Based on John 15:18-25 (New King James Version)
“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’”
Justice is something that in some way or another we all yearn for. Every human being wants you to be fair to them, without exception. Even the most despicable and unfair beings want others to be fair to them. How do I know this? Do you think the liar likes to be lied to? Do you think the thief likes to be robbed? Does the adulterer like to be cheated on? I think you understand that, in the end, no one, especially those who do harm to others, do not like any harm being done to them. And if that is the case, why then do people do things to others that they do not like to have done to them?
To be able to answer this question, one must understand that something exists, that there is such a thing as sin. There is no other cause for which a person harms another being. There is no other explanation. So where does sin come from? The Word of God explains it this way: “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work…” 2 Thessalonians 2:7a. Lawlessness is a mystery to us. A mystery is not something that has no explanation. There is an explanation, but we do not have the answer because it is beyond our capabilities at the moment. However, just because we don't know exactly where something came from doesn't mean it doesn't exist. There are so many things that human beings do not understand, nor do they want to believe, but they exist, regardless of whether they want to believe or accept it. Reality is reality. God is God, it does not matter if a person wants to accept it or not. God created everything, whether they want to accept it or not. If you want to believe that all of this is a result of some cosmic accident, and that we all came from primates, that doesn't make it true. So, no matter what happens, whether a person wants to believe or not, whether the origin is known or not, sin does exist and its existence is very visible because its final effect is death, as it is written: “For the wages of sin is death…” Romans 6:23a. That is why each one of us will die someday, without exceptions.
This is something else that does reveal that we do know, without exception, that sin exists—every person has a conscience. Each human being is born with a conscience, with something inside that tells them when they are doing evil, or sin. We see this example in the Scriptures: “Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, ’Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?’ This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.’ And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’” John 8:3-11. Every one of these people, the scribes and the Pharisees, including the adulteress, had a conscience, without exception. And they were all accused by their conscience, especially those who came to tempt the Lord. They knew that what they were doing was wrong, because to begin with, a character was missing from the scene, the other person with whom the woman was committing adultery. The law is very clear on this, as it is written: “The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death.” Leviticus 20:10. Where was the adulterer? And so, their consciences accused them of deceit, lies, the injustice of wanting to punish a single culprit, and of course, all with the aim of trying to tempt God Himself with sin upon sin. So, every person knows when they do evil. Perhaps many, and now more than ever, have tried to cauterize their conscience, because, although they know what is wrong, they prefer to love evil than to do good. And this brings us to the main point.
We already know that, for one reason or another, the vast majority choose to harm their neighbor, and many times, without reason. But who is it that is wronged the most, and especially without any reason? God. Man in general does the greatest injustice against the One who does not deserve any injustice. Many assign the blame for sin to God, and God is not responsible for all of us having chosen to sin. God allowed sin to exist so that the ability to choose exists, because He gave all beings, beginning with the angels, free will. This mystery of iniquity existed before the devil himself, but just because it existed, it did not mean that he had to choose for it. The devil or Satan, or Lucifer, as he was formerly known, did not have to rebel against God, but he chose to. The demons, or the fallen angels, one third of the heavenly host, did not have to choose to follow the devil in his wickedness, but they did. Adam and Eve did not have to eat the forbidden fruit, but they chose to disobey and sin against God and against themselves, and thanks to that, we have what we have today. And of course, we all have in some way or another the issues we have, either because of our sin, or because of the sin of those around us, or because of the sin of those who preceded us, but the issue is sin, because of the sin of creation, and not because of God. What wrong did God do? Create us? Give us free will? Give us the ability to live and exist? And now, give us the opportunity to have eternal life through the sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son on the cross? Of what evil can we accuse God of? However, His goodness is rewarded with evil, with rebellion, and even with hatred against the Being that has only done good to us. The emptiness that the unbeliever feels in their heart is not only the lack of God, but their conscience accusing them that they are sinning against God, by not recognizing Him for who He is, and by not trying to reconcile with the One who has done to them all the good possible. That is why the Lord says: “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19. And so, I exhort you to practice this very simple concept, first with God and then with your neighbor: “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.” Luke 6:31. Be fair with God and with your neighbor. So then, will you continue being unfair with God and with your neighbor, and like that, seeking your own eternal perdition, or will you look for the Lord and love Him as He deserves to attain eternal life? Lord bless! John