A Biblical fact found in Genesis 3:15 that explains the terrible rancor existing between the members of the Body of Christ and the many members of the non-believing community, is often overlooked. An important part of the curse included the far-reaching reality that the Creator God told Adam and Eve their disobedience had brought an age long, hostile rift or “enmity” between the Seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. Most understand that this has significant reference to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, but then do not consider the possibility of its application to the human disciples that make up the two opposing camps associated with the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan.

The word “enmity” means hostility, hatred, or enemy. Since the Genesis curse, this violent discordancy between the disciples of the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan has been present in every generation. It shows up in the murder of Abel, the first prophet.  It shows up again in the pre-Flood condition called the “days of Noah.” It is repeatedly prevalent throughout the Old Testament history of Israel and Judea. It nowhere more pronounced than in the life of Christ, and He quickly identifies the foundational nature of the two sides in John 8:30-47.

In this passage Jesus is embroiled in an aggressive confrontation with a segment of the Pharisees near Jerusalem. Of course, in most instances, the Pharisees are typical of human contrived, reason driven religion devoid of truth and godliness, but nowhere in the New Testament is this more pronounced than in this example. True Christianity, at least in the ultimate sense, cannot be referred to as religion, not at all; it is the divine revelation that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God and the Great Creator, all in One, and that His Word is absolute truth! The mind boggling statement of John Owen, said so long ago, that any institution of worship not ordained of God is not accepted by God is just another way to think about this same Biblical exclusivity.

I know that in our present evolutionarily drunk world this clear Biblical fact is expurgated as being bigoted, insensitive and out of touch. But then, those who feel this way have never seen His glory, experienced His forgiveness, or witnessed answered prayer, and tragically, never will!

Nevertheless, Jesus unambiguously told these religious zealots that they could not be the descendants of Abraham because they did not do the works of Abraham. Moreover, He told them that their father was the devil, and that his works they do. That the devil was a liar from the beginning, and no truth dwells in him, therefore, He told these Pharisees that it was not possible for them to believe His word.  That is why, Jesus explained, they sought to kill Him.  There is no better example of the vast hatred that exists between the two Kingdoms.

Furthermore, Jesus made it quite clear that the ones given to Him by the Father were “hated” by the world, because He was hated. (John 15:18; 17:14) Think it not strange that the world and its systems despise the redeemed, the Word of the Lord and its Author. This is what Dr. Henry M. Morris called the Long War Against God. It is a battle that will never cease until the Prince of Peace comes with healing in His wings.

This enmity surfaced again recently when the lesbian champion, Rosie O’Donnell, aired over the ABC program The View that “Radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam in a country like America where we have separation of church and state.” Does she mean historic, orthodox Christianity? Is she referring to legitimate God fearing Christians who desire to raise their children in the dictates of the Holy Scripture? I’m sure she is! But, for the record, there is a vast disparity in Biblical legitimacy between these kinds of people and members of the Klu Klux Klan or the Jim Jones cult, etc., even though they all appeal to the Bible for their relevance.

In the first place, there was nothing more radical than the cross of Jesus Christ. Greater love has no man than this, than a man lay down His life for His friends. Moreover, genuine, orthodox, conservative Christians will not kill their enemies because they cannot convert them. True Biblical conversion is not a matter of human persuasion or management, but an act of God.

The rise of multiculturalism, pluralism, egalitarianism, political correctness, the myth of separation of church and state, and the promotion of an insufferable tolerance for all views are all facets of this same “enmity.” They are employed by the enemies of the cross for the primary purpose to dissuade people from His truth, to delude people against Biblical reality, to discredit the Bible as being irrelevant, and finally to disparage Jesus Christ as nothing more than a mere man!

All of these notions and the philosophy that birthed them are the deliberate workings of this age-long hatred of the Creator God, His Word and His people that was established in the curse. Thus we see the rise of evolutionism and the attempted equality of all religions that is fueled by the continuous revision of America’s true history. Revisionists don’t want anyone to know about the God and godliness of our Founding Fathers.  Strengthening this, there is the wholesale and continuous portrayal of America as a greedy, ravenous, capitalist monster that must die, and the continuous training of America’s children as members of a global community rather than the sovereign United States of America.  These are all the modern faces of enmity that we must engage if a place of legitimacy, sanctity and integrity is to be established in America today for the raising of godly sons and daughters.

I think the words of the late G. K. Chesterton, one of the most brilliant journalists in modern times, are applicable here. When someone was attempting to sell the idea that Christianity was tried and failed in its mission, he replied that in truth, “Christianity was investigated, found difficult and left untried.” There is a definite reason why it was left untried by the greater society, because one cannot truly follow the principles of the Kingdom of God without His indwelling Spirit!

Blessings,

G. Thomas Sharp