to drive the Palestinians from the land, and the other consists of those who simply live where they grew up, knowing nothing else.
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is, therefore, a very difficult situation, where innocents are now suffering on both sides because of the actions of leaders, religious entitlement, fanaticism on both sides, and their forefather’s decisions.
Even if Jews are not right with God, it gives no one the right to attack or harm them. God wishes us to be good to everyone, to love our enemies, and to pray for those who persecute us. Any right-minded Christian should therefore pray earnestly for the salvation of both Jews and Palestinians. When Jesus was not received in a Samaritan village, His disciples were stirred up in what they believed was holy rage, with the intent to harm those who had rejected Christ. Christ makes clear this is not something His followers should even consider: “And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” ”But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.” (Luke.9:52-56)
Jesus revealed that He knew an Israeli state would exist when He returned, but He also revealed that Christ would still not be received then, and that preaching the gospel and the resulting persecution would continue until that final day: “But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come” (Mat 10:23)
We are called to save them, not kill or torment them. Saving someone can only be done by showing them love and charity. Once unwelcome, we must leave them alone, not punish them. Christ could not express his will on this topic any clearer. The Christian persecution of Jews during the Middle Ages is not of Christ’s spirit.
The conflict between Palestinians and Israelis was created first and foremost by elites defying God, and within this situation are thousands of innocent Palestinians and Jews simply trying to live with the circumstances they have been given. A man protecting the only land he has ever known, the only family he has ever had, the only community he has ever been part of, is something that is a natural instinct for anyone.
However, it is unreasonable to expect that no one should desire freedom from another’s oppression. Therefore, even this conflict has to be viewed with the greatest care for everyone. Christ reveals the principle: “He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints” (Rev 13:10). Our patience when witnessing and experiencing cruelty means not giving in to the desire for, or the practice of, revenge.
God is not on the Palestinians’ side, any more than He is on the side of those claiming to be God’s Israel but who have been “cut off”. Like the Lord said to Joshua: “And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come” (Jos 5:13-14).
What side are you on, he asked the Lord. And the Lord replied, “Nay”. God represents His own justice system first and foremost. However, it is worth noting that according to His justice system, He sides with the unfairly oppressed and hears their cries. He therefore does hear the cries of the Palestinians and notices the bloodshed and upon whose hands that blood is. He Himself was killed by the excuse that it was a matter of national defense, as Christ was considered a security threat: “And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. ” (Joh 11:49-50) Similar to most of Israel’s reasons for attacking Palestinians, national security.
If we think we should support Palestinian attacks on modern Israel, we find ourselves supporting one group that needs to turn to God and repent against another group that needs to do the same. Nor should we cheer and rejoice when the state of Israel kills innocent Palestinians. (Those who are criminals must be punished naturally; there is a difference between discrimination and crime). Palestinians have no more right to God’s land than anyone else who has failed to accept Christ as their Savior.
A Christian may pray for souls, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the fatherless, and be hospitable and loving, but under no circumstance should we stand on any side who uses “a sword” against their neighbor while claiming to do God justice.
We must help innocent Jews, and this also means helping innocent Palestinians with physical and spiritual sustenance, but not aiding any form of terror. It means showing kindness to Jews living in our countries, helping to protect them from the hate and cruelty that they receive just because of their race. We should do this for anyone who is attacked for the actions committed by someone else or who is randomly attacked for their race.
We can safely love and show kindness to any Jew and Muslim in our lands without going against God. The cruel treatment Jews have often received in Christian lands is not something we should repeat. At the same time, we must understand the difference between loving those who have been led astray and supporting their apostasy or deceptions. A Jew may feel that being confronted with their sins and religious deceptions is hateful; however, this is not truly harassment unless it is forced upon them. It is important to differentiate and understand that what someone perceives as hate may not be real hate. Telling someone lies to gain an advantage over them is not love. The former articles here will, for many Jews, be perceived as hate, although they are meant to save.
The idea of Jews trying to take over the world is a well-known conspiracy theory that has cost many Jewish lives. The truth is that everyone who is oppressed wishes to turn the tables if they could. If some Jews desired this after hundreds of years of oppression in many lands, it is hardly shocking. The truth is, the world is mostly controlled by money, not religion. According to Revelation, the greatest threat to God’s people is not the Jews but wayward Christians themselves. We are not called to do a witch hunt against Jews or any other race, but to preach the gospel.
The idea that the Jews control or are trying to control the world would hardly involve your everyday Jew living in your neighborhood. Nor is it our business to fight Jewish supremacy if it were even true. Most people would wish the world to follow their beliefs or to create a world system where they are ahead of others and are not suppressed in any way. Again, this is a natural human instinct, and most groups desire the same. This is why culture is ever-shifting, and power balances are ever-shifting. Suppressors become victims and victims become suppressors. It is the ultimate result and chaos that comes from confusion and Satan’s lies. Everyone is fighting for their family’s and their people’s right to exist. It is why every country and nation has a military. It is not a conspiracy theory; it is how life is in a sinful world full of conflict. Everyone lives by the rule of survival of the fittest. Christ comes when the gospel has been preached to all the world, not when we have defeated all of Christ’s enemies here on earth. For Christ will come and battle all His enemies Himself. Therefore we should be at peace and not think we are to anticipate this judgment by taking up our sword or aiding military aggression, unjust legislation, or inhumane discrimination. Jesus was clear in his speech; it is not for us to remove the tares from the wheat because we are all deceived and biased and are not fit for the task. We do not see the complete picture and will remain wanderers on this earth without ever seeing it all (Matt. 13:24-30)
Whoever is God’s enemy and in alliance with His enemy, whether it is the Jew, the Muslim, the apostate Christian, the communist, or the atheist, it is left to God to execute the judgment this time. For only He knows who is deceived and who is deceiving willfully. There are good and bad among all groups of people.
There are good Jews and bad Jews, good Muslims and bad Muslims, good Christians and bad Christians, and so on. We cannot fight an entire group and think we are doing God justice. Therefore, our call is to love and preach the truth. To point out the lies among doctrines, but not to persecute the one who has those same doctrines.
The purpose of “exposing Israel” in this article series is not to be used for verbal or physical violence against Jews or to support even meeting them with suspicion. It calls out doctrinal lies that underlie the misery we now see in the Middle East. The doctrines that have deceived Jews and Christians alike. The pain, the heartache, and the losses of both sides in the conflict are a direct consequence of false doctrines. If the false doctrines among both continue, there will never be any chance of peace. Both sides fight for their survival.
We may all unintentionally believe a false doctrine at some point in our lives. Communication and Bible study can help resolve some of these issues. Once harm is done, we must do our very best to help anyone who has been deceived find their way back to God. We must not kick them while they are down.
Thus, we stand by the truth, not by a race or a group of people. As the Lord said to Joshua, so we should say when asked what side we are on: “Nay”, we are for the Lord. And the Lord is for loving and saving the lost. Therefore, my recommendation is that no one persecute either the Jew or the Palestinian, but instead practice true Christianity toward all groups. If any physical intervention is needed, we need to give it to God in prayer. He who knows and sees all will judge fairly. If needed, He will directly intervene in a conflict, as we see Him do many times in the Bible.
“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Mat 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mat 5:4-9)
As we will continue this study, Christ’s words are important. We are not fighting a race, a people, or a nation. However, we must understand the truth as well as we can, for deceptions lead us away from Christ and can cause us to inadvertently aid the enemy and his purposes. Therefore, as harsh as it may appear, the apostasy of the Jewish (ACE) belief system must be addressed. Firstly, because many Christians are leaving Christ’s righteousness to seek the righteousness taught by apostate Judaism. Secondly, we need to be on alert for all deceptions that can lead us astray, whether it is deceptions from Christians or Jews. Any doctrine that might put souls in danger must and should be addressed.
If you aid a soldier so he can kill, you partake in that killing. If you shelter or show kindness to a Jew persecuted for his or her race or religion, it is a blessing. Christ desires that we be peacemakers who do good and treat everyone as our “neighbor”. Cruelty and even the neglect of a “wounded Jew” is therefore a crime against Christ. Anyone showing kindness to a “fallen” or “wounded” Jew is like the merciful Samaritan, whom Christ wishes us to be more like. He said: “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” (Matt.5:44-45) The same should be true for a muslim. He, too, is our “neighbor”.
Are the Jews who are still rejecting Christ our enemies? The truth may be hard to swallow for many. They are Christ’s enemies and therefore also our enemies. They are still fighting Christ and preventing the gospel from reaching others, hindering the completion of His work. But this is how Christ tells us to fight His and our enemies. To pray for them. As Jesus said: “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luk 23:34). We are called to love even our enemies.
It is not us or them, nor us versus them. It is us versus cruel and inhuman behavior, regardless of race, color, or religion. If God let it rain on even those who hate him, to care for them, who are we to persecute anyone in His name? God clearly upholds every human’s right to live in peace and eat their bread, because He values human life, and we must value every human life as well. That includes those who do not believe as we believe.
Let anyone who uses the Bible study presented here to show cruelty against a Jew simply for being a Jew therefore be under God’s judgment.
Since Christ’s kingdom is not of this world, we have no country here to fight for except the heavenly city. We have only souls to fight for. In this world, we must be conscientious objectors and humanitarians, reflecting Christ’s values to everyone.
Please come back for the continuation of the article series: The Israel Deception.
The Jewish leadership and papal Rome have together since the beginning of the New Covenant era been pulling the law away from Christ. They have both been working against Jewish converts to Christ and keeping Christians from the culture and laws of Jehovah. Separating what belongs together, the Jewish leadership has pulled the law from Christ, and the Roman papacy along with Protestantism have pulled Jesus away from His law and culture. This attack is all the work of the dragon, Satan himself. Although Roman Catholicism and Judaism are at odds with each other religiously, they both cooperate against God, only from two different angles, making the betrayal harder to spot as God’s people don’t immediately appear to be on one side, but in the middle. Christ warned us through the book of Revelation that the group Satan wanted to attack was the ones who kept the law and Christ together (Rev 12:17)
The remnant is those who stayed true to this principle. From the very beginning, Rome, pagan and papal, and the Jewish leadership persecuted Christ and his followers together. Now the former protestant denominations, evangelicals, are helping to do the same. Claiming the law and the culture of the Lord is for Jews only. They slander and use scare tactics for anyone who keeps the original law as Christians. They don’t mind, however, those who keep the law with the changed sabbath commandment (Sunday instead of Sabbath). They only mind those who keep the original sabbath, which strangely shows anger towards the fourth commandment and not the others.
Although the Jewish nation wanted to be free from Rome and saw them as an enemy, they were also willing to form an alliance with the Roman emperor if it meant they would get help to rid themselves of Christ and His followers. The Jewish council charged Christ with attacking their traditions and temple, and they asked the Roman governor to help them. Likewise, the Jewish leadership instigated the arrest of Peter, Paul, and many other followers of Christ. Stephen was the first they killed using their hands, the governor being away at the time. They got James killed. (Act_12:2-3) They would rather see pagans live in peace than their Jewish brethren who believed in Christ: “But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren” (Act 14:2). The greatest Jewish provocation was Christ as the Jewish Messiah.
Jews stoned their Jewish brethren who believed Christ was the Messiah as “heretics”. Old painting showing the stoning of Steven.
Zealously, they traveled between cities to stop the preaching of the gospel even in pagan lands. “And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead” (Act 14:19). Originally, the Jewish believers continued to go to the synagogue, but they were driven out of them. The Jews realized that if they blasphemed Christ, they could drive the followers out of the synagogue:
“But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming” (Act_13:45). Jesus said: “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me” (Joh 16:1-3).
One of the offenses they wanted to kill Paul for was that he: “brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.” (Acts.21:25)
Stoning of Paul, a man from the tribe of Benjamin and a former Pharisee. He was relentlessly persecuted by his own Jewish people.
Although the Jewish persecution is well-known through the Bible, less is known of their tactics following this.
The great failing of the Jewish nation at the time of Christ, and still is, is the idea that they are a superior race to other races. Although Adolph Hitler and his party are criticized for the idea of the Arian race as superior, few realize that these ideas flourish among Jewish cultures as well. The idea is that they are more intelligent and more developed, and some even think they have a soul and gentiles do not. Although not the sentiment of all Jews, this faulty view has made them approach the truth gifted to them and turn it into a lie. They were called to be a kingdom of priests for all the world, they were called to represent God to the pagans, to bring them into obedience to God. To convert them from paganism and following demons, to be part of God’s family. Instead, they conserved what they had received and thought it was given to them because of their superiority and race, and it was a privilege for them only. So they felt jealous of the idea of Gentiles taking part in the culture entrusted to them. “But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd” (Acts.17:5). “I say then: Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid! But rather, through their fall salvation has come unto the Gentiles to provoke them to jealousy” (Rom.11:11) To this very day, they battle the idea that God wants all men to keep his law, and fight it. The concept of Noahide Laws are one of these attempts to prevent pagans from converting to God’s culture and becoming one with Israel. It claims the sabbath is for Jews only, and thus the Jews also fight against Christians keeping the fourth commandment. They too have little issues with Christians keeping the other nine, mostly it is the sabbath and the feasts they they take offense at if Christians keep just like the Catholic church and evangelicals today.
As Christians gained power in Rome and even Rome had Christian leadership, they wanted to unify the religious diversity in the empire to keep it strong and under control. They came up with an ecumenical Christianity where the costumes of the pagan religion intervened in the Christian observance to make it acceptable to both. This was the great Christian apostasy.
The great falling away of the church is firstly a responsibility that will be placed upon the Jewish leadership as well as the later Christian leadership. It was the Jews who scattered the gospel from the laws and the prophets, but it was the Christian leaders who allowed their hearts to be pulled back to the pagan customs.
Paul explains that the coming of “the man of sin” is after “a falling away” (2.Thess.2:3)
After years of severe discrimination and persecution from both Jews and Romans, the Christian church started to become liberal and more “like the world” in practice. The “world” at that time was Roman religious, social, moral, and cultural practice. The more they sympathized with the Romans, the more power was given to the Christians. Until the “falling away” led to the placing of a Roman pope to control the church.
The Jewish hatred against the Christians remained, and a competition started between the two to establish a Judaism free of Jesus and a Christianity free of “Judaism”.
The result is seen among other places in the ancient city of Laodicea, where a church meeting condemned anyone taking part in Jewish feasts and the biblical sabbath. In an attempt to establish church laws instead of the biblical culture, severe penalties and even being cast out of the church were the punishment for anyone trying to “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” together.
“Christians must not Judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather honoring the Lord’s Day, and, if they can, rest then as Christians. But if any shall be found to be Judaizers, let them be anathema from Christ.” (Canon 29 from the Council of Ladiocea in the year 363–364) “Not allowed to feast together with Jews or partake in anything tied to the feasts of the Jews. Not allowed to partake in the Biblical passover” (Canon 37 from the same Council)
The Jewish people were happy about this as well, not welcoming Christ’s followers to keep their God-given culture. This left those who were faithful to the original gospel and law without a “people” and without the rights the others enjoyed. No governmental protection, as they were constantly considered to be “outcasts” and no religious body’s child.
This apostasy on both ends helped Satan succeed in “casting down the truth to the ground” (Dan.8:12).
The dragon, Satan, seen in Revelation 12 persecuting those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, “stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born” (Rev.12:4) In both cases, the rejection and death of Christ and the persecution of His followers were the result of the Jewish and roman leadership being allied together doing the dragons bidding. The first who tried to kill baby Jesus was Herod, who was raised a Jew yet appointed by Rome. When Jesus was handed over to be crucified, it was the Jewish leadership asking Rome to end his life. All the first persecutions against the Christians were instigated by the Jewish leadership, asking Rome to deal with the situation on their behalf. The dragon, therefore, worked through both the Jewish leadership and Rome to fulfill Revelation 12.
So it has been since Christ came, and until Christ will come again. When we see the “dragon” appear once again in Revelation 16 right before Christ’s second coming, this coalition might take place again.
The Jewish leadership, and the apostate Christian leadership, have followed step by step the same behavior patterns. Now evangelicals and protestants have too followed that path.
We are going to look at three harlots and a harlot’s daughter. In the Bible, the two first harlots were Israel (northern kingdom) and Judah (Southern kingdom). The use of the word is in connection with them making covenants with pagans and taking part in their customs and seeking their protection. In the New Testament, there is a new harlot, this time “Christian” and she has daughters that have come out from her who continue in her path which are the protestants who never reformed all the way back to God’s way and instead did the sins of her mother, becoming a harlot too. The northern kingdom of Israel was the first “to sell out” and be unfaithful to God, mirroring the later Catholic church doing the same with the Roman empire and changing God’s law and culture for influence and protection. The fourth is similar to Judah who sold out later, who tried to reform but ended up doing as Israel had done. Let us compare the four.
Four harlots:
Israel / Judah (Two harlots) (Ezek.23; Isa.1:21; Ezekiel 16:15-35; Jer.3:8)
Apostate Christian/ Evangelical and protestant (Revelation 17 &18)
Came out from God’s people (1Jn 2:18-19)
Came out of from God’s people (1Jn 2:18-19)
Came out of an apostate church. Built upon the New Testament
Started mixing truth and worldly religion and philosophy. (From Judges to Malachi)
Started mixing truth with Roman mythology and practice. (Rev.2:4.6.20.)
Continued the apostate traditions of the Catholic Church. Started mixing truth with wordly morals and practice. (2.Tim.3:1-5, 2.Pet.3:3-4, Rev.3:16)
Joining forces with pagan governments. Called a whore by God when they did. (Ezek.23)
Mixing Roman political power with Christianity, and enforcing apostate church doctrines. (Rev. 2:22-23)
Pressuring the governments to enforce religious morals and statutes (Rev.13:11-18; Rev.19:20)
Persecutes and kills God’s prophets that are sent to them (Matt.23:35; 23:37)
Persecutes and kills the reformers sent to them (John 16:1-3, 3Jn 1:9-10; Rev.13:15)
Will persecute in the future, Rev.13
Follow the traditions and laws of man over God’s law (Matt.15:7-9)
Follow the traditions and laws of man over God’s law (Matt.7:21-27)
Follow the traditions and laws of man over God’s law (Rev.14:12)
Burns the word of God sent to them (Jer.36:23)
Forbade the Bible for centuries (Rev.11:3.7)
Twist the meaning of the word of God (Jer.8:8; Jer.14:14, Deut.18:20, Mal_2:8 ).
Twist the meaning of the word of God. (Matt.7:15; Act.20:29; 2.Cor.11:13-15; Gal.1:7; 2Pe 3:16)
Twist the meaning of the word of God (2 Tim. 4:3-4, Acts.20:30.
Continue to call themselves God’s congregation (Jer.7:9-11)
Continue to call themselves God’s congregation (Matt.7:21-27)
Continue to call themselves God’s congregation (Rev.18:7)
Claim to advocate God’s will (Mat 26:57-65 etc)
Claim to advocate God’s will
Claim to advocate God’s will (Rev.18:3; Rev.16:3, Jer.9:13-14; Mal.2:7-9)
The great “desolations”
Pagan desolations
Jewish desolations
Christian desolation:
The attack on God and truth done at the tower of Babel caused God to disperse them. Babel was left desolate, and those following the pagan practices were also left spiritually “desolate” (Gen.11:8-9, Deut 32:17, 1 Cor. 10:20, Deut. 18:9-12, Lev_18:24, Lev_18:27)
This is the first great falling away from God after the flood. It continued “daily” or continuously throughout the world in all nations until pagan Rome replaced it with apostate Christianity.
First Jewish desolation: After the first temple destruction: When forming religious and political alliances with pagan powers: The land is left desolate, but with a possible way to reform and return to God. Lev.26:22; Lev.26:33; Isa.1:7, Eze 12:20) This desolation is caused by mixing truth and error, choosing pagan alliances over God, and, as a consequence, God withdrawing from His temple.
First Christian desolation: By apostate Christianity, establishing an alliance with pagan Rome, and putting a man in Christ’s place, their house was left desolate (without God). The one who causes desolation rules for 1260 years and 1290 (leap month). “And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate” ( Dan 11:31). “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days” (Dan 12:11)
Return from Babylon and restoration of God’s temple begins. It takes approx. 46 years to rebuild it, and they are given a time of probation to completely be restored.
The Reformation begins and the restoration of God’s truth after it has “been trodden down” begins after the 2300 year mark and the 1335 prophecy. The period between the 1290 and the 1335 is 45 years. This is as long as it took from the Papacy got its deadly wound and until a reformation movement went back to God’s original law and cast away the apostasy from the Roman papacy by making only God the lawmaker. God’s people are restored and given a second chance.
Second Jewish desolation: After Christ/the human temple’s death: He says to the Jews that “your house leaves you desolate”. (Matt.232:38)
“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate (Dan 9:27, Mar.13:14) .
Second Christian desolation (no more chances): If God’s people fail to be a temple for God, and give up Christ’s righteousness for church righteousness or self-righteousness they will too be left desolate (without God). It is always the same behavior that leaves a people desolate. (Rev.3:16; Dan 12:11-14 Matt.25:12; Matt.25:30.46).
After the second temple destruction: Rome leaves Jerusalem desolate and only a remnant of the Jews are faithful.
At Christ’s second coming, only a remnant will remain and be brought to heaven and the earth will be left desolate (Isa.24:3; Rev.20:1-3)
The Christian walk is very comparable with both the time and chances given to Judah. Yet, they both seem delusional and do not understand when they have been left desolate, or they do not wish to accept it. When Christ warns His church about the last desolation if they do not repent, He describes it as to “spue thee out of my mouth.” The last church seems not to realize their danger and thinks of themselves as still being spiritually rich, and having Christ, although Christ is departing from them. Only those Christians who realize their condition and seek the remedy will be saved when Christ comes.
The two Israels – Timeline
Jacobs Israel:
Christs’ Israel:
Built upon Jacob the patriarch
Built upon Christ the Messiah
Built upon twelve sons/tribes and 70 elders
Built upon the testimony of the twelve apostles and the 70 chosen church elders.
Covenant with God to be God’s priests to the world. Established by blood sprinkled upon the Book of the Covenant.
Covenant with God to be God’s priests to the world. Established by Christ’s blood sprinkled upon the Ark of the Covenant.
Judges rule among God’s people
Church elders, deacons, lead God’s people
The people demand a king
The people demand a leader
The king leads people astray
The Pope leads people astray
The kingdom is divided in two
The Christian church is divided
Even Judah fails God and ends up in Babylonian captivity
The Christian church is divided. Those who follow the rituals and commandments of the Popes are “left desolate” and God continues His presence with the faithful who have “the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus”.
In the end, they reject Christ Himself and once again make their alliance with the pagan powers and favor religious leaders and even a pagan king over the King of kings. Their house is left desolate. The pagan empire later destroys and scatters them.
God’s people are subdued by the “man of sin” for 1260 years.
God delivers them after 70 years and helps them reform
God sends reformers to call people out of the apostate church, they are rejected over and over again, until some are finally heard.
God sends them Ezra to teach them the law.
God sends teachers to call man back to God’s original law (advent movement)
God sends Nehemiah to re-build the walls around Jerusalem
By choosing God as lawgiver and savior once again, God’s people receive God’s protection.
They are given 490 years to reform
From the reform movement got success with men such as Luther, the Christian reform movements have had over 490 years to get “their act together” and return to God’s reign. (For instance: Luther’s thesis in 1517-2007, First country to denounce the Papacy until now 1530-2020 etc, etc Approx 490 years of Protestantism)
In the end, they reject Christ Himself and once again make their alliance with the pagan powers and favor religious leaders and even a pagan king over the King of kings. Their house is left desolate. The pagan empire later destroys and scatters them.
In the end, the reform movement might just very well fail God, or will they conquer where God’s first people failed? As it appears, the Christian church has fallen once again, exchanging God’s morals and standards with those of the Gentiles and non-believers. Christians have fornicated with worldly and pagan-religious communities and are scattered and parted. If they do not conquer, their house will be left desolate-
Both probations end around the time of Christ’s coming.
Both probations end around the time of Christ’s coming.
Linger time: Jews continued their temple service for approx 37 years after their probation ended and before the temple was destroyed. These years they were unaware they had been left “desolate” and believed God was still with them.
Linger time: Christians continue their church attendance and utter their faith not understanding that God has left most of the churches who have refused to reform back to God as lawgiver. Many will be unaware of their condition until Christ comes.
Temple and people destroyed
Christ’s second coming, churches judged, unfaithful destroyed.
Abraham was called out of his homeland in UR and until the close of probation for the Jewish nation was approximately 2000 years. During this time, God renewed his covenant with them several times and there were several reformations. God’s temple was erected as a sanctuary on the move, then as the temple. Within these 2000 years, it involved living as a stranger in another’s land, being subdued under Egypt, wandering in the wilderness, having judges, and kings, dividing into two nations, being taken captive, and the land left desolate for 70 years, and then the final probation.
Likewise, the Christian church has been given approximately 2000 years as well.
They, too, have lived with their homeland occupied, fed by God “in the wilderness”, struggled with their own Balaam and Jezebel challenges, their own pagan “kings” and so on (Rev.2:14.20; Rev.12:6, Rev.18:4) The reform from apostate Christian popery and its doctrines has lasted approximately 490 years.
God is fair, but history has repeated itself and the Christian church has repeated all the biblical Israel’s mistakes with similar outcomes. God will not permit this another 2000 years with a third group. There is no third covenant. It is God’s people before Christ and God’s people after Christ. God’s point has been proven that His kingdom cannot exist on a rebellious planet. Every time, the “bad seed” first pretends to follow God and then ends up taking control over the truth-bearers. In our world, religious narcissists win. They can use dirty tactics, lie, be hypocritical, manipulate, and use force to get what they want. While the one trying to keep God’s principles has to be true to God’s principles. This leads to the dark side of humanity achieving positions where they can suppress those better than them every time.
The Jews, the apostate Christian church, and “her daughters” as they have been left “desolate” for failing to choose God’s reign, have become tools in the hand of the dragon in his war against God. Although God has always had a remnant to represent Him, this remnant is outnumbered and their power is “scattered”. As the angel told Daniel: “When he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished” (Dan.12:7) That is how things will be when Christ comes back. The power that is said to be scattered here possibly should be translated into influence. God’s people were not meant to rule over others, but they were meant to be an influence for good by their words and deeds.
But their influence has been ruined by “the beasts” and “the false prophet” working against God.
This means that in the end time, the greatest Christian influencers are the apostate believers who claim to represent God but who are “desolate” (without God).
With the powers seen gathering the nations against God in Revelation, we see the resurfacing of the dragon who previously used pagan states together with desolate Israel to fight God’s people, we see the dragon give power to the desolate Catholic Church as “the beast” and then to desolate protestant and evangelical churches as “the false prophet”. God is not in their “house” and their house is now filled with every “unclean and hated bird” (Rev.18:2, Luk.11:24-26). Trying to take by force what God has not given to them.
