HOUSE OF ADVERSARIES

A man’s enemies will be the members of his household.  

Matthew 10:36

As inherently social creatures, there resides within us, by design, an intense psychological need for communal support; to experience love, solace, and acceptance from a caring inner circle of trustworthy intimates. By nature, we yearn for our families to occupy the very center of this circle of trust—and it is therefore profoundly heartbreaking and unnatural when they fail us in this sacred obligation. In his day, the Prophet Micah lamented the breakdown of intimate relational loyalty, as men were forced to emotionally isolate themselves in the face of domestic betrayal (Micah 7:1-7). As Solomon observes, in a treacherous world such as ours, having a true intimate is enormous blessing (Prov. 18:24)!!! 

Both in terms of world history and human relations, the first advent of Christ established a great line of division; disciples must therefore anticipate betrayal from within the bosom of their own households (Matt. 10:34-38; Mark 13:12-13). Regenerate Christian believers face the certain enmity of an unregenerate world-system that loathes God and despises His people (John 15:19). Sadly, even our own kinsmen are often a part of that system. 

As American civilization continues to putrefy in correspondence with its spiritual apostasy, it is unsurprising that we increasingly bear witness to the unnatural. Social media is rife with accounts of “Gen Zers” openly disavowing their parents (contra Eph. 6:1-3) and spurning the Thanksgiving table in the name of a neo-pagan far-left political ideology that colors itself in quasi-religious hues. Shakespeare would label this a time “out of joint.”

In such times, let us recall where our true and ultimate allegiance lies (Deut. 13:6-11). Christians cannot endorse sin and unbelief in the name of “love”—which is not true love at all (Prov. 13:24).

Terry L. Reese