Betrayal…

 It Is Never A Stranger Who Inflicts The Pain Of Betrayal Upon You…

The Pain, The Problem. Job knew it, David knew it, Paul knew it, the LORD JESUS KNEW IT.
It is never a stranger who betrays, but one who is close and so the shock, the hurt, the pain, the confusion, and the temptation to anger, resentment, bitterness, un-love as a way to respond. But for the follower of Christ, they are no longer a slave to sin and have a new power to respond with love, His love that is greater than the emotions that would seek to lead into bondage, bitterness. It is the power of the love of Christ, that indwells all His. His power to respond in a Godly way. {2 Peter 1:3-4}. As regards Betrayal, no it is never a stranger for the power of hurt would not be as great, but often a close one who inflicts the hurt, betrayal upon you. Many before you as the Scriptures testifies to those who experienced betrayal,

 CONSIDER…

1. Psalm 41:9 Even my closest friend whom I trusted, the one who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.

2. Psalm 55:12-14 For it is not an enemy who insults me— I could have handled that— nor is it someone who hates me and who now arises against me— I could have hidden myself from him— but it is you— a man whom I treated as my equal— my personal confidant, my close friend! We had good fellowship together; and we even walked together in the house of God!

3. Job 19:19 My close friends detest me. Those I loved have turned against me.

4. Job 19:13-14 “My relatives stay far away, and my friends have turned against me. My family is gone, and my close friends have forgotten me.

5. Proverbs 25:9-10 Instead, take up the matter with your neighbor, and don’t betray another person’s confidence. Otherwise, anyone who hears will make you ashamed, and your bad reputation will never leave you.

6. Luke 22 : 47-48. ” While He was still speaking, behold, a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was preceding them; and he approached Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

Some betrayals come in the form of betrayal of confidence repeated and gossiped. Some betrayal’s are that the betrayer may gain from it. Some betrayals. are cruel, souls inflicting pain, that can be as a punch to the gut that winds and knocks the wind out of you. The hurt, the confusion, the “why?,” the shock, the hurt, sadness, tears perhaps, the wondering, numbness, the hurt, the temptation for emotions of anger, resentment, bitterness, vengeance, harsh words, seek to master and control and respond  with venom seeking to hurt the one who has hurt you, seeking their pain as the end of your tongue lashing or withdrawal and before you know it, you are in the sewerage of bitterness and it’s poison takes over and spews forth from you and poison’s others and Christ is not honored. Sin shall no longer be your master for the power of sin has been broken so you may walk in newness of life, in attitude and response in new pattern of life. Is it difficult? Absolutely. Is it possible? Absolutely! When, by faith you RESPOND God’s revealed way according to His Word. You look to Him and choose love and to extend forgiveness whether it is asked for or not. In your heart, you forgive as God has forgiven you. You love much because you have been forgiven much. You seek to pray for them, bless them, do good to them. You do not respond in returning evil for evil, but in LOVE. It takes a choice of the will as a result of an attitude adopted in loving obedience to the LORD Jesus.

 

THE GODLY GRESPONSE TO BETRAYAL? 

A.- EXTEND FORGIVENESS 

“Father Forgive them…”

“Forgive just as God in Christ has forgiven you. ” Eph 4:31-32

B. – CHOOSE  KINDNESS NOT VENGENCE;

“BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.”” – Rom 12;20

“Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it. For, “THE ONE WHO DESIRES LIFE, TO LOVE AND SEE GOOD DAYS, MUST KEEP HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL AND HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEIT. “HE MUST TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; HE MUST SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT… -1 Peter 3:9-10

C.- ASSURANCE TO THOSE BETRAYED; 

Psalm 27:10 Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD cares for me.

D. – PRAYER-

Psalm 55:16–17 I call upon God, and the Lord will deliver me. Morning, noon, and night, I mulled over these things and cried out in my distress, and he heard my voice.

E.- GOD’S INTERVENTIONS

Exodus 14:14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

H.– INTIMACY WITH CHRIST THROUGH SUFFERING

“that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and ]the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;”- Phil 3:10

Betrayal is painful, it is never seen coming, but it comes.

Remember others have experienced it like Job, David, Paul, the Lord Jesus … and as we read we see we are called to RESPOND in a different, un natural way, a new way, a God granted, empowered way. The way of love, forgiveness, deliberate attitude and acts of kindness… “… ourselves your servants, for Jesus sake”- {2 Cor 4:5.}

Respond; You need not betray the Love and power of Christ which you have, to receive from Him to impart to others. Have you chosen to Forgive, Return kindness, do good  to them. Have you prayed for them?  Go on the Godly offensive and choose to forgive, to maintain an attitude and action of being kind, do good, pray for them… “Love never fails…”

You are not responsible for the attitudes and actions of others only for your own, before Him.