Just like Satan once did in heaven, when he saw he could not have his way, he made war against “Michael and his angels” to take the kingdom by force. He would have been a part of the kingdom if he had chosen to follow God’s directions, but instead of entering the gates of God’s kingdom by mercy and obedience, Satan decided to do it by violence. (Rev.12:7) He lost, and now he is here on earth taking housing in the houses left desolate because of their disobedience and false representation. The great final battle is situated around those claiming to be God’s people, but are now enemies of God, deceiving the world in God’s name.
Noaittic laws for Christians:
Similar to the Pope, rabbis have claimed to be in the position to tell Christians what laws they can and should not keep. Surprisingly, they harmonize with Rome, where Christians are told not to keep the Sabbath. Here are the laws Jewish leadership tells Christians to keep instead:
To establish courts of justice.[28] Of the ten commandments, 4, 5, 9 & 10 are missing making their change of the law even greater than that of the Pope, who only changed the fourth, removed the second, and divided the tenth.
Both conflict with God’s word which claims all foreigners can come and keep the Sabbath and the gatherings (Isa.56:6-8). That all nations shall be instructed in His law (Isa 2:2-3, Mika 4:2, Rev.14:6-7.12, Rev.12:17, Mat 28:20)
The way to peace and recovery requires a willingness to leave victimhood behind. It can be tempting for those dealing with people who are stuck in victimhood after long-term or childhood trauma to tell them to “move on.” This is not helpful. They cannot just move on. No one’s body is designed or works that way. Not even God can order a person to “move on.” This book is not meant to encourage anyone to treat a victim that way, nor for a victim to say such things harshly to themselves. The point of this book is to inspire and help begin the recovery process by making some important decisions. Recovery is not done in one day, and some scars will never go away.
You can’t command someone to heal.
Even for those who have chosen to leave victimhood behind, triggers will still arise throughout life. Some will come unexpectedly, and it may be too late to deal with them in a healthy way in that moment. You cannot command anyone “to move on” or “cheer up.” These words are fruitless in themselves. No victim deserves this kind of disrespect. Emotional scars must go through a process of healing, even for Christians. Pretending to be fine when we are not will not make it so. It is simply denial. God’s solution appears to be not to repress memories, but to face them honestly and deal with them accordingly. To place blame where it belongs, we must first acknowledge that sin was committed. It is tempting for the family and friends of a victim to ask them to simply forget what happened and move on. At worst, the victim pretends to have forgotten, and they are left stuck in a private mental prison as a result. God has created us in such a way that sin does not go away until it has been dealt with according to His laws. Silencing a victim will only cause further damage. If a family wishes for a problem to go away, the problem must be properly dealt with. Too often, dysfunctional families blame the victim, or at least they divide the blame between the victim and the family member who committed the act. This will never create peace or healing. It can create the illusion of it, but not the God-given healing. Blame must be placed correctly for sin to be forgiven, even by God. A victim will continue to be hurt unless they are heard and understood. The guidance suggested in this book is not intended as an accusation against a victim for remaining in victimhood, nor to blame a victim for still struggling. Trauma healing cannot be forced upon anyone or used to guilt-trip them into thinking they are the cause of their own problems. Healing is different for everyone, and many things must come together for the journey to start. Unmerciful approaches from family, friends, and church members can, at worst, prevent healing rather than help it. The right way to approach a long-term trauma survivor is to show compassion and inspire them. Allow them to speak if they need to. Invite them to activities that will help them. Small things matter. Instead of advising them to exercise, ask if they want to go for a walk with you. Instead of telling them to eat healthier, invite them over for a healthy dinner or to cook with you. The point is to replace words with practical help. Too often, people think they “help” by offering a lot of advice to someone who is struggling, then leave feeling better about themselves for having given it. This rarely helps anyone feel better, except the person giving the advice. If you feel helpless, do something practical or helpful instead. Inspire the change rather than pushing it upon them. Do not be condescending or impatient. The victim is not less intelligent than you. They simply speak a slightly different emotional language. Only when a long-term victim feels safe can they start their journey. Guilt-tripping, demanding, threats, and similar approaches will not help them reach the starting point. Demanding they forgive before the sins are properly understood or addressed is also wrong. Everyone needs different things and will struggle to forgive until they understand what has happened in the right light. This can take time, because victims are often confused and struggle with displaced blame. If you want to help a long-term trauma victim, simply be their friend, without letting them exploit you or feel that your friendship is charity. If you make it a charity, it can cause a long-term victim to feel the need to remain in their pain in order to be noticed and cared about. This can lead them into a harmful cycle.
Ask more than once. A trauma victim struggles in many more ways than what is visible and may need time or multiple chances to say yes. Many victims are cautious and uncertain about themselves and others, and they need time to respond. Do not be afraid to invite again, even if you receive a “no” or a rejection the first time.
Skip harassing someone with good advice, take them out on a little adventure instead. Let them feel you are enjoying their company. This can practically help their healing.
Know that some are so deeply wounded by what has happened to them that they may never fully recover. Each case and situation is different. Some are more severely affected than others. Some do not show it and may appear normal, while with others it is obvious. This does not mean the one who is visibly struggling is worse off than the one whose pain does not show.
Many people who end their lives are those who keep all their feelings to themselves. They learned not to be a bother and think no one cares, which is why they pretend everything is fine. They think the world is better off without them. Numerous people who end their lives leave people shocked. The people around them say they seemed to be smiling and happy most of the time, and they did not see it coming. Others often hint at their plans, which is why if someone mentions suicidal thoughts, they must be taken seriously.
Making people suppress or stay silent about their hurt may give the perpetrator and their family a sense of peace, but it will slowly destroy the victim from within. Sin cannot be covered up. It can only be moved to the right person. Then that person must move it or give it to Christ. Sin cannot be hidden or destroyed by silence, violence, or manipulation. Thus, “helping” victims by telling them to “get over it” and “move on” can damage them deeply and even destroy them over time.
We should not compare the suffering of one person with that of another. People have different strengths and upbringings. Some can handle many difficulties, while others seem to handle very little. Behind that lie cognitive abilities, additional trauma you may not know about, genetics, or physical limitations. We must not judge two people who seem to have suffered the same thing for handling it differently. No two situations are the same.
The Bible is clear that the stronger is to care for the weaker. There is so much we do not know or understand about others. Because we have learned one secret, that does not mean we know them all. We do not need to understand others completely to be kind and helpful to them.
Helping long-term victims is not about judging, demanding, or advising. It is about being present and standing by their side, and giving them your time. This will help them feel wanted and valued, and these same feelings will inspire them to value themselves and find the courage to grow.
Using Christ and the Bible to silence a victim is another form of abuse. Christ wants to set people free, not destroy them. “A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth” (Isa 42:3). The Bible is clear when it comes to sin: it must be atoned for in one way or another. The law requires compensation for damage. It is up to the victim alone to forgive. If a Christian family has managed to silence their victim and pretend things have not happened, they have only put themselves in a situation where God must one day judge them without being able to offer them atonement. If He does not, heaven will not be a paradise for the victims, as the treatment by their families will continue there. The lies would continue there. Christ’s mercy would be used to prove the victim wrong. Calling a victim a liar to save face will only cause you to lose face on judgment day, as you will stand clothed in nothing but your own filthy righteousness.
Any victim who follows Christ and has taken refuge in Him should know that Christ is on their side against all sin. He will accept no excuse for any sin. If your transgressor is unapologetic, He will judge them in your place. It is not your job to be the courthouse, the judge, and the victim at the same time. “And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” (Isa 25:9)
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’ And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’ (Matt. 25:31, 34-40)
“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity” (1Co 13:11-13)
Finding freedom from victimhood is to take control of your own healing. No one should be dependent upon others’ choices to find healing. Untangle yourself, trust God, and find peace in owning your future.
In the end times, God will turn the tables. Victimhood will benefit no one, impress no one, and purify no one. Even bad people claim victimhood and use it to advance themselves. Some of these bad people have been real victims, but they are still bad. It is a known fact that people with narcissistic tendencies claim victimhood and make it appear that their victim is the bad guy. Only time can expose the truth, but what happens when mankind runs out of time? Allowing persecution will have no purpose in the end.
The only way God can protect His people is if they allow Him to cleanse them of their sins and agree to stop rebelling against His law. If they do not, He will have no argument to favor them over others. For those who follow His laws, He has promised to enclose them like a wall, protect them, and give them refuge from their enemies (Isa. 49:16; Zec. 2:5; Ps. 41:1-2; Deut. 7:15; Ps. 61:3).
Persecuted Muslims in Myanmar.
There comes a time when nothing positive will come out of God’s people being victimized. Because of the many tribulations and uprisings all over the world and the many claiming victimhood as a people, Christians being victimized would impress no one to become a Christian. Muslims are targeted for hate, Indigenous people are discriminated against, prideful sinners are claiming victimhood for being called out, and the list goes on. There are many religious and non-religious groups claiming victimhood today. Even Christians hate other Christian groups.
Persecuted Buddhists and Hindus.
Persecution would not reveal Christianity as good; its values would drown along with the values of everyone else claiming victimhood. Does the fact that Muslims are persecuted in some places prove that Muslims are telling the truth and are good? No, because we know you have good and bad Muslims. We have Muslims who persecute and Muslims who are being persecuted. The truth is not revealed in their persecution. The same is true for other cultural minorities and majorities. The same is true for Christians. People claiming the name of Christ have, in their time, persecuted almost all religions. Christians have also been persecuted by all religions.
Statistics show persecutions in 187 countries (out of 195), between the years 2007 and 2017. Christians are the most persecuted group in the world. Other countries considered to have religious freedom like Canada and the Northern Nordic countries do not have discrimination in their laws, but in their society and practice of their laws and so mostly all countries discriminate. Scandinavia normally seen as a religious-free country has societal bullying and ostracizing of Christians. If you want to get a job you better keep your faith a secret.
Sometimes they have been in the right, sometimes in the wrong. The truth is no longer revealed by someone being targeted. Many religions and anti-religions have many martyrs, but the truth is not revealed. When Christ’s true followers are persecuted in the end times, it will just draw in the world’s noise and help no one. So in the end, the greater testimony that God wants to give through His people is His ability to provide for and protect those who choose to be citizens of the kingdom of heaven. That is why we see Christ turning the tables in the end times, stopping the persecutors, and punishing them. Truth and God’s people are uplifted when He saves and protects them. This will serve as an example. In the heavenly books, every wrongful act and every persecution are written down and will be punished. Because harming God’s people, His true believers, is not of God and is a crime. For those who have been martyred in the past, God reassures them and says judgment will come to those who did it: “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled” (Rev 6:9-11).
In the end times, God will punish the world for its suppression and persecution of His people. God’s people are mocked and not heeded. As Gabriel told Daniel: “When he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished” (Dan.12:7).
When no one cares about God’s people’s rights, no one cares about their tears or their warnings, and there is nothing more they can do, God will not permit them to suffer needlessly, even if it has been done willingly for the salvation of others. Further suffering would break them and save no one. So, God turns the tables and punishes the world himself: “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double” (Rev 18:4-6) Here God makes it clear again that if you do what they do and live as they do, if you partake in their sins, God cannot protect you. But if you do not, God will avenge you. He says He will overthrow the entire infrastructure and trade system. He will bring down the deceivers and their allied leadership. For God never condoned the mistreatment of His people. He just waited in mercy, hoping that people would understand their wrong and turn. When they do not, justice comes. “Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her” (Rev.18:20) Here comes another important principle. Keeping God’s laws and being faithful to heaven require us to leave judgment to the heavenly court and to allow them to execute it. It says, “God hath avenged you on her”. It is not for Christians to take up their swords, but to make their plea to the heavenly courts and leave them to handle the situation. This requires faith and trust in God’s willingness not only to seek mercy for the sinner but also to seek justice for those harmed by those who do not repent.
True Christians will be victorious. They will judge the world. (Rev.20:4). Just like Christ was harmed and killed when He came to earth the first time, He will come as a conquering king the second time. With a crown and a scepter. Those who harmed Him and did not repent shall rise, see Him, and weep. Justice will come. Death will not prevent justice. There will be a time when those who have harmed others will be held accountable. And here is our patience and trust in God: No unmerciful man or woman who unapologetically finds strength in harming others will go unpunished.
We should be sad for them, for the loss they will suffer, for their stupidity in clinging to wrongs. And those victimized will go free, and God promises: “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Rev.7:16-17)
God does not side with cruelty; He has allowed it to exist for a brief moment in the history of the universe to try to help mankind be saved and to have witnesses against ever allowing such a society to arise again.
Christ’s second coming is the Christian hope and the day they will be truly free.
For those who think God asks of us patience and long-suffering that He Himself does not carry, they should know that God asks of us only what He Himself has gone through. It would have been easy for God to eliminate His enemy, Satan, in the beginning. But He could not, because no one would have understood why. Satan seemed like a concerned, loving creature speaking on everyone’s behalf. Satan appeared to be working for the good of everyone. God knew that a quick solution would not end the problem. It would just add more problems. God had to be patient and endure the lies and attacks Satan carried out. It took a long time before heaven realized who Satan really was, before they understood they had been lied to and manipulated, and that he was doing it for himself and not for them (Rev. 12:9 & 12). Likewise, Christ came to earth to tell everyone the truth, but Satan took advantage of his power and caused Him to be constantly persecuted throughout His life. There were attempts to kill Him from the moment He was born, and several more as an adult. In the end, He was tortured and killed. Christ endured it to expose to everyone who Satan was and what his agenda was. He had to allow Satan to play out his evil upon someone who had done him no wrong, upon the one who had given him life. Satan, who claimed to be a defender of freedom, would not allow Christ free speech. He would not allow Christ’s followers to practice their belief in freedom. Satan proved by all his actions that all his good words were just for show; he himself was a cruel dictator with all the characteristics he had claimed God had. God had not killed him when he first rebelled and even went to war in heaven, but Satan was quick to eliminate Christ, who only spoke the truth and did good. Christ was what Satan would like to claim to be, but isn’t. Because God endured all this, He could judge the guilty with the blessing of the universe. Satan exposed himself and his true ideology slowly over time, but even more during his attack on Christ. Satan could not win over Christ in heaven, as Christ was too powerful. But when Christ came as a man to save mankind, Satan used his power to try to destroy Him here. In heaven, Satan could claim to be suppressed, as he was outnumbered and weaker. He could claim victimhood and gain sympathy that way. But when Christ came as a human in human flesh here on earth, Satan was physically stronger. He controlled the kingdoms of the world, according to himself (Matt.4:8-9). Yet now that the tables had seemingly been turned, Satan turned out to be no victim. He took advantage straight away and went to destroy, even Christ as a baby. Before Christ had grown to speak His first words and do His first deeds, Satan wanted him dead. Satan became a contrast to what God had done for him. Evil men and angels can say all the right words and claim to be what they desire to be viewed as, but their actions will expose them every time. “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matt.7:20)
God allows it not out of weakness, but because it is the only way to expose the truth and people’s character so that they can be judged or receive mercy accordingly. If one man has one victim, it might be questioned if the victim caused it in some way. If someone has a repeated pattern of harming others in the same way, it is evident who is at fault and why. The first victim is no longer doubted. Time is a great tool for exposing lies.
God asks His people to endure difficulties, even persecution and mistreatment, but not to accept them or bring them upon themselves. He said clearly, “If you are persecuted in one city, go to the next”. Do not stay suppressed if you can obtain freedom elsewhere. And Christians must not claim victimhood. We can endure oppression if we are strong enough to tolerate it by choice, as an attempt to save others, even our transgressors. If it is not received well, we need to move on, or their evil will destroy us as well. The Bible is clear that some are spiritually, mentally, and physically weaker than others and that it is the stronger Christians’ responsibility to care for the weaker and to take on the brave tasks (Romans 15:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 5:14; Isaiah 35:3; Psalm 41:1) God does not call everyone to stand on the front lines in the spiritual war. He is not unreasonable, and it is a choice. However, regardless of what task we have, whether small or big, we are to be spiritual warriors, not victims. We know the stakes; we make decisions based on them. Christianity is not victimhood; it is freedom. Freedom in God’s image. When God looks for His image in us, He wants to see that same determination to bring justice that He Himself carries. To help those who are helpless, care for the sick, release those who are suppressed, and show mercy and tolerance if there is hope of regret and conversion. We are to handle evil without becoming a reflection of it. We are not to take revenge on them nor let them subdue us; rather, the third option is to show goodness and strength. To inspire people to break the chain, not pay sins forward, and not let others’ bad behavior, although it harms us, change us. Rather, keep an eye on Christ.
If we do this, we are truly free. “For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed” (Jas.1:6) We will be triggered and tempted. But we give Christ our revenge. We cannot do this while claiming victimhood, for then we spend our lives holding every person we meet accountable for a sin they did not commit. Someone who clings to victimhood is under the control of another. If we are down for a moment, we must rise again. If we don’t, we cannot give the world an alternative to paying sin forward. We can’t be the solution if we are part of the problem. If you have scars, consider them evidence against sin. If you have mental scars, again, they are evidence against sin. The pain you feel in your heart when you have been wronged or targeted is God’s evidence against sin. God will do you right in His own time. So, Paul advises us to think of ourselves as warriors, not as victims. He wrote these words while in prison for preaching the gospel and being hindered from speaking openly: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph 6:10-17). Paul further said: “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel. For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Eph 6:19-20).
An ambassador in bonds! Paul was a free man even in prison, for his heart and mind were free. He had inner peace. He still loved. No matter what has happened in the past or is happening right now, letting it control us and who we are and what kind of Christian we are is only giving our freedom to our transgressors. We will harm ourselves and others and never be free. God knows what you have been through. He has seen it and has recorded it. Every scar, every word, is noted. He says, “Revenge is mine” ( Romans 12:19-21). He tells us to be bold and strong in Him. He tells us to be free in Him.
In the Bible, we see God fight for His nation, Israel, against their enemies. Yet during the Christian era, God allowed them to suffer tribulation and even lose the battle against their adversaries. It might seem like a contradiction at first glance. Does God want His people to suffer, or does He want to help them win their battles? Christian persecution has led many Christians to think God desires His people to remain subdued so that they can be good Christians. Martyrs are admired, so churches make many of them saints to be prayed to, and their images are hung up like icons. The reason God has permitted Christian persecution is not that He sanctifies victimhood or because being a victim automatically makes you good. Again, the reason is tied to the testimony against sin. When Israel was a state following God’s law, God could fight on their behalf because they were under His authority. When Israel left God and followed pagan laws, God allowed them to be conquered and scattered.
If both Israel and its pagan enemies followed the same idol practices and injustices, the same unfair laws, how could God side with one against the other? Therefore, God urged them to turn from their ways so that He could defend and save them. Some kings understood this and sought reform for the country while under threat. King Hezekiah saw how town after town in Israel was captured by the king of Assyria, and they had no chance. Hezekiah threw away the idols, reinstated God’s laws, and urged the people to be faithful to the laws of heaven. When he did, and the Assyrian army came and laid siege around Jerusalem like they had all the other Judean and Israeli cities they had conquered, God finally saved them. In one night, God sent his angels to defeat the great Assyrian army. By making God their king and following His laws and standards, God could defend them as a king defends his kingdom. Later, the town fell into transgression again, and Jerusalem’s future was sealed. They followed pagan morals and laws. God could not and would not save them; instead, he allowed the kingdom whose customs they followed to take control of the city. Some forty years before that, King Josiah cried before the Lord, tried to turn the people around, and reinstated God’s laws and even the sanctuary system. As a response, God said He would not let Jerusalem be destroyed while Josiah was king. His sons did not follow their father’s path. We see here what makes the difference. Jerusalem had become an idolatrous city. How could God favor and save them without being unfair? God said about Jerusalem: “And she hath changed my judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and my statutes more than the countries that are round about her” (Eze 5:6)
The Assyrian army was known for its severe cruelty. Yet God said the Israeli people were worse than the Assyrians.
They were more evil than the other pagan nations. “Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the LORD” (2 Kings 21:16) Even the prophet Isaiah had been sawn in two during the reign of King Manasseh. Their hands were full of blood when they demanded that God save them from their enemies. They refused to change their ways. God allowed the temple built in His honor to be destroyed. He did not want His temple to stand in the middle of cruelty. However, when they turned from their ways and asked for mercy, God let them rebuild His temple among them once more. When Christ came during the Second Temple period, everything had once again become bad. Only this time they had become extreme in other ways, but the result was the same: cruelty and the shedding of innocent blood. No matter how sin manifests itself, it results in the same thing. Jesus said to them: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matt.23:37-38) As Christ said, it happened, and the second temple was destroyed as well and was never rebuilt. When they repented and asked God for mercy after the destruction of the First Temple, God granted them 490 years to turn from their ways and do better. This was around the same length of time as the mercy God had offered those in the land before them, the Canaanites, when they were wicked (Gen 15:30). God was being fair. It is also part of God’s long suffering. However, they did not change their ways. They still treated each other badly, suppressed others, misrepresented God while claiming to represent Him, killed God’s servants, and even killed God’s son, who was without sin. God would not continue to pardon them, for they would become worse, and it would cause even more suffering than that which they already had. Throughout the Old Testament, we see how God protects them when they are faithful, or at least trying to be, and allows their enemies to harm them when they refuse to be educated in that which is good and are rebellious. God even told them, ahead of time, the conditions for His protection through Moses (Deut. 28). This is not about making mistakes or errors, either as a people or as a leader. God had already provided atonement for cases of disobedience through the sanctuary. It is not about God leaving them because they made mistakes. It is about the people and leaders rejecting God’s standard and being judged by it. When they reject God as their authority, they place themselves outside of His protection. Israel and Judah provoked their enemies’ anger through their own actions. God cannot favor one bad person over another, unless one is much worse than the other, of course. God’s enemies, seeing God’s people without full protection, target them first and foremost as a strategy, because those who have had the truth are closer to rediscovering it. Through their history, they have gained knowledge that can help them convert again. It follows, then, that if left partly unprotected, Satan will try to destroy them to erase the truth of God if possible. Thus, God’s people who turn their backs on God are more vulnerable than those who have rejected God all along. Satan’s anger towards God’s backslidden people will manifest in a greater way. This fact is lamented over in the Bible when God’s people felt especially targeted compared to the ungodly.
It is not uncommon, when suffering, to question why one’s own punishment seems so much more severe than that of others who are just as bad or even worse. What it can mean is that Satan sees you still have a seed in you and that you are likely to listen to the Spirit and turn, and so he targets you harder. As a Christian, it can almost be considered a compliment. If Satan is against you even when you have backslidden, it means he thinks you still have the potential to return to God. Solomon wrote: “All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness”. (Ecc.7:15) Or, like Job said, “Why does the wicked prosper?” Earth is a spiritual battle. Satan does not always attack his workers; instead, he gives them money and peace, while focusing more on targeting those “sheep” that run out of Christ’s fold. Thus, a backsliding Christian is under great attack, while someone who has been on Satan’s side the whole time can live in luxury and selfishness unharmed. When Satan was tempting Christ in the wilderness, he offered Him what was valuable in the world. Christ declined, choosing instead to suffer for His people’s salvation (Luke 4:5-7).
On the other side, we can also see in the Bible that good people are attacked and suffer persecution even though they have been faithful. The prophet Isaiah was not sawn in two because he was unfaithful to God, but rather because he was faithful. Even the first Christian movements suffered harsh persecution. Several of the good apostles were martyred. God warned the Christians of what was coming: “I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich), and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Rev.2:9-10) Here, the wording can make a great difference. Did God allow it to test them, or was God trying to tell them that what was going to happen would be hard on their faith, and urging them to stay strong despite the circumstances? Most likely the latter, as God did not inspire the sinner to sin against them. God is not behind their trials; evil men are. God is encouraging them to keep their faith through their difficulties, because that is when it is easiest to give up in bitterness.
Christians were severely persecuted by the Roman government.
Being victimized was so common for Christians in the first centuries that the mentality of victimhood is still part of Christianity to this day. The idea that God is glorified by our suffering is not one that feels sane to a trauma victim. Many survivors feel unsafe in an environment where it is claimed God holds the hand of the one harming them to “test our allegiance” to Him. God cannot trust someone who has been threatened and tortured to prove themselves faithful any more than anyone else can. Anyone declaring devotion while pressed up against a wall, or between a rock and a hard place, might be deceiving both themselves and others. Nor is God such a fool. The Bible is clear that it is His love for us that converts us. The apostle John stated: “We love him, because he first loved us” (1. John 4:19). Only love can inspire love. Christians are not saved by allowing themselves to be victimized; they are saved by Christ’s death for our sake alone. What happened to the first Christians was a consequence of their bravery, as we will investigate. Another thing that can make many feel unsafe is the idea that if you make a mistake, God withdraws from you. It might be tempting to compare Israel’s history and faults to your own relationship with God. After all, it is written as a warning and example to us (Heb.4:11). This can become an irrational fear for a long-term trauma survivor. God did not leave His people when they strayed; He stayed and tried everything He possibly could to save them. And even when He would not protect them as a governmental institution, He still had mercy on the individuals within it. The first temple was destroyed, but people like Jeremiah, Baruch, Ebedmelech, Daniel, Ezekiel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah are men God protected, saved, and helped. All because, in the middle of the chaos, they turned to God. God does not need you to be perfect for Him to help or care for you; He just needs you to be willing. Using the stories in the Bible where God had to remove His protection as a way to scare yourself or others into thinking that God has abandoned you or them is not a good way to be a Christian. It will strain you and cause you to create a relationship where you need to protect yourself from God’s punishments rather than finding shelter under His wings (Psa.36:7). This is a temptation that those with childhood trauma can fall into, and it leaves a lasting strain on their relationship with heaven. In these instances, it is helpful to better understand why God allowed them to be punished and to place it in the context of what was actually happening.
One of the reasons for the downfall of Israel was not just their great crimes against each other and God, but that when God tried to reason with them, they would not listen. God sent them messengers to talk sense to them, to persuade them to change their conduct, and to nearly beg them to let God save them. Instead of listening, they killed the ones God sent. (Heb 11:36-37) Jesus was upset about how those who came to plead with them were treated: “Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered” (Luk 11:49-52). On judgment day, those who rejected God’s plea might try to make their case that they were ignorant and “meant well” when they rebelled against God’s rule. How those sent to them were treated will serve as evidence against their claims and ensure they are judged and not permitted within the gates of the New Jerusalem. Had they not shown the extent of their violent rejection, there might have been doubt on judgment day. Now there is none. Even among the violent, there will be men saved because they finally saw reason. One of them is Paul.
When we compare our own personal pilgrimage to the story of the nations of Israel and Judah, we should remember that they were not rejected because of their sin, but because they refused to accept the remedy. They would not let God save them. In this way, they lost His help and everything that help would have brought them: protection and deliverance.
At one point, the remnant of Judah and Israel sought to listen to God and to receive His help. A sinful priest was all they had to plead their case at the time. But this priest was willing. This was all God needed: “Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by. And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by” (Zec.3:3-7) When Isaiah was called to be a prophet, he did not feel he got the job because he was without sin. Rather, he said after getting the commission: “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged” (Isa 6:5-7). We see this repeatedly. Few have committed a crime as King David did. But he repented greatly and begged God to restore his heart. “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psa 51:7) Later, when his son rebelled against him, partly because of David’s sins, God still saved and restored him. Not from all the consequences of his actions, but He still helped him through the injustice he was experiencing. God could not save the former King Saul because he did not trust God or want God to help him change his ways. The Bible shows us that God is not dependent on our past being without blemish, but that we are willing to receive His help. Even an earthly governmental prison system is built upon similar principles. A convict can be released on trial if they show an understanding of their crime, regret, and a willingness to accept help in changing. If they do not show these three characteristics, they are not given an early release. God’s mercy is even greater than this. God offers to not even remember our past mistakes: “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins” (Isa.43:25) In Revelation, in a message to the last church, we see that God is upset about their sins and coldness. Yet He says if they are willing to seek His help, they will be granted the privilege of sitting on Christ’s holy throne next to Him. What incredible mercy for people who have opposed the principles of His kingdom to be allowed to sit there with Him! God does not hold grudges. God’s mercy is extreme and ridiculous and is not deserving of the accusations and suspicion Satan plants in the minds of people, especially childhood trauma victims. The story of Israel losing its protection does not reflect God’s attitude toward His children, who made a few errors. His love is not that weak and short-lived. If we refuse to receive His help, if we refuse to apologize for our wrongdoings to others, if we refuse His mercy, then we will be judged by the heavenly laws. God has no other choice because those we have hurt, and the spectators, have made a complaint against us. We are all on trial for the chain reactions we took part in, for the chain reactions we created, and for every selfish and damaging act we have done towards others. Sins that God has offered to remove. If we do not want His salvation or help, He cannot give us His protection. The two go together.
Christian persecution
It was God’s original plan for the kingdom of God to be established here on earth among mankind. This is what He tried to accomplish through the nation of Israel. A haven for all who wish to follow the moral principles of His rule. A place where God could protect them. When Israel did not cooperate, this kingdom was lost to man. “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence” (John 18:36) The disciples were ready to fight, as seen when Peter drew his sword to try to save Jesus (Matt. 26:51). This is clearly not what Christ meant, for He asked Peter not to fight. If the disciples alone had started a physical fight with the Jewish authorities, they would have started a rebellion within the nation. Jesus wanted His people, as a whole nation, to defend Him and stand by Him. When the Jewish authorities did not do so, it became apparent that He could not create a temporal kingdom on earth as He had first intended, as seen in Israel’s history. This resulted in God’s people being scattered and even persecuted by both the Jewish and Roman authorities. This was not God’s design; He did not want His people to be hunted prey. He had created the states of Israel and Judah to protect His people. But no government would represent Him and let Him lead. This ultimately meant there would be no country or nation that would act as a shield from the pagan and ungodly. God’s people would be forced to live under pagan governmental rule and face the conflict of interests that naturally would arise when one ideology clashed with another. Whenever a pagan governmental law clashed with God’s laws, the believer was and is forced to choose and suffer persecution. It was because the Jews rejected God’s leadership and Christ as their king that the Christians ended up being persecuted for decades. God’s first plan was for His people to be faithful, for the kingdom of Judah to remain, to receive the teachings of Christ, and to protect His people. When they did not, it happened, as is common in this world: the innocent must suffer because of the majority’s unfaithfulness. Such was the case even when Babylon took Jerusalem. The Bible speaks of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who were faithful to God, yet they lost their homeland as well. They were forced to leave their homes and be taken to Babylon, and they were even forced to help Babylon flourish instead of their own country. Judah’s unfaithfulness harmed not only them but also Christ’s believers. The sanctuary of God’s people on earth was destroyed, and everyone had to find a way to survive as believers among hostile nonbelievers. The Christian persecution is a cause-and-effect witness against Israel’s unfaithfulness.
You can compare it to a child suffering because of their parents’ sins. They have still not sinned themselves, yet they are still punished for their parents’ decisions. The only way for God to save them from their parents’ mistakes is if He takes the children away from them at birth and gives them to someone else. It goes back to whether God should punish people before they commit a crime or after. If He punishes before, then people will feel scared and suppressed and doubt that God is fair. If He punishes after, people will understand, but damage has already happened. God can foretell the future, but the thousands upon thousands of witnesses in the courts of heaven and on earth cannot. (Isa.46:10; Dan.7:10) Should God have let Judah keep their kingdom, despite their infidelity, to protect those faithful among them? They hunted down their own people who received Christ and had them killed. Judah also set the Roman leaders up against the Christians. Israel was not a sanctuary for God’s people, nor did they represent God right, so God allowed them to show their true face, and their punishment was that God withdrew His protection from them, which allowed the stronger Roman army to defeat and scatter them. Jesus’ words that His “kingdom is not of this world” reveal that He wanted to establish a safe country for His people, but was constantly opposed.
God did not desire that His people be persecuted or harshly treated. It is not God’s will for His people to be harmed. Given the damage that being victimized causes to someone’s character, and that victimhood itself does not purify or sanctify anyone, God did not need it to happen. Nor is He asking His people to play victims today. Christians being victimized because of their faith is not God’s doing; rather, it is the wrath of God’s enemies manifesting, and God is not happy about it. Revelation 12:17 says: “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Many believe God desires His people to be persecuted and to suffer so He can purify them through it. If that were so, demons and evil people would be doing the Lord’s work. The damaging purgatory theology presented by the Catholic Church has kept this idea alive and caused many Christians to think they are more right with God when they suffer than when they are happy and thriving. This is especially damaging to long-term victims, as they will find these ideas consistent with their self-abuse and will easily slip into that role.
The Catholic Church followed ancient Roman traditions regarding the underworld. They make it seem like Satan works for God in punishing people. The picture shows relief from Notre Dame in Paris, where Satan is bringing a group of people to the underworld.
God has not hired Satan or demons to abuse His people. They work against God and not for God. God is not a sadist. The purifying fire God speaks of is to allow His people’s love, sincerity, and patience to be tested and tried. He wants His people to battle the sin in their lives and to make the hard decisions that will develop their character. To say no to something wrong when others say yes. Jesus said that impurity comes from our hearts. “There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man”. (Mark 7:15) If the only thing that defiles a man and needs cleansing is in the heart, then everything God says about purification is about purifying our hearts. Our hearts represent our will to do either good or evil. You cannot force the heart to be good; it has to be inspired to be good. God repeatedly says that it is the heart He wants to purify. (Ezek.11:19, Heb.8:10) Sometimes tribulation can influence the heart, since humans tend to learn compassion the hard way. Mankind has an instinct to blame others, and some do not learn to be compassionate until they have personally experienced unfair hardships. God allows it because of the hardness of our hearts, not because He wishes ill on anyone. Christ declared, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Mat 5:7-9). God has compassion for those who show compassion to others. We learn to correct ourselves and our hearts through what we experience, and so God sometimes allows us to have those experiences. Not evil or cruelty; that is never God’s will.
God does not purify His people by having others harm them. The following is said in the Bible to purify:
Blood “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1.John 1:7)
Water is used as a symbol of purification. However, physical water cannot remove anyone’s uncleanness, only what the water symbolizes, which is Christ’s righteousness imputed to the believer after He has removed their sins. (Exo.29:4; Num.8:6-7; Heb.10:11; Ezek.36:25, John 3, John 13:8)
Hyssop/Herbs “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7). Again, this is a symbol of Christ’s righteousness given to the repentant sinner.
Fire, Gold, and silver (Mal. 3:3, Psalm 12:6). God compares his people to gold and silver that need purification. Just as we are gold and silver, the fire is symbolic as well. Fire is even a symbol of the work of the Holy Spirit, who came to convince us of our sin (Mat.3:11-12; Acts 2:3). Being confronted with a wrong can be a hard process, and dealing with it rightly goes against our natural inclination to defend ourselves and our perception of being the good guy. With the realization and confrontation comes shame and pride that need to be dealt with. God is compared to a fire several times, suggesting that the purifying fire is also in His presence. About Christ, it is said three times in Revelation: “His eyes were as a flame of fire” (Rev.19:12)
Faith is said to have a transforming ability that cleanses: “And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith” (Acts.15:8-9)
Obedience to the truth. James writes: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded” (James 4:7-8)
Hope in Christ: “And every man that hath this hope in him purified himself, even as he is pure” (1.John 3:3).
The angel Gabriel says to the prophet Daniel about the end times: “Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand” (Dan.12:10) Notice again that being purified and doing wickedly are opposites. Showing that purification is talking about changing a man’s heart to do good. Contrary to popular Christian belief, nowhere in the Bible does it say that God will have evil men torture His people to make them good. Nor should we think it will happen and permit it to be done to others or ourselves. There will be many people in heaven who died young and inexperienced. Ultimately, we are saved through Christ’s merits, not our own. Tribulations cannot save anyone; they even make some people worse. That is why there is so much violence and crime in poor neighborhoods. Struggle inspires violence and crime, not holiness. However, sometimes God will allow circumstances to be like a cleansing fire if He says it will help wake that person up to their current condition and seek a change. God would rather punish us than give up on us, and so few will be lost whom God did not first try to warn in different ways. Even parents are forced to punish their children when their behavior goes too far, in the hope that the correction will change the path they’re on. Parents raise their voices when needed. Children who never receive any consequences or guidance often get out of control and become a menace to society. “For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth” (Pro 3:12) “My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?” (Heb.12:5-9) This is not about sadistic suppression. It is about God holding us accountable, telling us to make up for a wrong and to do better next time, just like an earthly parent would. What an earthly parent would not do is hand their child over to someone who does not love them, to torture and abuse them under some strange notion that this will make the child healthy, strong, and devoted to them. Neither does God. So God correcting His people is not to be confused with the persecution of Christians.
Purification through fire.
Christ has an issue with His last church, mentioned in the book of Revelation. They think they are right with God, but they are not. He says to them: “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see” (Rev 3:17-18).
Several times in the Bible, God’s purifying process is compared to the purification of fine metal. The first thing we notice is how God compares His children to costly, valuable metal even before it is purified. He calls us valuable. Purifying gold and silver is meant only to enhance the value and beauty that are already there. A silversmith knows his job is done when he sees his reflection in the metal. In the same way, Christ desires to see His image, His values, and His principles in us. They will make us happy and do good for others. When purifying gold in Biblical times, they used fire to make it easier to remove impurities, which would rise to the surface, leaving them with only the gold. It is the same with us: by using this metaphor, God is telling us that we are valuable to Him, but there are aspects of us that are not good and are destroying us and others. And He wishes to remove it from us so we can be our best.
How does this practically work? Not with real fire, but by God confronting us with the things we need to change. The Holy Spirit has been given such a job: “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (Joh.16:8) We can’t be Christians and go around destroying others. God wants us to let Him help us remove these character traits that cause so much misery. Putting gold in fire is actually a safe procedure because gold is not destroyed by fire. Gold can take the heat just fine; only the impurities stuck to it cannot withstand the fire in the purification process. God does not want to destroy us while purifying us. Gold handles fire. He wants us to let go of the things that harm us and others. If we do not, we put God in a situation where He is forced to judge us to secure peace. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1. Cor. 10:13)
The fire does not destroy the gold, only purifies it.
In a world of sin, God is left with only two choices. Either He forcefully stops everyone from sinning and gets a fearful, rebellious response, and perhaps loses everyone, or He has to allow us to learn from experience that sin is bad, so He can at least save a part of the world. God allows us to suffer consequences so we can learn, adjust, and reason. God wants man to be free, and so He tells us right from wrong and the consequences, then lets us make the decision. If He then removes the consequence, He makes Himself a liar, and the next time He warns, we will not heed it.
God speaks to our hearts. If we have no compassion, is it right for God to show us compassion and spare us from all situations while we judge others? So, our actions often force God to take a step back and allow us to experience things that will teach us and shape us into better people. It was not God’s initial intent for man to learn this way. There was no symbolic furnace for Adam and Eve before they sinned, so that they could learn to be good. There was no need; sin had not formed inside their hearts. There was nothing to purify, no hard lessons to learn. God allows hardships to awaken us to our faults and bad personality traits so that, when they come to the surface like impurities stuck to the gold, we can choose to do something about them. We cannot get our remedy if we do not understand that we are sick. In Revelation 3, in His message to His church, Christ has the medicine ready. He is ready to heal and protect us. But He cannot give us this help before we ask for it. He says the problem is that we do not see our needs: “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Rev.3:17) He also says: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Rev.3:19-20). Christ does not force Himself on anyone. That is not how anyone is purified. Because it is a matter of the heart, He speaks to our hearts. Despite how crucial the warning is, Christ is placing Himself “outside the door knocking,” and we have to choose to open up. The only way is to see our needs and realize we are not right with Him. Then, as we “open the door” and grant Him permission to work with us, He says He will help us make the changes we need, but we need to ask Him. (Rev.3:18) Christ has the white raiment ready to clothe us with His righteousness, meaning we give up our righteousness for His. He has eye salve, so we can see things clearly and healthily. Although tribulations can result from our own actions, and God cannot always intervene without harming us further or others, He does not desire our harm.
Christian persecution
Some trials Christians go through are undeserved and come from pure hate from those who hate Christ and the Bible. At first glance, there seems to be no reason for God to allow this. But as we addressed, cause and effect have a bigger picture than just us in a certain situation. If you are laid off from your job because of your faith, the issue is far greater than just you not being in the wrong and the employer being mean. It is a societal problem. It is a heavenly human rights court issue.
Christ was persecuted by His people’s leadership and the government.
As a witness against sin, God allowed societies to be affected by their choices, and He has allowed persecution because it witnessed the rotten structure of other religions and even corrupt Christianity. Can you create a peaceful society based on pagan morals and ideals? Stopping the persecution immediately would be like covering up the sins in other people’s hearts. It would also cover how a society that rejects God behaves and why God must one day end it. We see how tribulation exposes a society in several examples. In the Bosnian War, Christians and Muslims who had previously lived in harmony started turning on each other. In Rwanda, the same happened when the Hutus got control and started targeting the Tutsis. All over the world, we have seen groups being targeted by others. Marxist-inspired countries are against all religions. In Myanmar, Buddhists targeted Muslims. In India, Hindus have been burning Christian churches. Another place we see Muslims targeting Jews and Christians. In Christ’s time, Jews persecuted Christians, and later, during the Middle Ages, Christians persecuted the Jews. So how can you tell who the good guys are and who is not? If overturning a government causes the new group to behave in the same way, do you even know who someone truly is if the tables are never turned? It is clear throughout history that everyone thinks they are “the good guys” fighting “the bad guys”. It is often thought that the minority or victims in such a cultural war are the good ones. It is normal to sympathize with those who are suffering at the hands of others. In the courts of heaven, they do not just go through the cause and effect of an individual but also of society. In Revelation and the Book of Daniel, we see God judging “beasts,” which are governments. Christ was persecuted by His own people, and He warned His followers that they too would be persecuted by their own. Good and bad are not always seen in what religion or anti-religion someone professes. There are good and bad in all societies. Usually, the strongest and the majority decide the direction a society takes. And God has allowed this cause-and-effect to be seen by everyone. Every nation’s and people’s decisions are reflected in everything from their economy to their behavior with each other and in their conflicts. Some countries have been rife with conflict and internal turmoil, a result of leaders’ and people’s immoral behavior. And in all these different cultures, some wish to do good, to be good, and live in peace, but are targeted and unfairly persecuted. Some minorities are rightly persecuted. Like ISIS and terror groups within countries trying to take over territories against the people’s will. Look at Italy and Mexico, where the mafia and cartels are controlling several areas. They may be fewer, but they are not victims of the government. They are rightfully targeted. Sometimes minorities are unfairly targeted. Laws often reflect people’s morals. The different laws in different countries reflect that. For many in the West, it is inconceivable that incest is not forbidden in some other countries but is legal. Some places allow drugs, in other places, there are big prison sentences for having them. Leadership in a country often reflects the group mentality of its people, though not always. But no leader can have power without support.
In Mexico drug cartels have power in large regions.
Everything that is happening in the world, all the different ways to rule a land, all the different laws, is evidence against sin in the courts of heaven. God commanded in His law that there be only one God and one worship. The myriad of beliefs in the world is the main reason for all the world’s conflicts. Everyone thinks they can do a better job at ruling, and so the world goes in circles. The West has praised democracy as the ultimate and best form of leadership. Yet, what happens when the majority is wrong? Or when the people are split evenly, and the leaders therefore only represent half? Even in Western democracies, the need to create other institutions like NATO, the EU, the WHO, and the UN exists, where none of the people in power making laws have been elected democratically. Even democratic countries are cheating and creating only an illusion of democracy. Because it is difficult to move forward if the majority does not understand or want what the rulers want. So, they created institutions that could make laws and decisions outside people’s control. Democracy can just as easily become a suppressor as a monarchy or another system of rule.
It is human to have compassion and view people targeted by a majority or by a nation as innocent victims, even when they are not. Victimhood manipulates. Thus, God does not judge by who is victimized but by their hearts. Countless experiments on human nature have shown that when roles are reversed, those who consider themselves fair and good end up suppressing others. If the minority is in the majority, would they treat the minority as they were treated? If Islam took over Myanmar and had the Buddhists and Marxists outnumbered, would they treat them well? Let us hope they would, but there is no certainty that if the roles were reversed, it would be different. This is because people will always feel threatened by those who think and act differently, and with feeling threatened comes fear and violence. In the Western world, those who had morals that went against the Bible felt suppressed when the West was mostly Christian. Now that the West is overturned and the agnostics, atheists, and differently sexually oriented are celebrated, the same demand for freedom and equality is taking away the rights of Christians. Many gays have felt suppressed by Christians, forced to “live in a closet,” and denied speaking openly. Yet in Northern Europe, Christians are now placed in “closets” and hated if they speak openly about their faith. Most people would like to think they are different when in a better position, but that is not always the case. Thus, the idea that God purifies His people only by allowing them hardships should consider that God knows many people reveal their true selves only when in power, while appearing pious when humiliated. God, therefore, cannot produce “saints” just by having His people suppressed.
The persecution of Christians is the result of generational sins. The Jews’ sins prevented God from protecting Christians in the land of Israel. The sins of the pagans, who wanted to force Christians to partake in Roman traditions thinking it was best for society, and of Roman Catholicism, which, when in power in Europe, persecuted Christians who wanted to follow the Bible over church speculation and tradition, are further examples. They, too, thought they were doing God a service by ruling with an iron hand. All of it is written down in the books of heaven to judge man and expose the nature of sin.
In a world of sin, there will always be uprisings. There will always be someone wanting more, or wanting things differently, with new ideas. There will always be discontent where there is jealousy. Where there is no belief in God, there will always be a need to create godlike authority. There will always be a need to rule and to have laws to punish those who do not adjust to the order. Using authority is not bad; it is how it is used. If God had reset every generation regarding the causes and effects of each ideology, it would not be exposed as destructive. To expose sin, God must let it manifest over time. Sin often goes by immediate need and relief, and can appear good at first. It can even appear to bring harmony and peace at first. Only by letting it continue can one see the long-term effects. Thus, God cannot remove the long-term effects if He wants to prove that the ideology of sinning is bad. People will not understand they are suppressed before they try to change how they live their lives from the social norm. They feel they live in a good and free country because they do not see the discrimination until they are discriminated against. Many are kind until they are taken advantage of. Bad people force good people to change or add laws and rules. If society is too chaotic, the majority will long for structure and limitations. If there is too much order and limitation, they long for freedom. When you remove an identity, the need for a new one will follow. You can change what you call things, but you cannot change what they are or how they affect others and yourself. The nature of sin is not fooled by calling it in different terms. In society, good and bad cannot be interpreted by those who feel suppressed. Good does not follow the apparent victim any more than it follows whoever is in control.
Summary: – God does not need His people to be persecuted to make them good or appear good. A Christian becomes good when he does good, not through suppression.
– God allows persecution to expose people and nations and the results of their ideology.
– He allows it to show both man and the universe how sinful authorities do not work either one way or another. All they do is walk in circles, back and forth.
How persecution kept the first church clean.
The reason the first Christian church remained, for the most part, pure in its practice was not that others’ evil purified them; rather, it was two other reasons. The first is that when we face hardships, the need to be close to God and communicate with Him becomes greater. They spent more time with God when they were facing hatred and when they were in need. When the persecution stopped, and they no longer felt the great need for God, many started spending less time with God and became occupied with pleasure and the pursuit of wealth. The temptation then came to try to change who God is and stands for so they could feel good about ungodly choices, and as a result, the purity of the church was lost. The other reason persecution kept the church innocent for a while was that it made it less attractive to be a part of the church. Those who were only partly converted or had alternative motives would avoid the hated group and seek recognition in the world instead. When being Christian was not as lucrative, fewer narcissists and people with double standards could be found there. This does not mean God condones persecution; in everything that happens, God seeks to bring out the best in the situation. In the case of Christian persecution, the unpopularity of the church kept many bad people away from it. When Christians started getting influence and power in the Roman Empire, the church was full of power-hungry men and women using the name of Christ for their own benefit. Naturally, doctrines changed or were tampered with. Christianity became something very different from what it had been. Now, a new group of Christians who wanted to keep the gospel undefiled ended up as a minority and were persecuted by the Christian majority. As a natural consequence, they remained purer and more biblically authentic during their trials. God did not use evil men to educate and purify His people. He allowed tribulation to serve as a witness against the wicked and to reveal people’s true intentions. At first, this helped bystanders distinguish the truth. They could have seemingly God-fearing and humble bishops parading, claiming to have the truth, but those they tortured and killed practiced Christ’s lessons to a greater degree. Persecution will not only serve as a witness in the trials in heaven. But it helped people living in those times wake up and see what was going on. Most people have a built-in hunger for justice and disdain for injustice. Paul told the Christians to be patient during persecution because this is how they could win the battle (Rom.12:12). The attacks against them were showing the world they were not the rebels they were accused of being, and that the accusations against them were built upon lies and hate. It is like exposing a narcissist. They are lovely to most people, outgoing, and nice. Then they are extremely cruel to a few. If you were to step up and accuse the narcissist, many with a positive experience would just think you were the problem. The only way to expose the narcissist is to let him play out his bad behavior and expose himself. If not, he will continue harming in the dark. Likewise, it was for Christians. Those persecuting them seemed noble and appeared to be fighting a good cause. The Roman leaders did charity work and helped the poor and the weak. Who was really at fault? Who was causing the dissension? To begin with, it did seem like the Christians were the troublemakers and their accusers the victims. Only by allowing it to play out would people understand and see that the claimed victims and accusers of the Christians had other motives than ensuring security for the public. Only by seeing it played out would the people demand a change and make different decisions for their community. God wants people to think, make decisions, learn, and grow. Christians weren’t supposed to be pathetically suppressed; they were asked to speak up for the truth. To be warriors. And in any war, there are those who will die. The Christians who were often martyred were those who spoke up and were not afraid to show their beliefs. They were trying to change the world for the better, but were harmed in the process. The true Christians were victims, but they were not stuck in victimhood. They stood firm for their beliefs. They did not fight with swords, as they were neither a nation nor landowners. Rather, they fought with their mouths and how they lived their lives, trying to help people all over the world make a change. Later, Christians thought that succumbing to their enemies was humble and pure. They silenced themselves and thought it wrong to speak freely, considering it unchristian to provoke others. Christians who are silenced do not resemble those who stood bravely for the truth and were martyred in the past.
The church faced persecution when it was bold and brave. Christians who speak the truth today are still persecuted while those who keep quiet are not.
In the Bible, we see that the reason for Christian persecution was Christian bravery. The religious leaders said to them: “Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? And, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. … …And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” (Act 5:28-29 : 40-41). All they had to do was be quiet about their faith. Christ asked for volunteers to speak up, share the gospel, and offer salvation, and they wanted to do it, knowing the risks that followed. Christ even told them about the risks and the consequences, so they could make an informed decision. (John 15:20-21) Again, they were not stuck in victimhood but were warriors for the faith. They knew what they were doing and chose to do it.
Ancient Roman writings also show clearly that severe Christian persecution happened to those who were brave and open about their faith. The following letter is between two Roman authority figures, Pliny the Younger, who asks Trajan how to solve the problems with the Christians, and writes: “It is my custom, Sir, to refer to you in all cases where I do not feel sure, for who can better direct my doubts or inform my ignorance? I have never been present at any legal examination of the Christians, and I do not know, therefore, what are the usual penalties passed upon them, or the limits of those penalties, or how searching an inquiry should be made. I have hesitated a great deal in considering whether any distinctions should be drawn according to the ages of the accused; whether the weak should be punished as severely as the more robust; whether if they renounce their faith they should be pardoned, or whether the man who has once been a Christian should gain nothing by recanting; whether the name itself, even though otherwise innocent of crime, should be punished, or only the crimes that gather round it. In the meantime, this is the plan which I have adopted in the case of those Christians who have been brought before me. I ask them whether they are Christians; if they say yes, then I repeat the question a second and a third time, warning them of the penalties it entails, and if they still persist, I order them to be taken away to prison”.
Pliny the Younger
Trajan answers him: “You have adopted the proper course, my dear Pliny, in examining into the cases of those who have been denounced to you as Christians, for no hard and fast rule can be laid down to meet a question of such wide extent. The Christians are not to be hunted out ; if they are brought before you and the offence is proved, they are to be punished, but with this reservation – that if anyone denies that he is a Christian and makes it clear that he is not, by offering prayers to our deities, then he is to be pardoned because of his recantation, however suspicious his past conduct may have been. * But pamphlets published anonymously must not carry any weight whatever, no matter what the charge may be, for they are not only a precedent of the very worst type, but they are not in consonance with the spirit of our age” (https://www.attalus.org/old/pliny10b.html)
Christ did not free the Jews from Roman oppressors; He did not physically change the current situation. The world began to slowly change after Christ set His foot on this planet, because He gave mankind hope, love, and a future. And this hope and meaning alone changed a large part of the world to become Christian and change their morals. Even the Roman leaders converted in their time. The strength and nobility, kindness, and bravery of the Christians were admired, which brought them the sympathy they needed to change people’s perceptions of both them and Christ.
Just as the American soldiers who arrived at the beaches of Normandy, France, to rescue Europe from Hitler during World War II took that risk to accomplish their mission, and many died, so did the first Christians willingly take the risk of sharing the gospel and changing people’s hearts at the cost of their own lives. Christians today who are silenced and dare not share their beliefs are the ones who are subdued and oppressed. They dare not be themselves or defend their beliefs. Such people live in chosen victimhood. They do not resemble the brave members of the first Christian churches.
A trauma survivor dreads the unexpected. The fear of being in a situation over which we have no control can lead us to avoid many confrontations, but it can also lead us to doubt that God is in complete control. This causes us to live in fear in order to feel in control, even though living like this gives us little control and much misery. Many survivors of trauma cling to their fears, feeling that their alertness somehow protects them from danger. This happens at the cost of peace and happiness. In faith, the apostle Paul says: “God is faithful, and He will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing, He will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it” (1.Cor.10:12-14).
What happens to us and how we handle it are not always the same for everyone. Some experience minor traumas but are saved from what they feared. Even if they pray and God helps them, they still remain afraid. They are constantly tortured by the thought of “what if it happens again,” and they lose the next time. They experienced something difficult, but God made a way out, yet they did not endure it. This is because some fear what could have happened and what can happen, as if that is what happened. And the trauma is built around that, and they do not find peace in their deliverance. In this way, God can seem untrustworthy rather than trustworthy, and they are determined to save themselves from a similar encounter, limiting their life and freedom in the process.
Besides those who escaped what they feared, there are many who did not escape the bad situation without getting severely wounded. Many have experienced events that have led them to lose trust in God’s control. For many survivors of trauma, bad things did happen, and although they are now out of it, they cannot break free from the fear of something bad happening again.
With our freedom in life comes the chance of encountering people who sin, just as we ourselves have sinned and others have suffered consequences for it. With all choices comes risk, and taking risks is part of our freedom. With risk comes the chance of getting hurt.
God lets people choose to sin for multiple reasons. The first is that to be able to destroy sin and sinners, we must understand why God must destroy sin itself. He cannot eradicate it without our willingness to let it go; otherwise, a future society will be forced-based, and we will be subdued while living in it. Creating a paradise for mankind requires man to willingly give up sin. If we are not willing to do that, we will not be free even in His paradise. He can destroy all humans, but God wants to save humans and give us a future. Thus, he needs us to understand why sin is wrong. If no one suffers any negative consequences for others’ selfishness and evil, there is nothing to condemn or expose. The consequences themselves even chastise the transgressor. Sin is forbidden in God’s paradise because it does so much damage that everyone will be afflicted by it. All you need is one sinner to create misery and stress that afflict an entire family and neighborhood. If God made it impossible for people to be afflicted by sin in a world of sin, there would be no argument against sin. If someone could hit another repeatedly every day without leaving them physically and mentally harmed, the world would still not be a good place. Because the man who hits is still a rotten person without good character development. Even if it does not hurt the other, the man who hits is still selfish and unkind at heart. Even without physical harm, there will be mental harm. If God removes both harms, man is no longer a thinking, processing, free individual who can evaluate right from wrong himself. Rather, he will be a puppet, not understanding anything that is happening. Logic is gone, reason is gone, and all we will be is a product of instinct and desire. It is not an intellectual society, nor is it freedom. No one can lead or be led. God loves intelligence. He created man to be intelligent. He is not threatened by intelligence, as the serpent told Eve in the Garden of Eden; rather, God encourages it. If a man harms and sees the harm he causes, if he is a conscious man, he will regret and rethink his behavior and his emotions and try to change.
God did not want mankind to learn to be good this way, which is why He forbade Eve from eating of “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”. Notice, the forbidden knowledge was not just evil, but also “good”. There is a good knowledge God did not want man to experience, which likely seemed strange to Eve at the time. This good knowledge involves understanding how goodness is when beholding evil. This means that when you become acquainted with awful behavior, you understand and appreciate good behavior differently. The second is the good knowledge that follows bad knowledge. We might try to save someone from experiencing something harmful that we have experienced. It is a good deed, but the knowledge behind it came from something bad. When people look at the world and say there is still a lot of good in it, that good usually follows something destructive or something bad first. Yes, a group may gather money to help the poor. But this good deed would not have been needed if poverty had not happened first. Poverty is usually the result of bad leadership in a country. Corruption, war, and collective trauma are why people starve in the first place. So, when we admire the goodness of those handing out food rations, it is the type of goodness that is born because of acts of sin.
So, we become seemingly good, and we appreciate the good more because of the existence of bad things. This is not God’s paradise. God’s paradise is the existence of goodness without evil.
Now that sin has entered the world, God cannot remove its consequences, because those consequences are the only thing holding people back from doing even more harm, and they can inspire people to act differently. Consider the Cold War between Russia and the USA as a bold example. No country wants to use nuclear weapons against another, not necessarily because they are morally good, but because they know they might receive one in return. Fear of retaliation holds men partly in check. A woman might wish to kill her neighbor for hitting her cat with his car, but knowing she will spend a lifetime in jail, she keeps her rage in check. It would be better if she loved her neighbor as God wanted, and that kept her from wanting to harm him; that is the ultimate best. But if the love is not there, fear of consequences can prevent her from harming him instead. Some people choose not to bully others solely because they fear being bullied in return, not because they empathize with those who are bullied. In a world full of bad people who do not listen to their conscience, the fear of punishment can pacify their evil rampage. Thus, even God has in Bible history made evil people without a conscience fear Him to prevent them from doing more harm, just like governmental authorities do. It is not the ultimate or best way to control people, but it is occasionally necessary when people do not reason.
Many thieves do not steal because they fear punishment, not because they have changed their ways. The fear of consequences and retaliation forces you to reconsider doing something wrong. Shame has long been considered a negative in popular culture. What popular culture fails to understand is the strong influence shame has on keeping people from harming others and themselves. Shame can be a powerful force for keeping the sinner in check. There is, of course, misplaced shame, but shame placed correctly on the one who harms rather than on the victim can prevent them from continuing to harm others. A grown person desiring to watch the molestation of a child on their computer should feel shame, even if they are not caught. It will keep him from acting out his fantasy. A man who cheats on his wife should feel shame. If people do not feel any form of shame when doing something wrong, they will usually escalate and do even worse. Shameless people are dangerous.
If God removes all consequences and marks left on our body and soul from sinful acts, then He is taking away the little humanity has left to chastise themselves into becoming more compassionate human beings. If we see the suffering caused by someone’s actions, we are less inclined to find it funny or worth doing the same. Our scars train us to think differently, but they are also a living, organic record God will use on judgment day against everyone who did not repent from their harmful ways. Every scar inflicted upon us because of someone else’s sin is evidence in the court of heaven of why sin is bad and cannot be continuously permitted on the earth. Every damage down to the cellular level, every damage to the brain, the heart, the nervous system, and the DNA, is God’s testimony against sin and its existence. He will use the recorded evidence in our bodies as His argument to destroy sin and end the suffering here on earth. We are living recorders; our bodies are witnesses. He is going to use it to save us. Just like we would in a court of law here on earth, but here we only recognize some damage. God sees all the damage, all the chain reactions caused by one sin. A rapist does not afflict just their victim and their family. But the whole neighborhood, the whole town, all the relatives. They are all scared by the fear and harmed by the stress the perpetrator has created in their society. God judges with a far greater perspective than earthly courts do. God does it for the future of mankind and our home, the earth.
For those living a happy, successful life, God also grants them the fruits of their good labor. If God takes from them the benefit of doing good and working hard, they will lose motivation to do good, innovate, and advance society. If their hard work will not benefit their children and grandchildren, why should they try at all? Just as bad consequences keep someone from doing something wrong, the hope of reward can help someone choose to do something right. It focuses on opportunities rather than limitations. Being inspired to do good by good results, rather than focusing on not doing wrong out of fear of punishment. The first will be happier and feel freer, while the other will feel oppressed. So being free is not so much tied to one’s situation as it is to where one’s focus is. And so, God will not take the blessings from honest, hard-working people and give them to those who have lived selfishly in self-pleasure and sin. This is why God allows consequences to continue down through generations, because this, too, is a witness to good and bad. Stopping generational consequences would mean hiding the long-term effects of people’s choices (Exo. 20:5-6). A good example is communist and socialist countries, which try to eradicate this cause-and-effect, and the result is less innovation and economic growth, which is why most socialist-structured countries eventually succumb over time. The Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, is clear that God expects those who are successful to help their fellow men who are not. Usually, those who struggle have experienced family and community trauma, and victim-blaming is not going to help them. They need a helping hand to get back on their feet. God expects those with fortunes to help those who don’t have ways to help themselves and to have compassion on them, but He won’t stop people who are working hard from succeeding and eradicating the long-term changes life choices have. This would be hiding and covering the consequences of sin and crime, and taking the courage away from those who try to do the right thing. So, God wants us to have compassion and help those who have fallen, but He does not remove cause and effect, so that the difference between good and bad choices can still be distinguished.
Good people who work hard and love their children will reap the blessings of their good choices. Their children and grandchildren will be healthier and happier, just as bad parents afflict their problems on their children and grandchildren. Sin is generational because children often repeat their parents’ mistakes. Over time, the effects of sin and good choices can be seen for hundreds, even thousands, of years. People today usually only care about today, but God considers even these generational effects when judging the existence of sin. The universe must see the long-term effects of sin to understand sin rightly and trust God’s solution. Therefore, God does not remove cause and effect. God has a greater mission: to bring peace and harmony back to Earth and the universe. It cannot be done by hiding the truth about the damage sin creates. If God had hidden the long-term effects by removing all consequences, He would be deceiving both humans and angels. God has no other choice if He wants to eradicate sin; He must expose it and let its harm come to light. To expose it, both mankind, heaven, and any other planets must be allowed to see cause and effect, and God cannot tamper with the evidence. Our planet is a “spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men” (1 Cor. 4:9).
God has promised that, although our decisions and choices might get us into trouble, He will not allow any of His children who come to Him for help to be abandoned by evil or trapped in a generational cycle if we wish to be free. He will find a way out. He will help. If we step out of a generational cycle and do good, we become witnesses to the effect of turning to God and how easily a curse can be broken.
If we expect God to clear every path we walk of difficulties, we harm only ourselves. We lose trust in God that way. God helps us through life’s struggles and difficulties, making a way for us, but He cannot, at this point, create paradise on earth. Not because He does not wish us well, but because it would not be a paradise if we continued as before. He can remove all illness, death, and poverty, and it would still not be paradise because man would use his luxury and spare time to do even more harm. God would have to run after man, constantly cleaning up his mess like a foolish servant, and mankind would never improve.
The Bible teaches that wealth does not equal goodness. In the cities that were so ungodly that God had to destroy them, it was said: “Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters…” (Ezek. 16:49) The place where the city lay was compared to the Garden of Eden: “And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD…” (Gen. 13:10) You can have plenty, be healthy, and still have an evil disposition. Where there is no gratitude, there is no satisfaction. That is why Satan rebelled in heaven. The moment he stopped being grateful for all he had, he became dissatisfied and began lying, stealing, and killing to achieve his goals. Happiness is not and can never be achieved through selfish gratification. It is impossible. For a long time, we have seen celebrities who seem to have it all: fame, money, properties, and influence, yet they succumb to mental illness, drugs, and suicide. At the end of the day, it is what is in the heart that matters, not what is in your hand.
Many Bible critics claim that God is the cause of all misery if He does not remove all the consequences of sin. Yet they fail to see that if God were to remove the consequences of sin, He would have to remove all mankind with it. Because we are the ones doing it. Therefore, it is physically impossible for God to create paradise on earth if man is unwilling to change his ways. Either he has to remove sin by removing man, or he has to remove sin from inside the heart of mankind. These are God’s only two options. To create a paradise, all mankind must agree not to sin, and they will not do it. They are busy creating laws that justify sin and refuse to see the cause-and-effect in the bigger picture. They hate God and love sin. The law in society is focused on self-gratification and short-term solutions. Thus, the only way to judge us is for the universe to see why sin is bad and how it harms us.
God did not want the universe to have to gain this knowledge, but because He was not trusted because of Satan’s false accusations and His moral law was doubted, He had to allow sin to manifest itself so that we could choose it away willingly. In the end, He will separate those who want Him to remove sin from those who wish to legalize it, saving only those who have repented.
When God creates thinking beings, He is bound to give them space to think. If not, God creates a thinking being inside a bodily and social prison. What is the point of allowing someone the ability to reason only to forbid it? To give people free will for the purpose of then forcing it? It is a contradiction. Our ability to reason is itself evidence of who God is, and that intelligence is not a threat to Him. You cannot create intelligent beings and then stop them from thinking and evaluating. Either God does not create intelligent beings, or He creates them and must give them the freedom of choice and reason.
Paradise can never be obtained by force. Paradise is not a paradise for anyone forced to live by its principles. Thus, paradise can only be obtained through choice and understanding. For us to understand, we need to see cause and effect. We are in the middle of a moral war zone. Unfortunately, this means people will experience bad things in life; they will be scared and hurt by their own, their family’s, and others’ actions.
God is against all sin. He tells people not to sin, or there will be consequences. But He does not allow people to sin and then remove the evidence—the consequence of selfish choices. There is no way to create peace when people’s gratification is at others’ expense. It does not have to be an individual problem; it can be a greater societal problem. The Western world has plenty because it exploits workers in foreign lands. Stealing even the resources from that land. The unspoken policy behind this is that plenty should be gained without personal effort. One does the hard work, and the other enjoys the fruit of that work. This is part of the world’s unfairness. God’s principles do not work with unfairness. He could let it rain “manna” upon the badly treated workers, so they would not have to starve, but how would that solve the sin behind their condition? Would God not just legitimize the exploitation by compensating their pay? Rather, God wants us to take responsibility for our actions and stop greedy exploitation. The exploiter’s heart is the problem, not just its result. Thus, it is with all kinds of sins. God does not want us to constantly fix what we break; rather, He wants us to stop breaking things.
Jesus said: “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mat 9:13). Sacrifice represented coming and asking for forgiveness. Mercy means doing the right thing. Jesus is saying here that it is better to repent and show mercy than to do wrong and then ask God for forgiveness. Jesus tells them to go learn the meaning of this, indicating that they found piety in pleading with God for mercy more than actually doing good.
The point was made in the Old Testament as well. God said: “Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow” (Isa 1:4.11.17)
God places the problem in our hearts, not in the consequences. The consequences of our actions reveal what is in the heart; thus, the problem of eradicating sin is to start where sin is born. Jesus said, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man `unclean’” (Matt.15:11). Sin almost always comes from a selfish disposition. James wrote: “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15)
God’s repeated plea is to allow Him to move and change our hearts: “And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.” (Deut.30:6) Loving God means loving who He is and what He stands for and being inspired by that. When you worship God and behold Him with admiration and love, your eyes are drawn away from yourself toward something greater, and it changes you. If your admiration is for worldly influencers, pop stars, movie stars, sports heroes, or fictional characters who act with a selfish disposition, you will be inspired to do the same. We will often find ourselves loving those who do not love us back. To be more like those we admire, we end up doing what they do: being selfish and desiring others’ admiration. The rapid increase in narcissistic expression in the world is due to people admiring narcissists and copying their behavior in the pursuit of happiness.
When we behold God and admire Him, we are inspired by someone with greater moral and character traits, and his self-sacrificing love for us inspires us to want to be more like Him. It will make us better people. Those whom we admire and worship are the ones who influence our hearts and who we are. No one is completely free from the influence of others. Even atheists who reject God are not free from the influence of others. No man is completely original in his expressions and choices; everyone is inspired, influenced, or admires someone who becomes their example. Usually, there are multiple people we take inspiration from when we form our path in life. Not wanting to believe in God, atheists are forced to choose someone or something to admire in His place. Whatever they choose, they will gradually become more like it. Although people would like to think they are independent, we are not. Therefore, who we are and who we become are tied to who inspires us. God asks us to be inspired by Him to become more like Him, so we can be good people. Beholding, worshiping, and trusting God therefore change our hearts. Those Christians who fear God and hell and use that as their motivation as Christians are not going to have their hearts changed. We need to admire and love, be able to, and be inspired to reflect the one we behold. Thus, in God’s law, if kept, it represents paradise. God forbids the idolization of man, animals, and fictional characters so that man’s hearts are not scattered and inspired by faulty images, bringing them into a morally degrading state. (Rom.1:22-32) The ones we look up to are the ones whose moral laws we live by. If it is a man or a fictional character created by a person, it will have a selfish disposition behind the moral, and thus, we end up following a faulty standard. So, in God’s law, He asked us to love Him as our only God and moral influencer. When we worship God, it is for our own good. We are lifted by it; we are lifted to a higher moral intellect and standard. By elevating God in our hearts, we elevate our hearts with Him. Jesus said: “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” (Mark 12:30) Thus, even God asking for our worship is for our growth and benefit. When we love God, we become more like Him.
When there is sin in the world, the fruit of sin will manifest, and we will be afflicted. Some are harmed less than others. The amount of affliction someone suffers is not always tied to their sin. Some have little tribulations in their lives, and they have not done something specific to deserve an easy life; they are just in a good place. In some countries, the land was built by good, morally strong Christian men and women, and the rebellious, immoral descendants are still reaping the benefits of their work. It will not last, as shifting behavior will also shift circumstances for the next generation. The results of good or bad politics and societal changes do not manifest as well in the generation that brought about the change, but in their children’s and grandchildren’s generations. Cause and effect are not always immediate. We harvest what our ancestors sowed, even if it’s not our sin. If they made countless poor decisions, we are likely to repeat them and even suffer the consequences. This is part of what God allows: for people to understand cause and effect and change their ways willingly. No matter how or why we are in a difficult or good situation, God has promised and wants us to trust Him that if we come to Him in our troubles, He will help us. He is always present. Despite God having to allow the consequences of sin to manifest themselves to judge the guilty and eradicate sin, He will not abandon someone who cries for His help. When someone loses hope, their progress is over. No matter what has happened or what our ancestors or we have done, giving mankind “hope” is the only way to inspire us to change. This is why God says in the Bible that, regardless of the past, He can still give us a future.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity.” (Jer 29:11-14) There is a chance to “turn around,” and God will forgive us and help us aspire to a new and more successful life. He can turn our weaknesses into strengths. He can take victims and make them warriors for good.
This is our trust and safety: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.” (Psalm 50:15) “I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies” (2.Sam.22:4).“In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, And my cry for help before Him came into His ears” (Psalm 18:6) “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him” (Psalm 91:15)
Despite everything that happens, despite cause and effect, despite sin in the world, God is willing to put all of that behind you and save you anyway. This is the hope and power we need to cling to when we are stuck, even when it seems undeserved. In the end, God is our Father and life-giver. And just like a father is willing to give his sons and daughters new chances when they mess up, so is God. Without love and hope, there is no driving force to bring us forward. “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me” (Isaiah 49:15-17) He also comes to the aid of those who do not call upon him: “I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ‘Here am I, here am I,’ (Isa.65:1) God has promised to help those who come to Him, and although we might not see the deliverance straight away, we can know that, since we have given Him our difficulties, God is already working for our good. Jesus said: “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Mat 10:29-31).
Do not put God in a difficult position when asking Him to save you.
There is one situation that can be a difficult place for God to help you in. We must not be in that place when we cry for His intervention. If we have blood on our hands and yet pray for Him to punish our enemies, we place God in an impossible position. If we have committed great injustice yet wish God to judge our neighbor, we put God in an impossible situation. How can He save us “from the hands of the wicked” if we commit wickedness? We therefore need to convert and stand against our wickedness, or God will be deemed unfair if He helps us. Some may pray for Him to punish us or give us the consequences of our actions as well. To give a rough example, if someone just robbed and harmed someone, and the police are about to find them, should God intervene and save them from being caught? If you just spread lies about someone and harm their chances, can you pray not to be exposed? God needs to be fair to the victim and their family before the perpetrator. God must follow His own justice system in everything. When Joshua was about to fight the battle of Jericho, he did so at God’s command, not out of personal desire. When the captain of the Lord’s angel army came to assist Joshua’s army, Joshua asked: “Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?” (Jos. 5:13) The Captain of the Lord’s army answered, “Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come” (Jos. 5:13-14). God does not work according to our personal or even our country’s justice system, but according to His own. He represents the courts in heaven and is true to them. That is partly why He is trustworthy. He does not accept bribes and is not moved by flattery. He evaluates everyone against a set standard.
Even if you are wronged according to God’s justice system, God might say you ought to forgive that person as you yourselves have been forgiven a similar transgression, and so He might not help you punish them if God just showed you mercy for the same thing. Jesus explained this situation in the parable of the unforgiving servant. It is a story about a man who was in financial debt and faced prison, but his employer had compassion and paid off his debts. Then the man goes out and ruthlessly demands that the other, who owed him money, must pay, and when the other pleads with him, he has no compassion for him and has him put in prison. Christ said we cannot expect God to help when we are behaving this way. (Matt.18:21-35) That should make sense. If you steal from your neighbor and are forgiven by him and God, and another neighbor steals from you, and you tell God to punish him and show no mercy to him, God might not want to side with you.
God does not want us to give up on people to quickly.
Jesus helped many who were oppressed, yet when a man came to Him and asked Him to take sides in an inheritance dispute, He declined. “And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?” (Luke 12:13-21) We cannot expect God to intervene in all situations to our benefit. He has many children. He must consider not just us. We look at things from our perspective; God looks from everyone’s perspective.
Many of the disciples might have thought that God destroying Paul would be a good thing, as Paul had persecuted, tortured, and made their lives impossible. God knew Paul’s heart and knew He could save him and have him help them instead. Jesus had taught them to pray for their enemies, and many of the disciples probably did pray for Paul’s conversion rather than his destruction. So, instead of destroying Paul, Christ converted him, giving him a new name and a new life. Paul then became a spiritual soldier on the frontier, helping Christ’s followers and encouraging them in dark times. To this day, long after his passing, his letters comfort Christians on the verge of giving up. To persecuted Christians, crushing Paul might seem like the best option, but God, seeing a greater picture, chose a different approach to the problem.
God does not want us to give up on people too quickly, even if they wrong us. If there is still a chance to save them, God will choose that first. He wants us to value people’s lives more and not judge too quickly, easily, or harshly. God has said He is “slow to wrath” and “longsuffering,” and so we cannot pray for God to be impulsively vengeful instead. Our prayers do not change His character traits. A confrontation arose between Christ and his disciples, who were offended at a wrong done towards God and themselves: “And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. or the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village” (Luk.9:54-56)
God is not acquitting anyone of their evil without atonement, but He will try all He can to save them if it is possible. This might seem difficult to accept for the one who is wronged, but in this knowledge lies the understanding and hope that God does the same for us when someone accuses us. He does not give up on us lightly. Countless trauma survivors harm others and need grace for themselves. God asks us to try to bless those who hurt us before cursing them. Especially in the little things in life. Being worked up to anger against each other over little thoughtless offenses and wanting great recompense is not something we can expect God to help us do. God’s mercy is part of His greatness. If we are to reflect His image to others, we need to have room to offer people some grace. Sometimes, if we pray to God to fight our enemies, He will use time. He will try to speak to their conscience, persuade them, and warn them before acting too harshly. This demands our patience and trust in God, even when things seem to take time. On the other hand, if we are condemned for our own sins or punished for our own crimes, God cannot always intervene on our behalf, as He must be fair to those we have harmed as well. Make sure your hands are clean or that you have tried to make amends for your own faults before praying for deliverance from your enemies. “When your dread comes like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but they will not find me, because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord” (Pro. 1:28-29) “And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood” (Isa 1:15). Remember, God is long-suffering; He gives many chances. At times He is forced to let us suffer the consequences of our actions because of those who are afflicted and demand justice. But still, God will intervene to help us when we cry to Him in honest regret. He might forgive us despite our transgressions, even when others want God to destroy us. This is why Christ said: “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Mat 6:14) Demanding justice and God’s intervention, while not wishing to give others justice or help, places God in a difficult situation in which we might not receive the help we desire. Notice that when the Samaritan village did not receive Christ and the apostles, they went to another place. They did not try to force themselves on people who rejected them. Christ advised His people not to stay in abusive situations but rather to move. “But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another” (Matt. 10:23) God sometimes waits to punish our transgressors, but that does not mean we should stay in harm’s way. Let God deal with them, whether to save or judge. Go find peace somewhere else. Trust God to handle justice, unless it is a crime that should be reported to the authorities. If it is not something the authorities can address, then be patient and place yourself out of harm’s way while waiting for justice.
Too much tolerance.
With victims of long-term abuse, it can go both ways. Either they want God to judge people too quickly because they fear anything that reminds them of their abuse, or their tolerance for evil is too high. With God’s mercy and law, there is a perfect balance, but within our hearts, that is not always the case. We can judge too harshly, like in the parable of the unforgiving servant, but we can also have an exaggerated mercy. Paul normally preached mercy, as he had received such great mercy himself. However, in his letter to the church in Corinth, he said their mercy was misplaced and told them to judge the injustice that had happened there. Likewise, trauma victims’ “mercy compass” might be wrongly adjusted. They may expect God to demand more of them than He actually does, thinking they honor God by enduring severe abuse at the cost of their own well-being. Using scripture in the wrong situation continually happens. Those who expect God to support them against everyone in everything, and those who think God takes pleasure in their suffering and dare not ask for even minimal help, are both wrong. If you, as a victim, have been taught that you do not deserve basic human rights, then “do not judge” and “show mercy” are not to be used against your release from oppression. If Scripture is not placed in the right setting, it becomes a lie. Satan is an expert on this, and when trying to tempt Christ in the wilderness, he used scripture to try to distress and provoke Christ into harming Himself. Satan can use scripture to take away the freedom and courage of a victim, making them think God wants them to accept repeated abuse and mistreatment, and that God’s love for their abuser is greater than God’s love for them. This is not hard for a childhood trauma victim to believe, as they have learned throughout childhood that their needs are not relevant and that their health and happiness are sacrificed for the selfishness of their parents or peers. Be alert, therefore, that none of Christ’s words should be used to favor an abuser over or at the expense of the victim. The parable of the unforgiving servant tells of a man in need of forgiveness who becomes abusive. He is punished for his behavior. This cannot be used to force a victim to stay in an abusive relationship; it is an entirely different situation. Everything must be seen in context. If your neighbor borrowed your toolbox and some tools are missing, perhaps a little forgiveness is the right response rather than making it into a great conflict. Here, Christ’s words of not judging and being merciful are very rightly placed.
For victims who are being destroyed more every day they suffer, telling the victim to show “mercy” and “not to judge” the abuser is misplaced and wrong. According to scripture, such a victim should be helped to be free. Mercy must go to the victim first, and then, if possible and constructive, if repentant, it must be offered to the transgressor as well. Like God said: “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” (Isa.58:6) Mercy is not to be used to help the transgressor continue his transgressions. It is for the one who repents and wants to recompense and change his ways. In this lies the key to knowing when to show mercy and when not to. Where there is no admission of guilt or fault, there will most likely be no change or growth without them getting a consequence for their actions. If someone has heartfelt regret and takes responsibility for their wrongdoing, additional punishment is not always necessary. Mercy can help them grow into a better person more than punishment can. It is all about discernment.
The origin of sin is thought to be Eve’s disobedience when eating the fruit, the bite that caused Paradise to be lost and a world of sin to begin. But what caused Paradise to be lost started not with the bite, but with Eve’s distrust of God. If she had not lost trust in God, she would not have eaten the fruit. Paradise lost and Paradise gained are tied to the same thing: trusting God. Sin entered the world when mankind, for a moment, was deceived to lose trust in God, and we will conquer the sin in our lives when that trust is restored. Most of the sin we Christians commit is done at moments when we distrust God. Living in fear is also a way of distrusting God. A Christian will therefore never experience healing or victory while distrusting God. It is not physically or mentally possible. We can do all the good things for our bodies and do all the mental training we wish, but if there is no trust in God, there is no victory.
Satan, disguised as the serpent, broke Eve’s trust in God by hinting to her the following: • God’s standard is demanding (exaggerating to make God look unreasonable). Although Eve corrected the serpent, he had already sown a seed of doubt. (ch.3 v.1) • The reason for God’s laws is selfish gratification. (Serpent insinuated God made the law because He was worried about competition) (ch.3 v.5) • The serpent claimed God lied to protect himself (ch.3 v.3-4) (You cannot trust a liar. If He lied about that, what else had God lied about?) • God did not have Eve’s best interest at heart (withholding important knowledge from her to protect Himself). (ch.3 v.5)
These attacks are performed on many Christians even today, and they do not recognize them. Satan exaggerates God’s laws, and although we know the wording, the doubt that God expects even more is constantly suggested. Many religious people have struggled with this for a long time, exaggerating and making many extra laws to make sure they kept the law properly. If we transported them to Eden, they might even abolish all the trees in the middle of the garden, just to be on the safe side, depriving themselves and others of the fruit God intended as a blessing. Making God appear demanding and requiring things we feel are impossible to follow will breach the trust relationship. If we think God sets us up for failure just so He can justify His need to judge us, He becomes our enemy. Instead of God being our protector and loving Father, He can become someone we fear making mistakes around, as if He is constantly watching for us to fail. God let mankind have children of their own so they could better understand who He is. We do not expect a newborn to work to provide for itself, and neither does God expect us to do what we cannot do. We do not judge or mock our children while they are trying to learn basic physical and mental skills; rather, we are proud of every success they have and are willing to forgive any mistakes if we see them trying their best. We accept that children learn differently, and some take longer to learn the basics. Don’t earthly parents brag about their 3-year-old’s drawings, even if the drawing is just a stick man with all the proportions wrong? Would we show the 3-year-old a Van Gogh painting and tell them how bad their drawing is in comparison? Of course not. Rather, we value the effort the child puts in and see their potential. We try to guide them as best we can, so they can be their best. We encourage growth and are excited to be by their side, even though they stumble and fail on their way there. God mirrors our relationship with our children in His relationship with us. He does not expect us to know and understand everything at once or to never make any mistakes. He is happy with every step we take towards becoming a good, productive person. He never expects more of us than is possible for us to be or do. His advice along the way is to direct our path as a parent does a child, not to destroy us with condemnation and critique. Christ tried to fight the lies about God by proving that this is not how God is at all. Giving parable after parable showing God as a kind, forgiving God who loves mankind as His own children was meant to break the image Satan had created of God through religious influencers. Even to Moses, God addressed these lies by declaring Himself to be: “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…” But a God who only forgives and never punishes is not a good God, because that would mean He would allow abusers to abuse and perpetrators to cause harm without consequence, making Him a bad God to victims. And so God added: “and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.” (Exo.34:6- 7) Let’s compare it to an earthly father with two sons. If one repeatedly harms the other and the father does nothing, the father is not good towards the afflicted son. A good father would not allow his love for the bad son to make him forget his love and duty towards the afflicted son. Thus, it is with God as well. He is a good God because He does judge and because He holds others and us accountable. This is in part why we can trust Him to be fair and good. If he only forgave and never punished, God would not be perfect. We can exaggerate His judgments and harm ourselves in the process, breaking the bond between God and us. However, God has said that if we do sin and want rehabilitation, He is forgiving and ready to receive us without judgment. He gave His Son as our ransom, taking our punishment so that we could have His reward. “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:17)
If we want to use God’s mercy as permission to do harm and evil, to continue to destroy, He will punish us not to gratify His “hate for us” but because it is right that He does. Whenever someone harms someone, there is a victim that God has to consider. God is not unreasonable, but He asks us to turn from our ways with His help. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). We need to stop the harm, or paradise will not be paradise. Many of the leading Jews in Christ’s day had made God into a dictator, and Christ had to really work on people’s attitudes. You cannot trust someone you feel is against you or out to get you. And so, Satan would like Christians to think God is out to get them, for then our love for Him is choked by our fear. We will avoid Him rather than come to Him for help. We will cover up our crimes, blaming others rather than confessing. Even blaming God. We are playing defense against those who want to help us rehabilitate. We are fighting our ally instead of the true enemy that caused us to fall in the first place.
Tragically, the ones who struggle with trust issues with God are those who are damaged and need Him the most. Long-term trauma survivors have learned to distrust authority figures, and God is an authority figure. Children with absent parents or who have been neglected might feel God will abandon them, too. Those who have had severe unfair punishments as children, made to take blame that is not theirs, might fear God is doing it too. Their whole religious service is about trying to avoid hell. A child who is picked on a lot and constantly criticized will easily think God is picking on every little aspect of their lives, judging them, and criticizing them. A sexually abused person might be inclined to believe that God’s love is harmful and selfish. A child who is told they’re worthless will feel God thinks they are worthless, too. We project our trauma into our relationship with God. Those with good and loving parents might understand God’s love perfectly and yet not understand trauma survivors’ toxic God image or know how to meet them with the right words. Because trauma survivors struggle with authority figures, trusting God is work, and it does not come naturally. Satan is kicking the weak while they are down, using God’s name. We are not to condemn those who struggle, but: “Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters” “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” (Rom.14:1; Rom.15:1-2)
Statistics show that children from broken homes, especially without a father, will usually struggle later in life.
Among Satan’s biggest attacks on God and us is to create dysfunctional families. By destroying families, he succeeds in teaching children that God is bad and selfish. The impressions given to children in their earliest years will follow them throughout life, and even if they become Christians, in times of triggers, their faith in God might often falter when they need Him the most. Nothing harms a child’s future relationship with God more than toxic, absent, or abusive parents or a father who leaves them.
If you are a trauma victim or trying to help one, trusting God is a key challenge. Education about God’s love for mankind, for those who are failing and struggling, is important. A trauma survivor fears punishment because, in the past, it often came randomly, unprovoked, and was severe. It is important to understand that those who come to God will not be met with condemnation but with the offer of salvation. If you come to Him wishing for support to continue harming others, however, you might have a reason to fear. But even then, God will first try to convince you to choose another path.
God says He is “long-suffering,” meaning He does not have a short temper. He does not make decisions based on temporary anger, as many abusers do with their victims. He will always offer grace because He wants people to turn from their ways and not die. “For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye” (Eze 18:32) God will always offer the chance of salvation before any punishment. Usually several times. God sometimes knows it takes time for us to understand ourselves and others correctly, so He often offers salvation repeatedly throughout someone’s life. Christ said on the cross: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luk.23:34) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (Joh 3:16-17). This might be the ABCs of Christianity for a mentally healthy person, but not always for a childhood trauma survivor. Comprehending these words without worry can be hard, as the body may be alarmed even when the mind understands.
God heard Manasseh’s prayer.
The worst king in Judah’s history, Manasseh, was so bad that God could not save Jerusalem because of his influence. The city had become so overrun by sin and misery that God saw it best to allow other nations to judge it. The city was conquered, and the people spread. Yet, after causing much of the disharmony and falling away, when Manasseh was in prison in Babylon, he suddenly understood how wrong he had been. “And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto him: and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God” (2.Chr.33:12-13) God could not save the city, for they did not turn from their ways, but He did meet Manasseh with compassion, despite everything. God’s love is extreme; it is so extreme that people call Him unfair for not judging harder and sooner. When He judges, they still call Him unfair because they do not wish to be judged themselves. God is fair because all He asks for is accountability and a desire to change. “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1Jn 2:1-2).
A Christian trauma survivor will struggle to find healing if they have given God a role in their trauma narrative. Know that God is not out to get you because He finds pleasure in punishing and humiliating you as your perpetrator did; instead, God will always meet you with the offer of help, assistance, and salvation. God does not want to punish; He wants to save. If He cannot save, He is forced to punish. But He is long-suffering and will try to reach you repeatedly. Therefore, run to God as if He is your ally, as if He is your safe place, and not as someone you need protection from. Do not listen to your doubts or Satan’s suggestion that God does not wish you well, or that God somehow makes your life hard for His own pleasure. He does not. People will fail us; they will make mistakes. If we rely on them to be strong for us, we will fall when they fall. God is perfect; everything He does is perfect. We rely on Him because He does not change. “For I am the LORD, I change not” (Mal.3:6). There is safety in knowing this. His standard does not change, His righteousness does not change. We know for certain where we stand with Him. Society changes, the world’s morals change, and definitions change, but with God, you know what you get. His character does not change. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13: 8.
Liberal Christians want to change God with the ever-changing society, not understanding how harmful it is to those who are damaged by the world’s standards. The world’s morality is corrupt, selfish, and unrighteous. Comparing God with the morals of the world creates an unsafe place for a survivor. God becomes yet again the defender of the evildoers and not the hero of the subdued. For a good number of childhood trauma survivors, the ever-changing moods of authority figures or other children caused a lot of fear and harm. Even at good times, when their bullies or perpetrators acted friendly and kind, they could not relax or enjoy themselves because they worried that the mood would change. Their fears might not even be relieved, as the anticipation can be just as painful as the acts they are dreading.
This is why many victims don’t leave their perpetrators. The anticipation of evil from an unknown person seems scarier than suffering abuse from a known person. Translated into a relationship with God, even the good times can cause worry and fear for the survivor. Understand that God does not change who He is; He is not good one day and evil the next. He is not Yin and Yang. This can be healing knowledge for a victim.
“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? (Numbers 23:19) “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isaiah 40:8) “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. (Isaiah 40:28)
It can be wearying to do good when everyone else is self-serving, but how terrifying would it be if God grew weary of doing good? But He does not. He knows our lives depend on His longsuffering, and He values our lives. “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
All sin is built upon distrust of God. Notice it yourself in your own spiritual life. When do you fail? When your trust in God’s care and love for you is questioned. When you question whether what God asks of you is going to cost you something better, whether He is unreasonable, or whether the reward in the Bible is a lie?
The word “faith” is used a lot in the gospel. The word “faith” is the same word that means trust. The faith chapter in Hebrews 11 is not about the patriarchs merely holding a belief in their heads; rather, it is about their trusting God. Because Abraham trusted God, he went to Canaan. Because Noah trusted God, he built the ark that saved him and his family. They trusted God’s word to be true and acted upon that trust, knowing whatever God asked of them was for their benefit. That God wanted the best for them. If Eve had this trust standing before the tree of knowledge of good and evil, she would have replied to the serpent: “I trust God wishes me well; if He forbids me eating from this tree, it is because He loves me, and so I won’t”. Everything could have stopped right there, with her trust in God.
We stand and fall on the trust issue as well. If we trust that God loves us and wishes us well, we will follow His lead. We will find safety. We can replace the fear response with a love-based response. “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler” (Psa 91:1-4).
Survivors make many of their decisions based on “what ifs,” more so than those who had a calmer, easier life growing up. Trusting God can pull them and us out of the “trying to save ourselves” mode and help us find mental peace.
Victims who do not get justice in the world experience that it destroys them from the inside. Knowing that there is a God who sees and knows the truth can provide the acknowledgment of value and comfort needed to carry on. Knowing that justice will come, even if not immediately, and calmly putting this burden in God’s hands can help us let go. Knowing someone who knows and cares can be life-changing for any survivor. “For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You” (Psalm 86:5)
Trusting God will help release a victim from victimhood, as they no longer feel threatened or in danger. The realization that God cares about them and will watch over them and protect them can help against constant stress and worry. God knows the many illnesses and mental challenges that come from constant inner stress, and his solution to sin, as well as our bodily stress, is trusting in Him. This is God’s cure for all our problems. When we trust someone, we act on that trust, and those acts are our medicine. It has a healing effect, bringing the mind back to sanity and health. We don’t have to struggle to be seen or heard to get justice anymore; we can get it from God and the certainty that He cares and has the power to help if we need it. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1.John 5:4) Although finding peace in trusting God can be hard for trauma victims, it makes all the difference to get there, to find the strength not to pass trauma on to others, and to conquer personal destructive sin. No sin can be conquered without trusting in God. Distrust is the origin of sin; trust is the victory over sin. It is the most powerful relationship we can enter into, and it leads anyone back into freedom in the Lord. “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit” (Jer 17:7-8). “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out”. (Joh 6:37)
Satan leads many to believe they are not good enough for God. The idea that because of something they have done or something that has happened to them, they are unfit for God. God does not create such limitations. Jesus said: “They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mar.2:17)
God is the great physician, and He does not expect us to be perfect before coming to Him. He knows we need help to change, and so we desperately need to come to Him as we are, with all our faults and blemishes. Satan has hindered many from coming to God with the lie that they must wait until they have their lives together and have conquered their sin first. It can seem as though it comes from God and the Holy Spirit, because Satan can use God’s own standards and laws to tell us we must follow them before coming to God. It does not matter what standard Satan uses, even God’s, because he knows if we try to perfect ourselves before going to God, we will fail and never go. If we think we must have conquered all our sins before God receives us, we will never come to God because it cannot be done. Thus, many Christians go on Satan’s errand while seemingly preaching the truth. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement” (Rom.5:8-11) We come to God while still sinning and struggling with our faults because we cannot grow and become free without His help. God knows this, so He tells us to come as we are and not try to fix things on our own. You would not wait until you are well again before going to the hospital, but you go there when you are sick to get healing. It is the same with God. We are supposed to come to Him with our issues, so He can help us heal. Jesus illustrated this perfectly by choosing a woman perceived as a sinner, a former demon-possessed woman, as the first person to share the gospel of His resurrection. She came to Him; she was healed and given trust. She was a scorned woman. Just like Tamar and Rahab, whom God defended and protected. Even for many of the male antiheroes in the Bible, God could lead them to do great good. When Jacob saw in his dream a ladder reaching all the way to heaven, he had just wronged his brother and father. He had lied, stolen, and deceived. He did it because his father had favored his brother. Jacob’s journey to recover from his sin started with connecting with heaven. In the story of Jacob, it says about his father: “And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison” (Gen.25:28). But God said: “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob” (Mal.1:2). God evaluates every person Himself, and those who reject or even hurt us do not necessarily represent Christ in that action. The same was true of many hated and despised people whom God loved. Like Zacchaeus, Matthew, and many others. Trust that God is on your side, regardless of what has happened, and wishes to help you heal and start over. He is not those people who hurt you; they did not represent Him or His expression of authority. God looks to your heart and is not persuaded by anyone else’s opinion of you. He does not measure a man or a woman by gossip and slander. God does not despise us because we are weak and wounded. He knows the wounded are even more likely to ask for help, while those who consider themselves strong choose to walk in their own strength. “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak” (Isaiah 40:29). “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7) Jesus did not lie when He said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt.11:28)
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. (Rom.8:26) Trust in God is the true rest; it is the only real rest that exists and can possibly be obtained by man. Trusting God and acting on that trust is the kingdom of Christ within us. Trust in God is paradise restored.
Freedom from victimhood and long-term trauma does not just lie in the head, as more parts of our bodies are affected. The whole body stores negative memories. All humans have cellular memory, and it can even change our DNA. Countless instincts and reactions occur bodily before even our thoughts have registered what has happened.
Recovering from sin and trauma is not just a mental exercise. It must involve the whole body. Recent discoveries have found that our gut has a type of brain of its own. “Scientists call this little brain the enteric nervous system,” with “more than 100 million nerve cells” (https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-brain-gut-connection) Although we cannot change what has happened to us and to others, we can work with our bodies to achieve more harmony and strength. That is why what we eat can also be tied to our healing. If we are constantly triggering the nervous system through an unhealthy lifestyle, it will also make it harder to overcome mental challenges.
In the Bible, life and death are symbolized by two fruit trees. Eating one fruit symbolizes restoration, eating the other death. Likewise, a lot of mental trauma caused by sin is cured or worsened by what we eat.
The heart is also similar to our brains and sends signals to them. It has its own “little brain or intrinsic cardiac nervous system” (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31728781/). These are just examples of how our whole bodies are involved, not only in our traumas but also in our healing.
Although many would like to think that recovery from trauma just involves “talking with a therapist,” it cannot. A man can endure countless traumas without succumbing to their aftereffects if his or her nervous system is strong. We cannot change the past, but we can improve our health somewhat, and the health connected to the mind is such that, for some, it is about whether they can manage their lives.
Speaking about your trauma is not enough to regain mental health. The physical aspect needs to be dealth with as well.
Finding mental freedom from victimhood, therefore, involves both practical and mental exercises. In the world, we have doctors who heal the body and mental health workers who aim to heal the mind, but doctors rarely understand the physical harm mental trauma has left on a patient and cannot offer much help until the body fully develops the diseases from all the stress. This can take time, yet the body is sick long before. Likewise, a mental health worker can help you work on your mind, but unless the body is included, you will not really recover. The body will work against your mind. Most patients continue to struggle and focus on their issues after therapy. You cannot entirely understand what has happened to you without understanding how it is affecting your entire body. To gain the strength to move on with life, it is important to work on the body, mind, and spirit. Everything is connected; every little part of our body has experienced those traumas, not just our mind. Your body is one, and therefore one part will not suffer without every other part taking part in the suffering. The reason alternative health workers are so popular, even when shunned by doctors and psychiatrists, is that most people who struggle with trauma understand the importance of connecting the mind and body. When there is no proper help that involves both, they desperately seek help from alternatives. This leads many into the hands of exploiters, quacks, occultists, and people in it for money. Many empty their pockets in vain, but some do find help with alternatives. If the medical world had not been so determined to keep doctors and mental health workers separate to uphold traditional roles and status, the need for alternative practices would not have been so pressing. When sin began spreading worldwide, it distorted human nature, making it imbalanced. Our minds are now trained to think and act destructively, and our bodies are trained to fear and act on that fear. Growing up with childhood trauma leads to real handicaps stemming from long-term stress on the brain and body. Although you might not heal completely, it is possible to gain enough strength to live a good life and not continue the destructiveness inflicted upon you.
When Christ returns, He has promised to restore our bodies to their original and intended perfect state: “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself” (Phil 3:20-21). Although our bodies are weak, that does not mean we cannot reflect Christ. “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:15-16). Christ was under extreme circumstances for many years, but did not sin. To many, His victory seems judgmental toward those who do sin, but Christ wanted to pave the way for us and give us hope through His victory, not to boast. Christ came as a human like us, but did not let the evil that came over Him change Him or cause Him to harm others, and this is what He wants for us. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh” (Rom 8:2-3) Christ has paved the way for us to do as He did through the help of the Spirit. What is broken and causes us to lose control can be replaced by the Spirit, so we can still do what is right, even if our instincts want us to do what is wrong. Reaching out to God for help is, therefore, the first step in our recovery. Understanding how our bodies work is the next step. If the body is stressed, we will get sick, and so finding strength in reacting to what happens in the right way not only prevents a trauma survivor from causing more hurt and damage, but it will also give them peace and better health. Just like someone who has lost a leg has to adjust to their handicap, so does a trauma survivor. It is more work to not have a leg, get up, and find accessibility. It requires coming to terms with the fact that more must be done than simply putting on shoes and running out of the house. Someone who has lost a leg cannot say one day, “I am so sick of not having a leg; today I will deny I lost a leg and live as if I have two.” Their delusions will not change their handicap. So it is with a trauma survivor. Pretending they do not have weaknesses will not make those weaknesses go away. Although they should not constantly focus on their weaknesses, they must respect that they have them. If they do not, it will lead to unwanted confrontations and a buildup of anger or anxiety that will be aimed at the wrong people. A trauma survivor who is still afflicted by their experiences should consider taking conscious precautions to manage their everyday life.
Many victims want to change their surroundings and other people, even politics, in the confused notion that if the world’s “outside” changes, their “inside will heal”. However, as long as a sin is in the world, we cannot remove things that will trigger us completely. And if we are triggered easily, it is a sign that we have not healed. To make a silly example to illustrate the point. A person struggling with obesity cannot find healing in banning cakes and stopping others from enjoying them. Many people with long-term trauma have similar demands that are unreasonable to others. If healthy, productive people must adjust their lives as if they were sick people too, then progress ends there. Progressing means learning from mistakes and continuing to move forward, and society must do that. It cannot adjust to mental illness and act on trauma when creating legislation and opportunities. Then the sick are not really cured; they only have a delusion of a cure, and all the healthy individuals are prevented from excelling and progressing. As Christians, we are to make the world a better place by acting out Christ’s principles and by being an example and an inspiration. To promote health, healing, and even forgiveness.
Trauma can be a real handicap. Just like anyone with a visible handicap has to learn to live with it and make adjustments to thrive in their situation, so must a trauma victim.
Self-care to regain control over your body:
Too many harsh rules can lead to desperation. Before presenting some dietary changes that can help, it is important to note that even this advice should be approached with caution. A trauma victim can feel desperate if life becomes too strict, hard, or full of rules. It can even trigger their trauma of feeling captive and subdued. Some will therefore struggle with rules that lack an “escape route.” For many who have been trapped in long-term trauma situations, that escape has been food. Food is one of the most commonly used tools for self-soothing and self-comfort. The body will therefore naturally fight any rules that deprive you of the food you use for comfort. If you take away the “escape” and stress reliever that food can be, many feel unsafe and suppressed all over again. It is important to consider all these things and to understand oneself. If the cure feels traumatic, there will be a problem. Healthy rules can feel abusive, especially when breaking them has brought stress relief before. Know yourself; therefore, consider this and allow yourself to feel in control over the healthy advice you follow. If you are too strict, you will fail. If you are not strict at all, you will fail too. Find the area or space where you feel in control while doing what is right for your body. Again, it is crucial not to just remove everything that gives you stress relief without replacing it with other sources of relief. If you do not take these considerations into account, you might feel desperate or end up with nagging anxiety while making life changes. Consider that you need stress-relieving hormones if you have a lot of inner stress, and look for a healthy way to get them. Do not make your body choose between illness from food and illness from stress. Give it a third option: healthy stress relief and healthy food. Find motivation in gaining freedom over your emotional stress, thoughts, and reactions. Finding motivation is your turning point; without it, you can do little and will not succeed. For those who struggle to love themselves, taking care of themselves might not be enough motivation. You cannot succeed with a healthy change without wishing yourself well. Understanding God’s love for you, the value you have in His eyes, and dwelling on His compassion and desire to save you can help with motivation. If you struggle to love yourself, rest in His love. If someone feels worthless, or makes others feel worthless, Christ compared it to murder, because in a way it is (Mat. 5:22). If we allow ourselves to feel worthless, we will not care for our needs and will not be motivated to do ourselves right. The road to recovery begins with valuing ourselves as God does and not as those who mistreated us did. “For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones” (Isa.49:13) “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray” (James 5:13). If you stumble on your way to recovery, remember that God is not condemning you but cheering you on to make it. “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:7).
The physical part: Ways to help the healing of the nervous system:
There is no one-size-fits-all solution for every case, but there are things that help improve everyone’s mental health. Although changing habits and denying yourself the food and drink you crave might seem troublesome, remember that freeing your mind means taking control and regulating your body. You need to teach your body to do the right thing and not let it override your intellect. The body has memory, and if it normally gets its nutrition from unhealthy foods, it will crave them and make you feel like you cannot live without them. If you start feeding your body healthy, nutritious food, after only a few weeks (for some, even days), your body will actually “change its memory” and start craving healthy food. Your body simply wants nutrition and will urge you to keep eating to get it. That is why you must be the master of your body and teach it what to crave by what you give it. Every so often, the body asks for food when it is actually thirsty, especially if it is used to getting most of its fluid from food rather than water. You cannot completely trust your body. Consider your body like a pet dog. It will act on instinct and misbehave if you do not train it to obey you. You must instill the right instincts so that you can trust your dog.
You tell your body what is good, and after a while, you will regain control, and it will work with you instead of against you. For some, it might be a bigger battle than for others, especially if food has been used to regulate emotions and hormones. It can still be done, but prepare yourself to replace unhealthy food with healthy food by making sure you have other ways to regulate emotions and hormones, or your body will get stressed during the transition. The gut is sometimes called the “second brain” because it contains many nerve cells that produce many neurotransmitters and signaling molecules, including dopamine. If you have damage that makes it hard to regulate emotions, it is important to avoid things that irritate the nervous system. This will give you more strength to handle minor daily conflicts. You do not have to “lose control” and snap at the postman. Eating “nerve-friendly” food can make a great difference.
Caffeine can also negatively affect the nervous system, so it is best to avoid it altogether if you struggle with nerves. Just remember that in the first few days, or even weeks, off caffeine, you might feel the nervous system is even more on edge. Typically, things can get worse before they get better, so do not give up too fast. During a transition period, make sure your everyday life is not filled with stress and challenges, as it can be hard to adjust at such times. Pick a time when you can afford the extra rest needed to avoid feeling overwhelmed or worse off by the habit changes. Remember, even a small victory over the things that irritate your nerves will help the mental training go more smoothly. Do not engage in mental training during a transition, as this will increase physical stress.
Eating late in the evening can keep the stomach digesting food while you sleep, leaving your body with less rest than it needs. Rest is critical for a trauma survivor, so make sure you do not eat in the last few hours before bed if you want an optimal night’s rest.
Constantly snacking and eating too many meals also irritate the nervous system. Pick one to three meals per day that are neither too large nor too hard on your digestion. If you do physical labor, you might need more food than if you work sitting still. Your food intake should reflect how active you are. If you want to eat big meals, do so early in the day, not late in the afternoon. The earlier you have your last meal, the better. Try to avoid eating after 18:00, so the body can finish digesting most of the meal before you go to bed. It is hard to change in the first few days, but the body learns, and you will stop feeling hungry in the evening if you teach your body not to. If you have an eating disorder following your trauma that makes you eat too little (anorexia), it is important not to let this advice be used to further your illness. Many people with anorexia can easily adapt to changes like these in an unhealthy way and make food their religion. So, for an anorectic, it is important to eat more often if needed. If you must eat late, choose the easiest-to-digest food, like fruit. A long-term trauma survivor needs their body to rest when it is supposed to; they cannot gamble as much as a healthy individual without suffering for it. So, letting the stomach rest, especially at night and between meals, is crucial for the nervous system to be under control. Many trauma survivors struggle with irritable bowel disorders. If you feel you are struggling to digest food or have pain after eating, consult a doctor for a diagnosis or follow your “gut.” There are special diets for people with irritable bowel disorders, and if they are not followed, the nervous system will struggle. Some vegetables are only beneficial if you are otherwise well. If you have an irritable bowel disorder, you cannot eat certain food groups and maintain a calm nervous system at the same time. Many trauma survivors prefer gluten-free products, not because they have a gluten allergy, but because they have undiagnosed irritable bowel syndrome or insulin intolerance. If you struggle with stomach issues, consult a doctor to find out which foods irritate your system, so you can avoid them daily. If your doctor does not take you seriously, find another who does. Plenty of doctors do not understand how to consider all symptoms as related, and some can easily dismiss the bodily struggles of a trauma survivor. Do not take it personally; it is just ignorance. A Christian doctor might be more helpful in understanding how a wounded soul struggles with normal bodily functions, as the Bible has always connected the two.
Water: Drinking enough water is also important for gut health. Make sure you drink regularly and do not let yourself become dehydrated. Your body needs pure, clean water to function at its best. Your digestion is closely tied to your nerves and your ability to cope with challenges, so take it seriously if you want to gain more control.
Alcohol also affects the nervous system and does no one any favors. In the old days, alcohol was often given to distressed women to calm them down. However, the brief relief you experience from using alcohol to calm your nerves will only be followed by even more struggles afterward. A hangover is not good for the nerves. Consider avoiding alcohol as part of your health plan. It is not a secret that a good deal of domestic violence is caused by alcohol. It will also tip over someone with unresolved trauma, as many abusers have.
photo from Axis Hope, LLC
Long-term stress and weight gain
Junk food and sweets might be the most used self soother.
If you have had long-term stress, your body might struggle with insulin intolerance. If this is your situation, eat a low-carb diet if possible. You will notice this issue if you eat the same as others but still gain weight, or struggle to lose weight even on a low-calorie diet. In this case, a low-carbohydrate diet might be the only thing that can help you regain control over your weight and related health issues.
Eating unhealthy foods often gives you a dopamine rush, so remember to get your dopamine in other ways so you do not feel more stressed while cutting out the wrong foods. Ways to get dopamine healthily include exercise, eating protein, getting enough sleep, listening to the right music, exposure to direct sunlight, massage, relaxation exercises, and more.
If you can, avoid saturated fats, as they are disruptive and can trick your body into thinking you are not full when you actually are, which causes overeating. “As we consume food, the brain releases the neurotransmitter dopamine as a messenger to the central nervous system. The dopamine activates specific neural circuits to tell us we are full and feel content. During his postdoc, Fordahl measured dopamine neurotransmission in response to diets high in saturated fat and found significant reductions in regular dopamine message delivery” (https://www.uncg.edu/research/nutrition-professor-high-saturated-fat-diets/)
If you eat meat, skip the fat, as God commanded in the Torah (Lev. 7:25). Many meat products are high in fat, such as sausages and burger patties. If you feel panicked about avoiding some of these foods, remind yourself that this panic is instinctive and will fade as you eat healthier. It is about repetition and patience, and your body will learn to crave the food that helps you heal.
Sugar: Sugar triggers addiction. If you struggle with being addicted to certain foods or even drugs, consider cutting out sugar completely from your diet. It, too, irritates your nervous system and triggers negative behavior. Sugar feels good at first; it gives you a high, the body briefly rewards you, and then it brings you down again. Sugar releases opioids and dopamine, making you feel rewarded and happy when you first eat it. It works on your body just like drugs do, and when you try to quit, many people experience withdrawal symptoms. These can include headaches, muscle pain, and even depression. However, if you pull through and do not give in, these symptoms will go away. Sugar works on us similarly to heroin. It is an addiction, and the body is constantly irritated by this addiction. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/ ) Being a long-term trauma survivor with a sugar addiction means you will struggle with behavioral issues tied to that addiction. An irritated body can make you an irritated person if you do not get your “fix.” The more our moods are controlled by what we eat, the less the Holy Spirit can reach us. If you want control over your physical and mental health, stay away from sugar or only eat it in controlled settings. If you have had a sugar addiction, even a taste can make you lose control again, just as with an alcoholic. Be cautious, but if you fail, do not give up. The body learns through repetition, and if you keep resisting its unhealthy urges, even if you fail now and then, it will still have a positive effect in the long run. If you absolutely want sugar, try to plan to have it when you are going on a hike instead of in front of the TV, if you are forced to skip a meal because of a busy schedule, or a similar situation where you are active when you eat it.
Rest enough.
Go to bed early and get up early. Make sure you get melatonin naturally by rising early and going outside. This will help you sleep in the evening, as melatonin production is what makes us sleepy. Supplements can disrupt your natural production, but they can be used for a couple of days to help you establish the right habit if you cannot manage it naturally. They can have side effects, though, so avoid them if you can.
People in the old days experienced a lot of trauma and hardship, but they had an advantage we do not have today. They did not have a TV, a phone, or any other screens to keep them up past their bedtime. Turn off your screens a couple of hours before bed to help you fall asleep. For a long-term trauma survivor, getting enough sleep is vital. Our modern age is harming the vulnerable by robbing them of sleep. Many who suffer from depression sit up late at night in front of screens and sleep through the first hours of the day. Losing melatonin production also weakens the immune system, making it a lose-lose situation on all counts. Simply regaining those lost hours of sleep before midnight can strengthen you more than you might imagine.
Remember, following these guidelines helps you avoid snapping at your family and neighbors over little things. A calm, rested body allows you to think clearly before you speak and act. This will make you happier because you will have less to regret, it will make others happier, and you will have more inner peace. A Christian trauma survivor should want this more than anything. Work with God, not against Him. In addition to nightly rest, God has also commanded a weekly rest, the Sabbath. If the Creator deems it necessary to take time away from struggles and everyday life once a week, He knows what He is talking about. God’s Sabbath is part of the rest humanity needs to conquer stress. “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.” (Psa. 4:8)
If you have a lot of inner stress and struggle to find your calm before bed, try reading a real book instead of an e-book, social media, or other forms of entertainment. The real book will also help silence the racing thoughts and put your head in a calmer state. Calm classical music might also help.
Lastly, if there are important events or additional stressful situations, make sure to add more time for rest to handle them. In the Bible, we see Christ choosing solitude in prayer after hard work (Mark 6:30-32), when grieving a loss (Matt. 14:1-13), before making an important decision (Luke 6:12-13), and in times of distress (Luke 22:39-44). Even Jesus made time for rest and healing in His schedule to gain the strength He needed to remain faithful (Luke 5:16).
Calm exercise.
Exercise is important, but make sure you do not overdo it. Choose an activity that feels manageable and enjoyable, such as walking or cycling in nature, as these are gentle yet highly beneficial options. Do not rush or push yourself too hard if you are a long-term trauma survivor. Use breathing techniques. Get fresh air, practice, and train your breathing. Stress reduces oxygen intake, so compensate by paying close attention to your breathing. Although a Christian should not do yoga because of the religious aspect and its connection to idol worship, we should not be afraid to do a similar slow-paced workout with breathing techniques. Yoga is good for stress because it harmonizes with the body’s needs that God has created. Take back what belongs to God and cut out the religious and sexually loaded poses. Meditation is in the Bible, but it is about meditation on God’s goodness and love: “And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide” (Gen. 24:23) “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee” (Isa. 26:3) If you do not have stress damage, you can easily do more heavy and fast-paced exercise.
Everyone is out of shape when they start exercising, so do not do too much too fast. Start slowly. Going for a three-hour walk on your first day will leave your body stressed and exhausted, and you will be less likely to go for another walk the next day. Be smart and start slow. Train the body gradually, and it will be able to handle more and more. However, if you struggle with constant emotional stress, be careful not to exercise too intensely, or it will have the opposite effect and increase anxiety. Exercise releases stress-relieving hormones and helps you feel less need to gain them through eating and other unhealthy, destructive habits. (https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000807.htm ; https://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness/are-you-exercising-too-much-heres-how-to-tell-and-why-itcan-be-risky/ )
Remove yourself from destructive people.
If you are with an abusive spouse, friend, boss, co-worker, or family member, and there is no hope of them changing, you should leave. Staying under constant long-term stress is only ever harmful. If you are trapped in a harmful situation, ask someone for help. There are resources everywhere that help victims. Do not be afraid of change. No one should live in an abusive relationship. It is not your fault if they do not wish to see reason or change. Choose freedom if it is possible. Only the strongest person can survive suppression without being affected by it, and most cannot. Christ quoted Isaiah regarding His mission: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound” (Isa. 61:1, Luke 4:18). When Jesus quoted this verse, it came out differently in the New Testament transcript. It says Christ said “to preach deliverance to the captives” instead of “prison to those who are bound.” The meaning is the same, though. The good news here is the Greek word “εὐαγγελίζω,” meaning the gospel, to evangelize. Christ knows suppression is sin afflicting the body, and He wants to set us free from both sin and stress. It is part of the gospel. Many do not want to leave because the person who abuses them keeps crying and asking for forgiveness. It seems unchristian to deny them that forgiveness, and so many Christians stay. Consider this: you might be a temptation for them, tempting them to lose control, and you might actually help them by leaving and forcing them to solve their issues outside the abusive relationship. You do not help or rescue anyone by engaging in their repetitive patterns or role-playing. If an abuser is stuck in a repetitive pattern with you, removing yourself from the situation might actually help them. We do not always know what is good for us, and abusers are no exception. Every so often, it is best for both of you that you leave. It does not have to be an act of hate; it can be an act of love. People get stuck in unhealthy role-plays all the time, some worse than others. Notice if you have taken on a repetitive role in your abuser’s cycle, and find a way to step out of it. If you are strong enough to break your part in the “role play” and wish to stay, you might help the other person that way.
Jesus said: “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee” (Matt.18:8). This seems to be meant metaphorically, which makes the statement fit also inter-human relations. To detach yourself from who and what is causing the problem if you are not strong enough to handle or help them. Staying in a repetitive, abusive situation is not going to save that person, and it will not save you. You are not good simply because someone else is bad. You will only truly know yourself outside of an abusive relationship. A person who easily claims victimhood might even trigger an abuser to abuse them in order to maintain their “role-play.” A victim can also abuse and inspire an abuser to abuse, especially in relationships between men and women. It is not uncommon for a male trauma survivor to act out trauma behavior violently and a woman to act out hers in a manipulative way. Trauma victims find each other, and the cycle continues as the woman manipulates and the man physically retaliates, with both triggering each other toward destruction. A victim can be a bad person. All in all, God will judge in the end. But if two people are in a destructive role-play pattern, both are served by separation, whether it is child and parent, husband and wife, boss and employee, mother and daughter, father and son, or other relations. Whether you have no fault or if you do trigger the other with your trauma response, it might be best to leave for both parties. If there is no hope or willingness (as shown in actions and communication) to change, separation is the only healthy solution. Too often, women who have been sexually abused by their father bring their daughters to be babysat by those same parents, apparently unaware that their daughters will be abused as well. The willingness to forgive and forget too easily can, at worst, be directly harmful to others. In such a situation, the only right thing to do is to separate the children from the abusive father. Christianity is not about harming or allowing harm to come to others; it is about saving people from harm and destruction. In such a case when truth and sin collide, Jesus allows even family bonds to be destroyed: “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Mat 10:34-37).
Don’t use all your energy on small encounters.
Do not pay trauma forward.
Choose your battles. If you experience constant unfairness growing up in a toxic situation, you may fall into the trap of getting offended by every person that comes your way. For instance, the person who took your parking space, a cake divided unequally, or someone assigning you more work than your fair share. It can be a look someone gives you, or something as trivial as someone walking in your lane on the pavement and forcing you to step aside. Every little thing triggers the adult who was once a child who could not speak up against unfairness. So many people start making little things in their everyday lives an emotional battle. They fight for justice in every little aspect of life. Although it is typical trauma language, it is also, unfortunately, what can make you an awful human being. We cannot shout at someone who thoughtlessly cut in line at a fast-food restaurant because of the unfairness we suffered in the past. A Christian should have tolerance, but as a trauma survivor, tolerance can be hard. If you are the person shouting at children in the street for being a little loud, you are projecting a large injustice done to you in the past onto a small one that happened that day. It is also self-destructive. If you get emotionally involved in every little injustice throughout the day or week, you will lose your strength and ability to handle the larger, more difficult problems. It is therefore important for a long-term trauma survivor to be conscious of this. Fighting unnecessary battles makes you an unloving person, and you lose the strength to take care of the people in your life over a situation that really does not matter. So, if a car is parked close to your trunk that you need to open, it is not critical. It is a minor inconvenience. The man or woman who did this is not your perpetrator, not someone who is after you or wants to take your rights from you. They are just thoughtless. It does not matter why they did it. We are all thoughtless. Do not attack people who make little mistakes or are unfair about little things. Love them and empathize with them. Be kind in return. They are not part of your trauma, and they should not pay the price for it. It solves nothing to pick every battle we run into and make it our fight for world justice. It will drain you completely and make you feel as though you are under constant threat. Some who choose this path can even develop paranoia, because there is so much to be triggered by that it might begin to look like a targeted conspiracy. Remember, people who are afraid are also often selfish, and you are no exception. When you are afraid, you act on instinct and selfishly, for your own survival. You do not see things as you should, to the benefit of all, and you do not see things clearly. Many act this way because they could not protect themselves in the past, they could not fight the injustice done to them, and they compensate by fighting it now in all the wrong places with all the wrong people. This makes the world a more unsafe place if everyone does this. As a Christian trauma survivor, it is not the way to be. Neither is it healthy for you or those in your life. Save your strength for the greater battles, the necessary ones. When triggered in public, try to step back and see things from other perspectives. Show grace, patience, and tolerance instead. Gain strength from these little events rather than lose it. Choose Christ’s method: turn the other cheek. Be conscious of your issue and have a mental response ready for these small injustices that will come your way. Whether it is prayer, counting to ten, using a sense of humor, or repaying thoughtlessness with kindness, whatever calms you down. Choose your battles.
The mental part:
Strengthening the mind When we work to restore our bodies’ strength, we cannot forget the mind. As previously mentioned, challenge yourself gradually with tasks that boost your confidence and help you feel as though you are regaining control. Consider taking up a new hobby, learning a new skill, or practicing conquering smaller fears first. It could be as simple as approaching a spider instead of running from it, or learning a new craft. Pick something that is less typical of what you normally do. Trauma survivors tend to have many phobias and fears because they struggle with self-confidence and the feeling of not having control over what happens to them. This means there is a lot to start working on. If you have irrational fears and you know they are irrational, that is a good place to begin. Teach your mind by doing the thing you fear, and show it that you are in charge. Let the body experience that what you irrationally feared did not happen, and if it did, that you came out of it fine. Whether it is jumping from the diving board at the swimming pool, which you thought looked a bit scary, or something more challenging like climbing, you can use many small obstacles in life that you normally avoid as training. All of this helps build up your self-esteem and confidence. This is how you train the brain. Always set a new goal ahead of you. Do not set a goal that is too hard, as it might backfire and leave you feeling useless. Be reasonable. If your goal is not achievable, you are self-sabotaging by setting it, and it will only confirm the self-destructive thought that you cannot accomplish anything right. Start with goals you can achieve with some effort and mental training. Do not give up. If you give up too easily, you train your mind to think you were right all along, that you cannot do anything right. Continue, or put it aside and set another goal. The point is that if you have no self-confidence, it has to be trained.
Learn new skills, met people in different social settings.
Social Anxiety
Many trauma survivors also struggle with social anxiety. Training in social settings is better than simply hiding away. A social setting where everyone is doing an activity together might be a good place to start, as the focus will be on the task rather than on you. If you are trying a new hobby, you will meet others who are also trying it, and you will be on the same level, working toward the same goal. These are good situations for managing social anxiety, as there is less aimless, unpredictable small talk and more focused, topic-driven conversation. Adjust this advice to what triggers your social anxiety most, and create a plan that best fits your situation. Always do the easy challenges before the hard ones. There are so many ways to meet fears, and usually, you can face them with a little cleverness by approaching them from an angle instead of head-on. Finding and acting on a solution to solve your specific challenges will help you regain some self-confidence.
Make a list Make sure you are always moving forward. Every little or big goal you set for yourself and actively pursue will help you heal and regain your mental freedom. Celebrate every victory. Write lists of challenges you can and wish to tackle; make sure the list is always full, and work through as many as you can. The more you challenge your fears or “feelings of doom,” the faster your mind will adjust.
Learn to understand yourself.
Trauma victims have learned through their abuse that making even small errors can have terrible consequences, and this can trigger a fear of failing later in life. You cannot change the past, only the present and future. Fight the temptation to feel bad every time you fail at something. Consider the process that led up to the failure as a teaching moment. View failure not as a defeat but as a learning tool. A mistake is something you do, not something you are. Understand that you are in a body stressed by sin, and it does not work optimally, so you will fail at some point. Everyone does. It does not have to take your courage away. When you fall, get back up and keep moving.
Do not sit in the hole you fell into and attack yourself for falling into it. This is something many trauma survivors do. They can easily advise others to “get back up” and not be overwhelmed by failure, yet they are far too hard on themselves. Follow your own advice. Give yourself the compassion you offer others. Say as the prophet Micah: “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me” (Mic. 7:8).
Understand triggers
Understand hormones and how they work, and learn to work with your body rather than simply be led by it. If it has a need, find healthy ways to meet that need rather than reaching for quick solutions. You can have trauma triggers without knowing it, and the only thing you experience is a sudden need for relief. This is when many reach for food, drugs, pornography, or other easy solutions. Once you feel this sudden urge, ask yourself where it came from. Be aware that something might have triggered you, and be prepared to give your body the stress relief it truly needs. Your body remembers things about your trauma that you have forgotten. It can be triggered by a smell, a color, an expression on a stranger’s face, a word, or many other things that are entirely harmless. You are not in danger, but your body still responds to the trigger. A long-term trauma survivor should be aware that the body has more triggers than we realize, and every so often, the body does not tell us what triggered it, only that it is stressed. Understanding the body’s language and taking control of what it asks of us can help us feel less stressed and rely on fewer quick fixes. Have a plan ready for when you feel triggered on how to relieve the stress healthily.
Put the blame where it belongs.
This is perhaps the most crucial point for recovery, and there is no complete recovery without it. A Christian victim might fool themselves into thinking that taking the blame for harm done to them is an act of humility and charity. God’s plan of salvation and sanctuary service is clear: we are not to be the bearers of others’ sin, for that will not save them or us. We might think that because Christ took our sins upon Himself, we are good Christians if we take others’ sins upon us. What we really do, however, is excuse sin and even justify it. Taking the blame for something that is not our fault is not charity to the abuser; it is preventing the abuser from giving their sin to Jesus. True Christendom therefore means allowing the transgressor to see their fault and pointing to Christ as the one who can relieve that guilt. The world has rejected God, and many struggle to carry their sin burdens, so they put the blame on others. Some are willing to carry this burden. Family members who have been scapegoats in their dysfunctional families might continue to feel guilt that is not theirs, even in adulthood. Gaslighting stems from the practice of refusing to acknowledge one’s own fault and instead placing the blame on another. The apology “I am sorry about how you feel about what I did,” rather than “I am sorry I did that to you,” is another way of diverting blame. Those who apologize in this way claim that it is how their actions are perceived, not the actions themselves, that is the “sin.” In doing so, they shift the blame onto the other person. It is very tempting to find innocence in blaming others’ sensitivity rather than your own insensitivity. We humans want to perceive ourselves as the good guys, especially Christians, which can lead to the temptation to see problems in others rather than in ourselves. On the other side of the spectrum are survivors who are trained to take the blame and feel safe just blaming themselves to avoid confrontations. Both do wrong, and both hinder the right person from taking responsibility. Mankind has many ways to divert sin, but only one brings salvation. That is, confessing it, taking responsibility for it, and then giving it to Jesus. Many play a game with Christ as well. Instead of confessing that we have sinned against God, we try to make it God’s fault in some way. God reacts as any healthy person would when given the blame for something we choose to do: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1Jn 1:8-10)
Place blame correctly.
For many who grew up in unloving homes, the punishment did not fit the crime. For these children, hiding and explaining away sin were survival methods, and these habits carry into every aspect of their adult lives, including diverting blame, excusing wrongs, and blaming others. From a biblical standpoint, this will not remove our sin. Only by acknowledging and taking responsibility for our sins can we be free from them. Diverting blame and taking others’ blame are both trauma responses that we should deal with to have a good spiritual life and a good relationship with others. If someone wrongs you, they carry full responsibility for that act. You carry full responsibility for yourself. In the Bible, we are judged by a standard God has set for all mankind. From this standard, we are to evaluate right from wrong and confess our wrongs. By having a firm standard for right and wrong that is not obscure and uncertain, we can know who is in the wrong.
If someone has hurt us and we are struggling to recover, make sure you place the blame for those actions on that person. You can forgive them, give them new chances, and even try to understand the underlying reasons that caused them to act in such a way. All of this is good for empathy and love. But what you must not do is call the “wrong” a “right” to acquit or justify them, or convince yourself that it “was not that bad.” Once you start down that path, you will slowly begin to blur the lines between right and wrong, and those blurred lines will harm you and others. If a harmful act is called less harmful, then your reaction to it becomes part of the problem, and blame has been wrongly diverted.
If you own a store and a thief steals all the valuables, it does not matter where he comes from, what brought him to that point, or if you owned the store through privilege. The act of stealing is still an act of stealing, no matter why, how, or when it happens. It is the same with acts that cause other forms of trauma. An act of cruelty is an act of cruelty, and kindness is kindness. We must call it what it is to find peace. If we do not, we suffer confusion and anxiety as a result. Blaming ourselves for things beyond our control will not bring us healing. Make sure you do not lessen others’ guilt by carrying part of it for the sake of peace. You cannot take another person’s blame and then ask God for forgiveness for it as if it were your own crime. You will have to continue carrying the sense of guilt and blame you took upon yourself until you return it to where it belongs. Give the responsibility to the perpetrator, ask for forgiveness only for your own sin, and leave the perpetrator to ask God for forgiveness for theirs. You can, of course, pray to God to help them see their sin, and for God to be merciful and patient with them, even to give them more chances. That is an entirely different matter from taking blame that is not yours. It is not true Christianity to make evil appear good, for when we do that, we will at the same time make good appear evil. The two go hand in hand and cannot be separated. Justifying evil means questioning what is good. If we make excuses for sin, we defend its existence. Therefore, in the Bible, we see a God who gives no excuses for sin, a God who does not budge from His principles. The moment He does, He will have defended the existence of sin and then also legitimized it. By refusing to do this, He upholds each human being’s worth and the right to be loved and to be free. On our road to recovery, we too must not confuse right and wrong, take blame that is not ours, or assign blame to others that does not belong to them. By taking responsibility and making others do the same, we can regain some of the sanity lost to the confusion caused by harmful acts. Many people in mental institutions would have regained sanity only by being acquitted of wrongful blame and seeing the perpetrator held responsible. Placing blame in the wrong places creates anxiety, fear, apathy, self-destructiveness, and even madness. Freedom is following the plan shown in God’s sanctuary. You can experience temporary freedom by diverting blame, but your body remembers, and the peace will not last.
To summarize:
Your body: – Take care of your gut – Avoid things that irritate the nervous system – Get enough rest – Exercise – Breathe – Hydrate. – Find stress relievers that are not destructive. Do not pay trauma forward.
Your mind: – Physically train your mind by challenging small and large fears to regain mental control and self-esteem – Make goals – See your worth – Remove yourself from bad relationships – Put blame where the blame belongs. If it is yours, give it to Christ.
The last and most important training is a chapter unto itself. It is crucial for healing and regaining a healthy mental balance.
When someone gets stuck in victimhood, they become dependent in one of several ways. There is the subdued victimhood, where the victim has a constant trauma response to their surroundings, and then there is the claimed victimhood, which seeks to manipulate, suppress, and control those surroundings. Beyond these, even real victims can become perpetrators, using their past to achieve their desires. All three of these responses to victimhood strip away someone’s true self, forcing them to walk in circles. They are not emotionally independent and rely on others’ responses to feel good. Christian freedom is to live by the Spirit rather than serve “the flesh”. This concept of flesh versus spirit is mostly used to explain how to find freedom from our sins. However, there is more to it than just sin. If we are trapped in a cycle of repeating acts we know are wrong but do not have the power to stop, the Bible tells us we can live a new life in the Spirit. We are gifted the power to not listen to our feelings and needs if they are mistaken or wrong. A Christian is not to be controlled by emotions and lust alone but by intellect and love. Not the love of the world, but God’s love. God’s love is not selfish or self-indulgent; it always considers the greater good. Jesus said: «Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light» (Matt. 11:29). This statement has puzzled many, as the Christian life is full of difficulties. Even Christ’s life was full of them. So how can His yoke be easy? Every act committed against Christ, whether it was disbelief from His family, rejection by society, accusations of being something He was not, or other attacks, left His personality and character unchanged. This is where a victim’s downfall begins, and it is also the major reason Christians should not take upon themselves the identity of victimhood. When our character and values are shaped by our surroundings, we become trapped and lose our freedom. God said, “O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted” (Isa.54:11). Jesus stood firm in the middle of abuse. Someone else’s anger afflicted Him, but it did not provoke His anger. Rather, Christ was always in complete control of who He was. When He was bullied and abused, He refused to let it change Him. Instead, He held the bully accountable. That does not mean He was not hurt. It simply means He did not let the hurt change His values. When we, as Christians, can be easily controlled by our emotions triggered by others, then the bullies partly control our path in life. Who would want their enemies or haters to decide who they are and will be? Yet, victims may give their perpetrator this power, often unknowingly. If we get angry at others when others are angry with us, distrustful when others are distrustful of us, jealous if others are jealous of us, and so on, we reflect the sin committed rather than conquering it. We mirror sin. The idea that our anger is justified by someone else traps us in a state where we think we are free when we really are not. An emotional outburst can feel liberating, but it is not necessarily so. Think of a mirror: a reflection copies the other, but it remains only a reflection.
Christ’s advice to meet evil with good, pray for those who curse us, and be generous to the thief does not suggest we become subdued or conquered. It is quite the opposite. Christ tells us not to let others’ bad behavior change who we are or who we want to be. If someone spreads falsehoods about us, we can show that person they do not get to inspire us to become like them. The greatest power move is to ensure they hear you speaking kindly about them. When you do not choose revenge, the shame they try to place on you goes right back to them. If you speak well of the one who speaks badly of you, they will end up carrying the shame they tried to put upon you.
We don’t have to become a “slave” to our impulses and feelings.
Christ’s advice is not meant to make a Christian pitiful and pathetic; it is meant to make them strong. God’s desire to impute His character into the Christian’s heart is constantly prevented because Christians focus on their surroundings instead. He tells us to be changed by beholding Him rather than our abusers and mockers. Every wrongful act has consequences or a chain reaction. When a Christian refuses to change in the face of others’ bad behavior, they break the chain of sin. They become pillars of light for good. When one piece of the domino toppling is removed, it stops the rest of the pieces from falling. «An eye for an eye» law in the Bible is important for justice and is still in force to combat crime, but it does not always give men the peace they desire. A victim of a wrongful act can see their perpetrator go behind bars and still, for years to come, not have peace. Every day, they act out some response to the evil they suffered. While the God of the Bible constantly shows sympathy and love to those afflicted and weak, He does not want them to stay subdued because of their affliction. Christ’s advice to not let others’ evil control you is not Him closing His eyes to the hurt others cause, as if it had never happened. Rather, His words are part of setting the victim free.
I have met and spoken to so many Christians who are obsessed with some wrong done to them, and they hunger for justice. It consumes them and changes them, yet through it, they measure their goodness by others’ evil. This is an easy way to fool ourselves. We do not become good because someone does something bad to us. We cannot evaluate our position with God based on someone else’s rebellion. Some, by beholding the injustice they have suffered, become almost possessed by it. It takes up their hearts and minds, and before they know it, it has changed them.
Christ acknowledges that we will get hurt in this world, but He shows us how not to let that hurt change us to reflect the same spirit. His gift of His Spirit, a Spirit harmonizing with God’s standards, is to be listened to before “our flesh”. “Our flesh” brings us into captivity. It acts on instinct, and it never sees the whole picture. If we become irritable around someone who is irritable, only charitable around someone charitable, only open-minded around an open-minded person, or closed-minded around a closed-minded person, and so on, we are still living by “the flesh”. Living by “the flesh” is not just about private sin; it is also about how we respond to our surroundings. Most people are controlled by their surroundings in what they think, eat, feel, and do. It is natural to seek confirmation and approval to gain confidence. The world around us approves of us when we become like it. People tend to approve of one another when they reflect each other. Despite this, a Christian is called to a higher standard: to reflect Christ rather than the world, and to seek God’s approval rather than mankind’s. This makes Christians who live this way a natural threat to their surroundings. People find security and peace in mirroring one another. When someone suddenly stops responding as expected or is unwilling to reflect others back to them, it creates insecurity and breaks that peace. The Christian is then blamed for this disruption and treated accordingly. This is why Christians who reflect the world are accepted, while those who try to reflect Christ are mostly rejected. Worldly hearts find those who reflect Christ suspicious, uncontrollable, and strange, and so they despise or dislike them. Jesus said: “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.” (Joh 15:18-21) Jesus said His yoke was easy, but He did not have an easy life. The same way it will be for a Christian who reflects Him. Peace and freedom lie in who you choose to be, uncontrolled by the world and its sins. Jesus says their rejection comes from «not knowing God». Man’s insecurity and need for control make him fight against someone he does not understand, perceiving that person as a threat. When a Christian chooses a response other than “the flesh” to others, it is not always understood or appreciated.
What would have happened if Jesus, instead of doing His calling, had spent His time arguing with His brothers and trying to win their approval before finding His peace? What would have happened if Christ had decided to spend His life seeking the approval of the Pharisees and Scribes, using all His energy to force them to accept Him? Or if He had been moved by revenge when they mocked Him on the cross, saying that if He freed Himself, they would believe Him? How different the story of Jesus would have been if He had been obsessed with everyone who wronged Him and wanted to set them straight. When the Pharisees and Scribes tried to provoke Him into a fight, Jesus often changed the subject. Not because He could not win the argument, but because He would not engage in their role-play.
Jesus did not let others’ bad behavior change Him.
All sins in the world, all sinners, are acting out a response to sin with their sin. Everything is caused by a chain reaction. Even the worst killer sitting in prison is there because of a chain reaction, and he leaves behind another. Christ offers us the chance to break the chain with His help. He wishes for us to be the people who stop the flow of all the little evils in society. The more Christians there are to stop it, the more society will benefit. This blessing is not given when Christians, instead of reflecting Christ, reflect their surroundings instead. Then they become part of the chain and part of the problem. Then we would respond to everything happening around us «with the flesh» rather than «with the spirit».
Trauma response: living “by the flesh”?
To sin is to indulge in destructive behavior, whether it is self-destructive or destructive to others. It is bodily lust over love and care for others. Many do not realize that some trauma responses are also a form of living by the flesh. They represent a selfish and self-destructive way of responding to our surroundings and to what has happened to us. Fear is always self-defensive. It puts self-interest first. We give innocent people a sense of distrust because someone else has failed us. We direct our anger and hurt toward innocent people because someone else has hurt us. A man disrespected by his boss should not take it out on his kids at home. This is how sin tends to grow until all of society is wounded and stressed. Although God wants us to care for the weak and the wounded, He does not wish for the wounded to stay in a passive state. It is like aiding a society struggling with famine the wrong way. You can bring them food and end their immediate hunger, but eventually their food supply will depend on you unless they are taught and given the opportunity to help themselves. Kindness ends when you create codependency. The recipient of this type of kindness will be wounded in the long term. Any person who is not believed in, who has not learned to take responsibility, or who has not learned to master a skill will feel low self-worth and lose their self-esteem. So, in this example, if you keep feeding them with bread, you have silenced their hunger but ruined their strength, talents, and self-esteem. The best way to help the less fortunate is to address their immediate needs and then use the means to help them gain independence. Once they believe in themselves and master life, they will feed themselves. You will no longer be needed and can help someone else. As Christians, we are not to create codependency but to lift people up to be achievers. Any Christian who creates co-dependency is helping themselves, even when doing charity. This must also be how God helps mankind. He cannot do everything for us, make all our decisions, or protect us from all consequences. If He does, we do not grow or develop in a healthy way. The same is true for people who have suffered injustice and trauma. The Bible is clear that we are responsible for helping those in need and showing compassion and kindness. Yet the Bible also encourages us to help them become independent, confident, and strong. After showing kindness, we need to find the right tools to rebuild them and free them from what holds them down. Not just kind words, but practical help. If one woman is very depressed and another, instead of saying “be positive» or «pull yourself together», takes off her means and uses it to pay for an activity that will help her learn a new skill, so she can learn that she can do more than she thinks she can, it would be better help. A mentally stuck person needs to experience that the world is bigger and that their abilities are wider than they think. With this, she could view everything, including the things holding her or him down, in a less impossible way. Helping someone discover how to overcome a minor challenge can give them the tools to deal with seemingly impossible ones. You help them believe in themselves.
Depending on the underlying cause of a person’s issues, repeated help or finding new alternatives is important. Every so often, a diversion is needed to help someone out of a bad cycle. But telling someone to simply think differently, without offering any practical help to do so, only adds to the harm. The body acts on instincts, often independent of thoughts, which is why good thoughts cannot always break negative patterns. We understand this when a village is starving, or someone is sick and needs a doctor, but we seem not to understand it when it comes to mental health. We burden the wounded with words that do not help them out of the darkness they are in. For a Christian, it hardly helps to tell someone “Jesus loves you” if that person does not feel worthy of that love. How will they receive the truth if it is not emotionally understood? I know someone who believed in God for years but never became a Christian, for the very reason that she did not know how to receive love. She had not been loved growing up by her parents; she had been denied compassion, her needs had always been ignored, and she had been taught not to ask for anything and not to expect anything. With what was supposed to be love came something bad. When she heard about God’s love, it neither impressed nor changed her. It was just words. When she later had experiences of God saving and helping her directly, through the practical example of good Christians, she began to understand love and her own value. In the end, she received Christ. Others with good parental role models, who have been treated as valued members of their family, when hearing «Jesus loves you,» have a good reference to what that means. Understanding love is often tied to experience. Where there is no experience, there is no understanding. In some trauma cases, “Jesus loves you” must be accompanied by practical illustrations and new experiences. In both instances, the one who is loved and the one who is not, practical experience is needed to give meaning to the words. Some get this education growing up, and others do not. A Christian must never think that words without additional practical experience are enough. Christ is the “truth,” and He is the Word that came to life. The truth, the way, and the life are therefore words that come to life and are practiced. This is in part why God needs a Christian to be a good example, a good ambassador for Him, and to reflect God’s love to others. This is why “the word” became “flesh” and lived among us (John 1:1). For mankind to comprehend God’s love and truth correctly, words were not enough, so Christ came to us as a practical living fulfillment of the word. We cannot share God’s word with others without practicing it. Without God’s practical manifestation of His word, people are lost. God’s love, in the Bible, is always reflected through actions. (Jas 2:14-26; Heb.11) In the Old Testament, God repeatedly told His people to care for and help others. To be kind to strangers and the fatherless. To help the poor and to free those who are suppressed. Through these practical actions, they were to heal society and bring people to God, so He could restore them «in His image» and free them from the oppression of sin. Yet God’s people repeatedly failed, focusing on God’s demands and laws without practical examples to put them in context, which became their downfall. It is impossible to keep God’s law correctly without the manifestation of love. Words cannot do anything alone. The living spirit of them brings life. Even Christ, whose words were perfect, did not attempt to teach people about God’s love without putting it into practice. He cared for the poor, the weak, the rejected, the hated, and the sick. In the story of Zacchaeus, a rich man who had taken financial advantage of others but secretly regretted his behavior, Jesus did not stop to ask him to change. Rather, Jesus, in front of everyone who hated Zacchaeus, asked him for an invitation. Most would be ashamed to be seen with Zacchaeus, but Christ showed him love in the open. By his action, Christ showed others, including Zacchaeus, the worth each man has in His eyes. While Jesus was at Zacchaeus’ home, Zacchaeus, without any prompting, promised to return what he had taken and to help the poor. Zacchaeus did not just change because of what Jesus said, but because of what Jesus did. He also understood that he needed to show people, through his actions, that he regretted what he had done to make an impact. First, Jesus was discriminated against for entering Zacchaeus’ house, but later they would see that Jesus going home with Zacchaeus did not make Jesus reflect Zacchaeus. Rather, it made Zacchaeus change to be more like Christ. This is the power of any Christian who lives by the Spirit and not by the flesh. To follow the principles of Christ rather than mirroring sinful behavior or letting it control us. Christ chose closeness to a sinner, but it changed the sinner; it did not change Him. This strength is offered to all Christians, regardless of their background, whether we are victims or not. When we let others’ sins change us and how we treat others, we are still living in the flesh. While we do this, we cannot properly preach Christ or reflect Him.
Since victimhood is also living by the flesh, and if we are letting fear, anger, and trauma control us and how we treat others, how do we practically escape it?
The following are some important things to consider on your way to recovery:
1. Look for recognition from God rather than from people. The desperate need for recognition and acceptance from others ruins us and our self-esteem. It causes our morals and principles to shift in order to align with those around us. Because we often chase recognition from those who ignore us or will not give it to us, those who do not truly care for us, we end up mirroring the wrong people. By finding peace in God’s acceptance, we can avoid letting our need for approval control our interactions with others.
2. Trust in God’s justice and that God will avenge or chasten those who harmed us if they do not confess, repent, and compensate. Often, we do not see justice. We do not get recognition as victims or as someone who is worth more than what happened to us. This can consume and overwhelm anyone. Some victims have to endure seeing those who treated them badly accepted in society while they are rejected. By knowing and believing there is a higher power that sees everything and whose angels carefully observe any injustice, we know they will have to pay at some point. We can leave the vengeance to God because carrying it ourselves will only consume and destroy us. Leave the judgment to God. We do not have to take the law into our own hands and waste our whole lives and energy seeking justice. There is a heavenly court that will handle those who do not repent or stop harming others. We can even choose to feel sorry for those who do not repent, knowing they will one day stand guilty before God without atonement to offer, then die their final death and be no more. Pray for them and consider the danger they are in because of their decisions. (Mat 5:44) Following Christ’s advice does not make you weak; it makes you strong. By praying for your enemy, you get help to focus blame where it should be, so you can find freedom. Even when we forgive, we find freedom for ourselves. People who do not condemn others easily are less likely to condemn themselves. Leave it to God and walk free.
3. Trust God to protect you. The peace this trust gives helps against the unbalanced fear response. Trust that you are safe with Him. Fear is a defense mechanism that protects us from immediate danger. When fear becomes a chronic response to everything, it suppresses us. It is hard to be selfless in the middle of a fear response, and it creates a great deal of misery. Fear and love rarely go together. Fear is self-absorbed, biased, and violent. It drives people apart and leads them to treat one another with suspicion. Fear is closed-minded. Trusting that you have a higher power there to protect you and help you through your challenges can help combat that fear. Knowing God is ready to help you when you call on Him can help you live more openly and meet people as they deserve, even if they do not deserve it. Many Christians live by fear, and when they do, they do not represent Christ as trustworthy to others. They may say He is trustworthy, but their actions speak against their words. A Christian needs to trust God themselves to reflect God’s love to others and to themselves. Living by fear is also living “by the flesh”.
4. Receive God’s spirit. A person broken down by the chains of sin, both within themselves and passed down through generations, cannot on their own develop the ability to defy their bodily reactions to what happens around them. The Bible is clear that because sin has such dominance in the world, a Christian needs power, or a strength imputed, that can help us live as we want rather than as our bodily instincts tell us to. If we ask God to help us, we do not have to lose our temper when someone insults us. The love the spirit imparts in our hearts, even for an enemy, will change our immediate reaction and will restrain us from harming the other or losing patience. Love is powerful. It keeps a good parent’s behavior in check, even when their toddler is acting out and punching them. They do not retaliate or desire revenge on their child. When this kind of love is imputed to us by the Spirit for others, both known and unknown, it changes our responses and gives us natural patience and kindness, even in distressing situations. Our love will stretch beyond the boundaries of our home. (Mat 5:46-48) When Jesus said his burden was easy, in part, this is what He meant. It is easier for our mental and physical health to love than to hate. Many religious people seek spiritual power to overcome negative or harmful emotional reactions. Buddhist monks show great restraint and deny themselves. Many people across different religions understand that denying oneself constant emotional needs gives the mind power. But in almost all cases, they isolate themselves or harm themselves in the process. Many Christians who choose to combat “self” in this way also isolate and harm themselves. The need to control the surroundings to control the “inside” shows that although people can deny their needs and feelings and control their actions, their lives become a constant struggle. The mind and the body are in conflict, as Paul describes in his letter to the Romans (Rom. 7 & 8). Our desire for justice can awaken the negative reactions within us. Contrary to the normal religious notion, God’s solution is not to change the “outside,” but to impute something strong on the inside. With it, you can be who you are and do the right thing without isolating yourself. When the Spirit of God is invited to give us inner strength, it will win over “the flesh” every time. Our out-of-control emotions lose their strength and are replaced by good instincts. Some with a non-Biblical view find this ideology suppressive. Suppressing “natural” instincts is bad for people. The truth is that most of the time, when men and women act on instinct, whether it is anger, sexual desires, hurtful words, or other impulses, they regret it. Regret is a strong, stressful, negative emotion that wears us down. Getting help to do the right thing, so we do not have to live with the consequences of an impulsive decision, is a healthier way to live. It reduces stress in our lives and helps us build self-love and confidence. Many people who have converted to Christianity and received the spirit experience a change in their desires. Their hearts are attracted to and more in line with the Spirit and Christ. This inside change cannot be scientifically explained. Jesus compared it to “the wind”. (John 3) You cannot see it, but it is there, and you know because of the work it does. You see it changing the person who receives it. It changes our instincts. Non-Christians often think that most Christians are constantly fighting temptations they themselves give in to, and they cannot imagine having to become a Christian and constantly denying themselves. Many Christians have experienced only a superficial conversion. But in a genuine one, where the Spirit has truly been imparted, temptations are weakened, and desires do change. The converted will not feel the same way about the same temptations as they did before they were converted. The unbeliever, therefore, does not understand the believer and what the driving force behind them is. To add to that, the power of conversion lies in the great hope, love, and inspiration of the Christian experience, which empowers them and makes them feel less helpless. If you are happy and at peace, it is easier to be good and do good. The Christian faith, therefore, gives many renewed strengths. Perhaps it can be compared to a man and a woman falling in love. When love is at its strongest between them, they become more alike and change without realizing it, becoming more at one with each other. All they want is to be together as much as possible. Everything they experience is better with the other person there, or they feel hollow. It is a similar love that pulls a Christian towards Christ and change.
5. Do Not Fear Change Christ is not a stationary destination. He is a destination that is always on the move. Everything in the universe is constantly moving. The Earth spins around itself and around the sun, the solar system moves through the galaxy, and the galaxy moves within the universe. In God’s universe, things move and connect. A Christian who thinks their journey ends at the cross will eventually end up “living by the flesh”. If you wish to find clean water, you must look for running water. Water must be in motion in some way to be fit for consumption. Everything good is in motion. God’s people need to be in motion. An individual who does not progress will self-destruct.
To be free from whatever holds us down or captivates us, we need to see change as the door to our freedom and not a door to destruction. A Christian should always want to progress, learn more, and continue the journey they started. Someone who is stuck in a trauma response, or is controlled in some way and needs freedom, must view change differently than they have. Many people fear change. Those who have suffered long-term affliction will often resist change because they are afraid that what comes next will be worse than what they are currently coping with. It happens that abused people do not leave their abuser for fear that the world out there will harm them more. Although they have it bad, they still manage to fear the unknown more. Those who break free from abuse usually end up saying death is better than their current situation, and at that moment, they take control because the worst thing they have feared is now looking like a better option. It is sad when it must come to that. The fear of the unknown holds us in abusive relationships. Some Christians are stuck inside sects, having been taught that God will leave them if they leave it. Usually, they have to accept the idea of possible eternal damnation to set themselves free. The amount of desperation involved in making such a decision is not to be underestimated. Others know they will lose their job, their family, and their position in life if they want to free themselves from the suppression they are in. Change can be hard, but it is the only way to be liberated from a suppressive relationship or situation. For trauma survivors, daring to seek change will slowly get them out of their trauma response. Many long-term trauma survivors fear change because they have no confidence that they can handle what will come their way, and they have lost trust in God to help them. If you are such a person or know one, practically helping them regain self-confidence and trust in themselves and in God must be considered the best way to help them. Starting with simple challenges and building up to bigger ones might be the best approach. Conquering one small fear is training to conquer a bigger one. For instance, if someone is afraid to choose a path of change to save themselves from trauma-response behavior or abuse, find something smaller they fear they can conquer first. As an example, if they fear heights, this can be used as a tool to help them. First, climb a small rock. Find heights that are safe and secure. Teach them that their feelings cannot always be trusted after trauma and abuse. Do it repeatedly until they feel in control at that height. Then choose a slightly higher spot and continue until they feel in control and less scared in those situations. This brief practical training will help the individual learn to trust their ability to discern and make decisions, rather than being a slave to fear. When what they feared does not happen in the small things, it gives them hope that can be applied to other fears. This can be done with many things and in many ways. It is reprogramming the brain and giving the victim power back. If someone is too scared to seek the change that is in their own best interest, do not just give up on them. A baby does not go from lying on its back to running. It goes through stages. First, it learns to turn around, then to lift its upper body, then to crawl, and finally to stand. And once it feels confident in leading its body, it dares to take the first steps. And once they feel confident in their walking and their steps are stable, they start running and jumping. Some kids are brave and skip steps, but still, it is a step-by-step process. If we tried to force a baby that had never stood on its own two feet to run, it would get damaged emotionally and physically. They might also fear the very thing we wanted to teach them, and rightly so, as it hurts them. This is how it is when we are trying to help ourselves, and others make a change. The goal cannot be demanded or expected immediately; if it is, it might cause even more fear and phobias. We think we helped them achieve their goal, but in reality, we pushed the goal further away. If we fear the change we need, and if others fear the change they need, we must help ourselves and them by pointing out the first step and encouraging them to overcome the first challenge on the path forward. For many who are stuck, self-esteem is the first challenge that needs to be trained; without it, the goal can never be obtained. Many think self-esteem is not Christian because it is confused with pride. Pride and self-esteem are not the same thing. Self-esteem is a good force when practiced in love. This principle is apparent when we see that those with the highest self-esteem are not those who bully and control others. Bullies are usually the ones with the lowest self-esteem. When you have good self-esteem, you become self-efficient; you do not need to control others to feel safe. You do not need to put others down, compete with others, or use others to feel valuable. A person with true self-esteem is a problem-solver and can push their body to the extreme. A person with self-esteem will not be so easily pushed from side to side by their surroundings. They do not change with every “wind” (Jam. 1:6). Their faith in God is not easily destroyed. The moment a broken human being learns to trust themselves and God, they can get the tools needed to break free from whatever is holding them down. And if they do not wish to break free for the sake of others, they can remain true to themselves and God in the situation they are in.
Pride is selfish and patronizing. A proud person looks down on others. Pride treats others badly. Pride is threatened by any interference with their thought pattern. It feeds on being superior to others. Pride demands acceptance instead of asking for it. Therefore, pride and self-esteem are not the same. A person with self-esteem wishes for others to have it too because they are not threatened by others’ strength and success. True self-esteem is not competitive; self-esteem can also be the opposite of jealousy. Any form of self-esteem built on others’ failures is not true self-esteem. God wants us to have self-esteem and thrive. Worldly self-esteem is short-lived and depends not on our worth in God’s eyes but on our position in society. Godly self-esteem is not achieved by suppressing others or controlling others; it is trained by challenging and controlling ourselves. If we fall, we take God’s hand and pull ourselves up. It is believing we have worth and that we can improve anything we work on. Many who were subjected to abuse as children have been taught co-dependency. They have been brainwashed and traumatized into thinking they are too weak, too helpless, and too stupid to do anything right. Let alone free themselves and be independent without their abuser. In such cases, the self-esteem they need to have as adults is ruined. This is why they need to learn how to develop this inner tool. It cannot be handed to them with pretty words or a pat on the back. You do not help them by practicing self-esteem on their behalf, for then you just continue a cycle of co-dependency. Instead, you must give them the opportunity for practical, hands-on training. Any child growing up with healthy self-esteem develops it subconsciously over many years and through many experiences. A teenager or an adult will need just as much time to develop after it has been systematically broken down. A healthy child does not even have the disadvantage of trauma when learning. A grown person has the disadvantage of being broken down or learning the wrong things, and then having to build themselves up from that unfortunate starting point. Naturally, it might take time, patience, and more than one opportunity to train. Repetition is the key to making any change. If we want to memorize something, we need to read it repeatedly. We have to train our brains to memorize, or we will forget it easily. Likewise, if we want to change a negative pattern, we too have to repeat the new pattern over and over again until the brain learns to think and react differently. For example, if you fear heights, choose one specific place that triggers that fear. Keep going there often. Sit there for a longer and longer period of time. Sit closer and closer. Slowly, you will notice the body being less alert and less stressed, and the brain will have a different reaction to the view. If you go there only once or twice, too close to the edge, and then run in fear, you have only strengthened your phobia and will likely fear heights even more afterward. Repetition and gradations of challenge are the only ways to change a mental pattern. See the healthy change and start facing it slowly and repeatedly until the brain begins to change its reactions and instincts.
Why can’t God create that change in our minds when we come to Him? He can, and occasionally He will, if there is no other way. But there is a reason He wants us to take part in our healing. God wants to help anyone who comes to Him, but He does not wish to “take over” their or our lives. God wants His children to succeed, grow, and prosper. He cannot help anyone do this by doing everything for them, removing every challenge and obstacle, and only saying what they want to hear. So, God allows mankind to face challenges so they can become stronger and be a force for good in the world. Physical and mental strength work similarly. To make a muscle stronger, you need to use it repeatedly. The more you add challenges to the muscle and repeat, the stronger it gets. Then you can use that muscle strength for a wide range of activities beyond the training. It is the same way with mental strength if done properly. Practicing helps build healthy self-esteem, which helps someone manage their life well. We seek change to grow. We challenge ourselves to become stronger. Fearing change only harms us. If we desire a change in our lives and it seems impossible to achieve, start with the little things first. Let the goal hang out there in the distance first. Train your self-esteem, learn to trust that God is wishing you well, and then start walking forward. The worst self-esteem a Christian can have, and that is bad for their spiritual life, is the self-confidence that we do not need God in our lives and that we can atone for our sins ourselves. This is a different situation. God wants to guide and help us, but if He does not let us help train our mind and body ourselves, He creates codependency, and we will become unhappy. The whole point of training is to help us be happy and feel needed and wanted. If God does everything for us, this will not be the result. We will fear God, not love Him. Being idle and helpless has never brought anyone happiness. When Moses lost his confidence, God still found a way to use him and help him regain it for the greater good. At first, Moses had Aron speak on his behalf. He let Aron throw the staff that turned into a serpent, even though God had taught him how to do it. For a while, Aaron kept speaking on Moses’ behalf, but eventually Moses became brave and confident enough to speak directly to both the people and the pharaoh. You could say Moses showed a little lack of faith to begin with, but God was patient with him and gave him the time and help he needed to reach his full potential. From being scared and letting his brother speak on his behalf to becoming one of the greatest biblical leaders and speakers in history, it has been quite the journey. Everyone has a journey. We just need to keep moving forward.
6. Practice your faith It is nothing but self-deception to think that we can believe in something without acting on that belief. If we do not think we can succeed at something, we will not try. If we think we can do something, we will. Our actions tell us what we believe about ourselves, others, and God. In society and in our day, people often say what they wish were true or what they would like to be true, thinking it will somehow become true. If we want to move forward, we have to take physical steps. Like James said: “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works” (James 2:18) What you do with “your hand” strengthens “your mind”. If you choose to do what is wrong, it will, over time, change how you think and reason. The “hand” (our actions) and “the mind” (our thoughts and decisions) are connected. It is the same way with that which is good. If you choose to do what is right, it will strengthen your mind. Paul describes in the Book of Hebrews many God-fearing heroes who act on their faith. (Heb.11) For a long time, deceitful preachers have taught their congregation that God only asks of us a conversion of the mind. But in the Bible, what we do will affect our minds either negatively or positively. Acting out our faith establishes our faith in our hearts and minds. Those who only believe with “their mind” will fall away from the faith at some point. These are the laws of God’s creation. To offer a simple illustration: if you tell yourself you want healthy vegetables but then eat candy, your mind and body know you did not get what you needed. You can tell your body that the candy was healthy, but it will still treat it as unhealthy. We cannot fool ourselves with words. For someone who needs to get out of victimhood or a trauma response, understanding this is critical. You cannot wish and long for freedom while at the same time doing the things that imprison you. Do not be stuck in your head. You have power in “the hand,” and every so often, “the hand” needs to teach the brain, while other times the brain needs to teach “the hand”. Make sure to act toward your goal rather than just think about it. Take one step at a time. Ask for help if you need it. Take a big step if that is the right step. Just take a step forward. Say it, then work towards it or do it, and then the word will be established.
7. Do Not Give the Responsibility for Your Healing to Others. It can be important for many to get help in the healing process, but do not give up your responsibility. It is understandable that many dread responsibilities, especially if they lack self-esteem, but taking responsibility also means taking control of the solution. If we practice “learned helplessness” in our healing, we will never find it. When someone has been hurt, neglected, or wounded, they often desperately want to see a change in the person who harmed them before they can find peace. If we make our peace dependent on that, then we are placing our healing in the hands of those who wronged us, people who may never repent. It is not a good approach to make our freedom dependent on those who hurt us. We may wishfully hope to change ourselves by changing others’ responses to us, but instead of finding healing, we end up beating our heads against a wall, trying to change others in order to feel better ourselves. What self-destructive deception it is to believe that changing others will somehow change us. It has never worked, yet people keep trying, only to fail. To find true peace, we should seek the change we need in ourselves, no matter the surroundings. As Christians, we can find communion with Christ, and let that inspire us instead. On this earth, our surroundings and the people we will meet will never be perfect. If you are dependent on people having the perfect response to you and on them making the perfect decision to do the right things yourself, you set yourself up for failure. Accept that life is unfair: some people are heartless, some will not repent, some will not understand you, and some people will not care, no matter how much you want them to. If you think you must convince those around you to change in order to find your own change or relief, let that go right now. You can do the right thing even if others do not. Do not let your healing and health depend on people who hurt you. Take responsibility for your healing. Be who you want to be without waiting for your surroundings to change. If you want others to change, inspire them with your change, but you have to change first. As bad as it sounds, do not give God sole responsibility for your healing either. He wants to help you, but He cannot act on your behalf, any more than pushing weights will give another person bigger muscle mass. You need to participate and take responsibility for your healing. God will be right there by your side to help you, but you are responsible for making the decision.
8. Do Not Punish Yourself. A house in conflict with itself cannot stand. “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand” (Matt. 12:25) Someone who is abused often punishes themselves. If we are at war with ourselves, our house cannot stand. The worst enemy we ever face is ourselves. People who have been abused and harmed have not been taught to love themselves, and so they find temporary relief in turning against themselves. This might seem strange to someone with a healthy upbringing, but those who have not had that privilege understand it very well. Those who grow up in unloving homes and have suffered neglect, bullying, and abuse can, as teenagers and adults, self-harm by cutting themselves, punishing themselves, and verbally mocking and speaking down upon themselves. Within that group of victims, many start abusing drugs, as it partially relieves them of their need to harm themselves. It is still another form of self-abuse, even if the drug user considers it to be self-medication. Self-aggression is a way to take control over one’s own pain. It is the reason many victims become abusers as well. By switching roles and becoming the abuser, they manage, in a heartless way, to detach themselves from the fear and vulnerability of being a victim. The person who self-abuses finds relief similarly, but instead of finding a victim, they become both the abuser and the victim. They take on both roles; this, too, gives a sense of control and identity. Self-abuse often happens when a person feels they have embarrassed themselves or done something stupid. It could also be that they feel rejected or ignored by someone. Wanting to feel good again and helpless so they do not have to feel responsible for their behavior, they bring out the abuser role to create the victim role and thereby find balance and temporary relief. The problem is that if, when you grow up, you do not have good lessons on how to deal with problems in a healthy way, you are inclined to deal with them unhealthily. Our bodies cannot be tricked. We were not created for a world of sin, but our bodies have adjusted. It demands relief when hurt. So, adults, children, and teenagers find many ways to relieve the pressure on themselves. If we do not receive the right guidance early on, we will use the wrong methods. Not only do people with multiple personality disorders divide themselves into different roles. It is very normal for a self-abuser to do the same when they become both the abuser and the victim and role-play it repeatedly. Self-harm and self-hate are ways to dissociate from the real issue. It can give momentary relief because the person who does it feels in control and gets a rush of adrenaline, which helps them get back up and continue their daily lives. But they will never truly be happy because they live in an abusive relationship with themselves. The problem is momentarily relieved, but not solved. The person who self-harms continues doing so repeatedly because it is not a solution in itself. Rather, they are stuck in a cycle that is very hard to break free from. It becomes an addiction because it gives off hormones and a false sense of calm afterward. Unfortunately, some thrive in the abuser role even though the only person they are abusing is themselves. It makes them feel strong enough to handle life’s challenges. For a mentally healthy individual, this might not make sense, but it is very common. To get out of this self-destructive cycle, we need to find self-love and self-care. To forgive ourselves when we have done something wrong. For those who have never experienced parental love, this is very hard. For a Christian, however, this love can be experienced through God as a father. If we are willing to see the great value we hold in His eyes, His willingness to forgive and heal our wounds can inspire us to deal with ourselves better, too. Rather than finding relief in reenacting the abuser-abused role to deal with momentary pain, we can find relief with God. He can be the strong one who protects us, shows compassion, and loves us despite our mistakes. Many who become Christians and have a conversion will experience a natural desire not to self-abuse. If faith in God falters, however, a Christian might go back to their old ways. A strong belief in God’s love can, therefore, help us out of the cycle of self-abuse. Love is a powerful tool for healing. Accepting God’s love for us also means accepting our worth. If we need to be punished for something, we should leave that in God’s hands. He most often chooses mercy, which can be hard to accept for someone who self-abuses, because it goes against what their body and instincts are used to. Again, we see “the flesh” working against the spirit to our downfall. Here too, a believer should reject “the flesh” and choose to be led by God’s spirit instead. You might not feel worthy of mercy. You might not feel deserving of it. You might want punishment to feel at ease, or feel that being the bad guy is your identity. Yet you must reject these feelings and accept God’s love. For a wounded person, this can be hard, but once they do, they will find freedom.
The Christians who have done self-abuse before becoming Christians are at risk. When their faith falters, by instinct, God is placed in the position of an abuser. This way, they can re-enact the role-playing they feel gives them relief. They might also preach God as an abuser to others, thinking it will save them. God often deals with damaged people who misrepresent Him. It is part of life. Some who lose sight of God’s love may develop a fearful relationship with God, in which God becomes a watcher, waiting to see if they fail. Fearing that He is noticing every little imperfection so that He can use it to harm and punish you. This is how they grew up with an authority figure, so it comes naturally to expect this behavior from God. Then they hurry and punish themselves, thinking this will please God. This is just another way of reacting to the abuse-abuser situation. God, being strong and in authority, becomes the natural choice for an abuser. There are many Christians who have an abusive relationship with God that is self-created, and that God is not really a part of. It is an imaginary relationship where they have given it to God to play out the role-play they are used to. Unfortunately, sometimes when God answers their prayer, they take it as confirmation that God is who they imagine Him to be. In these cases, it is essential to understand who God is so that we do not impose on Him a character or personality that is not His. Understanding this is part of the path to healing for a Christian trauma survivor. A self-harming Christian happens, and usually, it is because they have given God an abusive role in their life so that they can maintain their identity as a victim. It is a complicated matter, as a self-abuser is both a victim and abuser, and their victimhood can lie in identifying themselves as the bad guy while desiring mercy as the victim. It is destructive to try to place a God inside this game. Some do to God what they do to themselves, and God is considered not only their abuser but also their victim, perfectly continuing the circle of punishing themselves for being a “bad Christian” and then becoming “God’s victim” after completing self-punishment and hurting. This is a mental health problem; it is not Christianity. All of this is damaging; any type of self-abuse is damaging. Witnessing falsehoods about God to ourselves is also damaging and does not lead us to salvation. Instead, we push away the one who can help us. By taking responsibility for our mistakes and faults, we can apologize, seek pardon, and move on. Following the sanctuary pattern God has set up. A Christian has little right to take revenge on themselves outside of God’s court system. A Christian needs to understand that we have no right to punish ourselves or others on God’s behalf. God says we are precious to Him, our lives and our existence. We are not allowed to abuse ourselves. God does not desire for us to abuse ourselves, and it becomes clear when we read the following verse: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1Co 3:16-17). We cannot gain credit in the courts of heaven for having put ourselves on trial and judged ourselves. That is not how God’s court works. Yet for someone who self-abuses, this idea can seem terrifying, because self-punishment gives a sense of control, and they often fear authority figures more than they fear themselves. If you experience this or know someone who does, help them understand that God is not like their abuser and that He is a merciful judge ready to forgive and move forward. In many instances, God is more merciful toward us than we are toward ourselves. Trust in God’s mercy can help stop self-harm. Remember, when you are hard on yourself, you will tend to be hard on others too. It is not a private matter.
Earthly courts work the same way; we cannot pick our punishment and execute it ourselves. Imagine if someone did something wrong toward you and they cut themselves in front of you and said, “Are you happy now?” You would rather see proper justice or forgive them. To take an extreme example: If someone abused your child, you would wish that person to be held accountable. Watching them punch themselves in the face would hardly give you or your child that closure. Nor does it reflect true repentance. Christians who punish themselves may be trying to avoid the punishment they fear. When you are punished by others, you are not in control. When you punish yourself, you feel in control because you become your own victim and can decide when to stop. It is just another fear reaction. This response to our sin is neither holy nor acceptable to God. He wants us to break free of self-abuse and self-punishment and trust that we can leave it to Him to be fair and compassionate. God is not our abuser, nor does He wish to be. When God punishes, it is not abuse; it is justice. If you are judged, it is because you did harm someone, not for God to satisfy some self-needed aggression like a narcissistic abuser does. An abuser is usually out of control, does not follow rules, is unfair, takes their issues out on others, and needs to push someone down to feel better themselves. God is none of these things. He uses order and systems; He will only be fair; He does not have issues; rather, He is dealing with our issues with each other, and He has no need to push others down to feel better about Himself. He wants humans to succeed, excel, and be strong and healthy. God does not punish as an abuser does, and so a damaged person does not have to fear God as they would their abuser. God punishes only fairly and by order. A victim feels powerless in an abusive relationship in part because they cannot predict when, why, or how the abuser will strike. So, they “walk on eggshells” for the abuser, never knowing when they might have done something to anger them. God is apparent, and it is the reason He does not need people to “walk on eggshells» for Him. He has written law. He says we are judged by this law, and we are given the right to know its words, how it works, and even when a punishment is given. In addition to making a law clearly expressing His definition of «fair,» we are given a chance at pardon if we wish to change. Nothing is unexpected or a surprise, unless we have deceived ourselves or decided to be bad. A thief might go “on eggshells,” scared to be caught, but he knows he is doing something wrong and that he will be judged; he has willingly decided to take the risks. A narcissist might “walk on eggshells,” worried his lies will be exposed, but he continues anyway. This is not the type of “eggshell” a victim walks on around an abuser. Those who harm others should fear the Lord’s judgment as much as they do the earthly government. It must not be confused with an abuser-victim relationship.
A court system on earth is not an abuser either. Because it has a law, we know it is not trying to abuse anyone when it judges according to it. They are just preserving peace in society and preventing a person from further damaging their surroundings. It is the same way with God. God’s law is evidence that God’s reign is a justice system, not “an abusive father and his children”. No one can stand before an earthly court and tell the judge that the whole trial is unnecessary because they will punish themselves instead. This is lawlessness at its best. No court with respect for itself will accept this, and neither does God.
A court does not judge because it hates, despises, or wants to humiliate the defendant. It just wants to obtain justice and order. Neither does God judge because He hates someone. The difference is that a court is unbiased in its judgment. It focuses on the crime, not on the perpetrator’s personal feelings. God’s love for mankind, knowing each person’s story, is biased toward saving them and giving them the chance of a pardon. An earthly court lacks love, but it can see potential and wish for the accused’s well-being and his rehabilitation. Self-harm is not a reenactment of a court system or of God’s court; it is just a reenactment of abuse. It is driven by self-loathing, and it is blind. Thus, God does not desire or want His children to self-punish or self-harm. Rather, if we do feel sorry about something we said or experienced, we can reflect and seek His guidance. Self-harm is not humility; it is aggression and the desire for control. It does not go well in a relationship with God, for we play God when doing it. The word translated as “God” in the Bible is Elohim, which simply means judge. If we judge ourselves, we are gods to ourselves. “For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God” (1.John 3:20).
Self-harm is a rejection of God’s court system and sanctuary. We are sitting in His temple, playing gods. This is a great shame, for in God’s sanctuary, the sin was transferred to the animal, and the animal was sacrificed in our place. Christ took our punishment so that we could go free. These sacrifices represented Christ’s sacrifice for us. At its worst, self-harm is rejecting Christ’s sacrifice for us. He took our punishment to save us. A Christian needs to consider this before self-harming: that they take their sins out of Christ’s hands when He is about to pay for them and put them back on themselves. A victim of abuse is used to having to be the sin-bearer and take the guilt of others’ sins. It can therefore be a great inner battle to go against «the flesh» and trained instincts to let Christ take their sin and be punished in their place. In a strange way, Christ «steals» what had been their role. And so they refuse Christ and make Him the abuser instead, so that they can uphold the role-play of their abuse. Then they are lost. For God, this must be devastating, wanting to especially save the damaged and weak, only to see them refuse His gift and portray Him as an offender. A Christian who has these issues needs to deny themselves and give their sins to Christ. They must accept the role God has given them, to be loved. They are no longer to be sin-bearers for their abusers. Understand that Christ taking on a role you have carried does not make you the abuser. Understand that God and others, even ourselves, are not meant to follow patterns created by sick and sinful people. Let God give you freedom from self-abuse, from splitting your personality into either victim or abuser, or both at once. Leave all of this behind. Learn to know God as He truly is. Let Christ take your sin and the punishment for it. You are not an abuser for making Christ your sin-bearer, for Christ took it willingly because He loves you and is your Father. It is a self-sacrifice for His children, something an abused child has never experienced before. Understanding and learning these concepts properly for the first time is important to get out of the abusive, self-abusive situation and find freedom. If you are helping such a person, telling them God is a «father» and «loves you» is not enough. More knowledge about what this means is needed. They do not have the instincts or knowledge of what this truly means. Knowledge and experience are therefore key. It is sad that sometimes those most hurt by sin are also those who struggle the most to receive Christ’s sacrifice. God knows this and is willing to work extra hard for these people. He knows it is not evil or hatred towards Him that keeps them away, but a learned behavior. The solution is to unlearn this behavior. It does not take just words, but practice and repetition as well. Many victims of abuse will not be in heaven because they could never free themselves from their roles. For the Christian who is damaged like this and wishes to be with God, there is only one way to do it. There is no salvation outside of Christ. In the end, we decide and choose between our role-play and the real Christ. Christ offers freedom. Our role-playing will destroy us. A house «in conflict with itself will not remain standing.” “But if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed». (Matt.12:25; Joh. 8:32)
Satan’s best tactic for causing hurt and confusion is to turn the roles around. He did it with God, portraying God with his character traits and himself with God’s character. Satan claimed to be the defender of individual freedom, but suppressed all those who opposed him. God allowed Satan to speak, and Satan silences those who preach Christ. Satan claims God is a dictator, but it is he who acts like a dictator. God has a justice system with thousands upon thousands of witnesses going through all his judgments. Satan works, and judges, and strikes in the dark.
Satan claimed to be God’s victim unjustly. Just because God would not change His law and rule to suit Satan’s ambitions, Satan claimed to be treated badly. In the end, all the misery and confusion he created, he blamed God for. Many people follow Satan’s lead in claiming victimhood wrongly. They deprive the real victims of their right to compensation. Our built-in desire for justice is so great that when someone says they are a victim and switches roles with the true victim, many will believe them. A real long-term victim will be insecure and struggle to ask for their rights; a false victim is often loud and demanding. It is therefore important to understand the difference between being a victim and unjustly claiming victimhood. Currently, the world is flooded with people claiming victimhood, whether because of race, gender, sexual preference, or religion. People are easily offended, and tensions are rising worldwide, especially in the West.
Although both men and women use victimhood as a weapon, women are masters of it. (Isa.3:12) There is perhaps a logic behind it. A study shows that commonly, the «body strength of women has been reported as being a substantially lower percentage than that of men.”(https://scholar.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/brzycki/files/mb-2002-01.pdf) Throughout the earth’s history, a woman has not stood a chance against a grown man physically. A man would pick up the woman like a woman would a child. This has caused women to seek shelter and protection from other men, which is reflected in the effect written about in Genesis. Part of the curse of bringing sin into the world would be her having to choose protection: “And thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee” (Gen.3:16) It being a curse shows there was equality before. If the woman had no enemies, she would not desire a man’s protection. The love would be purely love-based. The word “desire” is a word that also means ”longing”. The woman will long for the protection she gets from a man. Six thousand years later, amid female empowerment and independence, women still desire romantic stories in which the man is strong and protective. Feminists can’t seem to beat their instincts and desire for safety from men. Today’s technology and world order, in part, provide them with this safety, which is why it took our age in world history for women to seek independence on a larger scale.
Women are more likely to manipulate by playing on emotions then men are.
A survival show on television led by the famous Bear Grylls placed a group of normal women on one island and a group of normal men on another. They wanted to see how each group would survive in a primitive setting. The women had to be rescued several times by the TV producers; they chose poor solutions and were less resourceful. The men on the other island were thriving, happy, and building structures that helped their survival. It was clear to most of the viewers that men and women possess different strengths and skills tied to their gender. Although modern feminism refutes this observation, it is refuting the obvious. Denying a fact does not make it any less true. Generally speaking, living as the weaker gender has caused some women to find their strength in manipulation, knowing they cannot compete with men physically. If they can control a man, they have his physical strength at their disposal. As the physically stronger gender, men have always carried the responsibility that comes with that strength, being considerate and protective toward those who are weaker. The same situation plays out between a woman and a child. If a child gets physical, a woman cannot retaliate in kind without it being unfair. A man faces the same dilemma with women. If a woman hits him, he cannot hit back because the difference in strength makes it an unequal fight. So, although there are many men who claim victimhood to get ahead, it is more women who do it. Many women have learned to use manipulation to control their surroundings and bend others to their will. A female manipulator raises her voice to attract attention. A woman who screams is usually considered a victim by default. A female manipulator will pretend to be weak if she wants a man or a system to protect and defend her. Many female psychopaths are known for their tears, and many men still think female tears are evidence of her needing protection. They act on male protective instincts. Unfortunately, people still assume that if a woman cries, she must be the victim. Women also do this to other women. Although this is not the case with all women, women who claim victimhood wrongly are a huge societal problem. Whoever they hurt or harm, they quickly take on the role of a defenseless victim to gain protection. The roles are switched, and the victim is considered the perpetrator. A man is often defenseless in such a situation because, being the weaker gender, any doubt usually benefits the woman. Many men have been wrongfully judged because of it.
The whole world paid close attention to a trial between two Hollywood actors. Both claimed to be victims of the other. The trial received a lot of attention because most people have seen how many women win the credibility contest against men, just because they are the weaker gender. Because they cry and are emotional. The hatred the female, in this case, received was part of a male uprising, men who had been silenced. Thousands of men all over the world told their stories of how they did not stand a chance against a woman’s lies because the woman was always believed. Countless stories come from abused men who cannot fight back and must live with a woman being considered their victim. For the first time in the public eye, the female manipulator and all her traits became obvious to the viewer. And many men, who knew they could never win in their situation, felt a sense of justice when the man in the trial won. This was because this type of situation rarely goes in the man’s favor, and if there had not been tape recordings exposing her, it would probably not have gone in his favor either. The weight of evidence usually rests on a man when there is an accusation between a couple. In a relationship, a man is often guilty until proven innocent, while a woman is innocent until proven guilty. This is the reality of many men’s struggles, and male victims rarely receive kindness.
This is a problem more commonly addressed in the West, but of course, in many cases and nations, it is the man who is believed and sympathized with. This causes equal distress, whether it is the woman who is not believed or the man.
Narcissists use victimhood
Although many women tend to manipulate rather than use physical dominance, this behavior is seen among both genders. Many people, once they have inflicted harm, quickly claim victimhood, leaving others confused as to who the real victim is. This confusion leads people to be reluctant to take sides, and the real victim is left with the abuser. The victim is also often denied help and sympathy. Narcissistic people typically inflict harm, and when confronted, they quickly take on a victim role until they have received support. Once people withdraw from the situation, they are free to continue the abuse. The true victim has learned that speaking up or seeking help will only empower the narcissist and further harm them, and so they remain in their grip in a «learned helplessness» condition. It is therefore important for Christians who are told to free the oppressed to understand and learn the difference between a real victim and someone using victimhood to control their surroundings.
Victimhood for power
A real victim can use fear to try to control their surroundings, such as the fear of abandonment or the fear of not being cared for or heard. However, even if someone is a victim, this is not a healthy way to live or receive attention.
Someone who claims victimhood to get advantages is growing in society. In the US, we see examples of women claiming to have black ancestry when they do not. Women who claim to have Native American ancestry when they do not. Alicia Esteve Head was infamously known for being a 911 survivor, but later it was proven she was not even there when the terror happened. She managed to become president of a large survivor group before everything was exposed. So, those claiming false heritage gained position and power from their claims. In most cases, it has been women making these false victimhood claims to gain something. They desire the rights and sympathy afforded to minorities, and fighting against a claim of oppression that does not exist in their own lives gives them a sense of power. If they are victims, they feel they can control what others say and do. To explain it simply: victimhood gives power to the manipulator, but victimhood is disempowering for the real victim. It has two different manifestations and results.
Victimhood – when and how to help
Another group constantly claiming victimhood is the LGBTQIA+ community. They have indeed suffered discrimination in society. But many groups have. Being misgendered is considered a great offense, yet they label other people against their will with no problem. The double standard of this community is visible to anyone with a sense of justice and logic. Their rights are usually to deprive others of their rights. Their identity wants recognition at the cost of others’ identities. Many in this community are real victims of abuse. But they have taken their unresolved issues, made public false imagery of their traumas, and demanded the world revolve around their needs. The issue with this community’s claimed victimhood is that it is suppressive towards others. This is the typical trait of those who use victimhood to control their surroundings. Therefore, we can see who the weak and broken are that we are to help by how they express their victimhood and their demands. The fruit exposes the tree. If we side with someone who claims victimhood and uses it to suppress other people’s rights, we are not doing God’s bidding, even if that person is a victim. We are to help victims heal, not to help them pay their trauma forward or continue the abuse they have suffered by making new victims. We need to know the difference.
If a victim is driven by contempt for others’ worth to achieve goals and to control others to go against their conscience, you can be sure it is not your Christian duty to help them.
A real victim can be confused and on the wrong mission. Many victims are genuinely confused. A victim, whether it is real or not, should not control others. A real victim is motivated by fear, and a false victim or a victim becoming an abuser is motivated by the desire to control. And both fear and the desire for control can manifest in the same way. Because victimhood is toxic for both the victim and their surroundings, fighting for people’s right to remain in victimhood is damaging. This is not kindness, and it is not Christianity. Empowering people in a healthy way helps them out of victimhood. We are not to take sides with whoever cries the loudest; not every victim’s quest is justified by their being a victim. We are to be fair and fight for what is good. Everyone knows that many victims become abusers. Being a victim does not make someone holy. A victim should not automatically be sided with. Many victims are bad people, whether intentionally or not. When a victim does something wrong, it has to be called wrong. When a perpetrator does something right, it is still right. We must never confuse right and wrong. If someone dislikes another, they can usually do nothing right in their eyes. Likewise, when someone loves another, they can do no wrong. This should not be a Christian way of viewing life and people. A good deed is good, and a bad deed is bad, regardless of who does it. It is the act itself that is either good or bad. The bad person may have bad intentions when doing a good act. But if he feeds someone who is starving, it does not really matter if he is good or bad. The starving being fed is still a good act. If a good Christian spreads false rumors and ruins someone’s reputation, it is not relevant whether he has done many good deeds or held many good sermons. The wrongful act is not made holy because the person is genuinely a nice person. By judging this way, justice is blinded and distorted, and people feel they can weigh their bad deeds against their good deeds. This is a path that will leave us doomed in the courts of heaven.
Manipulation is usually a way to make others do what you want them to.
Satan uses our faulty understanding to his advantage by having bad people do good things and tempting good people to do bad things. In this way, he can confuse good and bad. He would even assist and make sure that a bad person has money to do good charity, if it could cause confusion. Satan blesses pastors and priests who lie and harm, just to cause confusion. Is God blessing evil? Is he siding with those who hurt us? Never, but it can seem that way for many years until real justice comes. When we do not deal with our sins the right way, it will not work in the long run. We can call good evil and evil good for a while, but in the end, time will expose the truth. God warned: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isa. 5:20.) There is no blessing in choosing what appears to be the «easy way out». The only way to atone for sin is through the merits of Christ, through the heavenly priestly sanctuary system. Sin must be admitted, addressed, and called by its right name. There is no «jumping the fence» to get a free pass. We need to humble ourselves to be lifted.
Parents Taking the Victim Role. In society today, many parents are failing their children through the constant pursuit of careers, money, and new relationships. When a natural abandonment response appears in the child, these parents seek a behavioral diagnosis rather than addressing their own selfishness. A selfish parent would rather have a diagnosis that stigmatizes their child than admit their fault or allow abuse to become known. It has become almost an epidemic in the West for neglected and abused children to be labeled as mentally ill. Even in nuclear families, victim roles are switched. In all parts of society, we see people not taking accountability and instead blaming the victim or switching roles. Satan is ruining families, and he is ruining children.
True and False victimhood – The difference People cannot seem to handle guilt in a healthy way anymore, which is why assuming victimhood has become so popular. A real victim is suppressed by victimhood and desires freedom for themselves; a manufactured victim uses victimhood to suppress and control others. Learning the difference is essential to helping the real victims, and there are a growing number of them. A good understanding of these things can liberate the truly oppressed, helping them differentiate, recognize their worth, and understand that God is not behind any of the wrongful acts committed against them.
In the book of Ezekiel, we learn how God wants to care for His church. It is a setting where chaos has taken over His congregation. The leaders no longer reflect God’s love for mankind. «Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?»
A church and its leadership should be like a hospital for those afflicted by sin. God’s accusation against the unfaithful shepherds is: «The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.»
A church should be a hospital for the soul, not make people sick.
He blames them for only caring about their own needs. He says they live off their congregation and «clothe you with the wool». Because they did not protect their members, God says: «And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.» The scattering of Christians is painfully true in our day and age. People are running from church to church, from teacher to teacher, from leader to leader, seeking God’s word. Everyone is in disagreement with everyone. And while scattered, the devil has had the opportunity to destroy them. They became «meat to all the beasts». He also accuses them of not «searching for» the afflicted, not caring what happens to those who live in distress. They are not concerned about people’s fate. They do not seek them or inquire about them. «Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock …For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep …I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment» (Ezekiel 34:1-16) Nowhere do we see God accusing His sheep for being «driven away», for being «broken», or for being «sick». Rather, He says He wants to heal them and care for them.
God is the perfect shepherd and is portrayed as such in both the Old and New Testaments. Christ told a parable similar to the one in the book of Ezekiel. «For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish» (Matt.18:11-14)
In the world, our value is tied to our accomplishments and success. With God, our value is that we are His creation, His children that He loves. He understands pain and wounds, and He does not blame us for being hurt, but He wants us to find peace and healing. The Bible does not teach us to despise weakness but to care for the weak. «And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ» (1Co 8:11-12)
The heathen world teaches survival of the fittest in every aspect of life. The Bible values the weak and the unsuccessful equally, and asks us to do the same. “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and oppressed.” (Psalm 82:3)
It is our carnal hearts that blame the victim and despise and fear weakness in others. It is the carnal heart that seeks the popular and the celebrated. Furthermore, it is the carnal heart that seeks to elevate our own worth by mingling with the admired. When our hearts are filled with the Spirit, we will see all people as equally worthy. Our time and care should not be given only to those from whom we wish to gain something. (Luke 14:12) Uplifting the broken, opening our homes to the forgotten, and sharing our success with those less fortunate: this is Christianity. Every “sheep counts”. In Christianity, it should not be survival of the fittest, but rather the strong helping the weak move forward, and the weak blessing the strong. Everyone has something to contribute, even the despised and rejected. It is our mission as Christians to seek the potential and worth in all people. There is no person we cannot learn something from, and no interaction we cannot grow from. It is often through those most different from us, those in different circumstances or with different experiences, that we grow the most. Those who only reflect us and our own lives offer us less personal growth. To grow, we need to constantly add information and knowledge, not just preserve what we have. Approaching people outside our comfort zone can even help us become more confident. When we see each person’s worth despite their circumstances and struggles, we help Christ in His work. Every individual has value, regardless of what they have been through. If we do not wish to care for the hurting among us, we resemble the unfaithful shepherds, the unfaithful goats, and the unfaithful servants found throughout Christ’s stories.