He knew betrayal like no other, for He being perfect, felt perfect the pain of coming to His own and being rejected. His crime? He loved them! Love rejected. He provided for Judas, he betrayed him with a sign of friendship, for personal gain! He provided for the disciples, yet they betrayed Him despite great speech’s of loyalty, they ran, denied Him in His time of need, denied they knew Him, turned their back on Him, betrayal is known by the Man of Sorrows, acquainted with grief, including the pang of the grief of betrayal by His friends! Even as Judas sought to betray Him, Jesus called him, “Friend…” before the great deed was sealed, He sought him out for love always seeks the best for others. But betrayed He was…. so your betrayal is known to your Great High Priest who we read “empathizes,”-{“feels the very feelings you feel,”- Heb 4}. He not only identifies with you but has tasted to perfection the rejection and betrayal of all including… you, yourself. Yet He has chosen to forgive and love you at great personal cost. The cost of the cross!

The pain is real, your Savior is real, His Spirit lives within to empower His Word to you and through you to choose… love, motivated by His love for you. This painful, heart wrenching, numbing, searing pain of betrayal is very real and debilitating as it seems can also be included in the promise of hope for you,”… and we KNOW ALL THINGS work together for the good  to those who love Him and are the called …” and part of that “all,” is the betrayal you now experience. “As one dear friend often said to me of pain, “it doesn’t feel good, look good, but He promises it will work for good..”  The “good,” ultimately is in conforming your thinking, attitudes, habits of response to Him.{Rom 8:28-29}.It  is an entering into the “fellowship of His suffering,” an identification through pain of a deeper communion with Him, dependence upon Him and- the God of all comfort who comforts you in your affliction SO THAT YOU may comfort others with the comfort which you yourself have been comforted by in their time of affliction-{2 Cor 1:3-4}. God can use this to make you a comforted to the crushed, out of your own pain. It is easy and the most natural, sinfully so to drink in the spirit of resentment, bitterness and poisoning your own emotions, affecting your mental and physical health and poisoning yourself ad spewing forth that poison venom to others and infecting them. “BUT GOD…” has provided you the power to say- “No,” – to sin’s mastery over you and “Yes,” to His Love, to, and through you, to enable you to respond supernaturally, in a way that honors Him.

The Betrayal – is Real

The Betrayal – is Painful

The Betrayal – Need not cause you to respond by sinning through seeking vengeance, or inflicting pain on the one who has betrayed you.

The Betrayal – Is An Opportunity for you to Talk to and lean in on the LORD, casting your cares upon Him. It is not as though He cannot compassionately identify.

The Betrayal- Is an opportunity for you to Grow in dependence upon the Lord and in Christlikeness through choosing your response in obedience to His Word.

The Betrayal- Does Not define you. Christ defines you!

The Betrayal- Is an Opportunity for you to DEMONSTRATE A Godly Christ Response.

Guard your tongue when speaking to others, guard your mind, guard your heart.  No where in Scripture is “forgive and forget” found. For the evil one will make sure to bring the offender’s offense up to you seeking to entice you to the swamp of bitterness and in doing so sin against God, grieve His Spirit, and tie you in cords of sin once more.

Forgivenes is a promise.

Forgiveness is an attitude maintained, when the offense comes up, immediately refer to “I have forgiven, pardoned them for Jesus sake.” Remind yourself, – Just as God has forgiven me  I have forgiven them, never again to hold against them for love keeps no records of wrongs. i choose instead to bess them, for Jesus sake. I seek their highest good for Jesus sake. I can do so and I choose to do so, for Jesus sake. I too have betrayed and a recipeant of His love, at gtreat cost, His life and forfiture of His fellowship with the Father on that cross. ” When we extend and maintain the attitude of forgiveness we are being Christ like. Sometimes it takes an offense for us to exhibit LOVE.  You can say, “I Choose to glorify God by choosing to forgive and love, “…for JESUS SAKE.”- {2 Cor 4:5}.

I read these two quotes with regards BETRAYAL….

 “The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies.

Forgiveness doesn’t excuse their behavior. Forgiveness prevents their behavior from destroying your heart.”

We all respond to betrayal, but not all have the power to respond in love, as a follower of Christ you do, you can, you must, for His sake! He is worth it! To respond To the Betrayal by CHOOSING to Allow  the hurt to turn to anger, inward seething, resentful, bitterness! It effects your relationship with the LORD and when it turns to bitterness the poision of hatred affects them with the posion.

Choose to follow Him in obedience and faith to LOVE through forgiveness, extending mercy, kindness, for God’s glory, for Jesus sake because of His great love to you.

You are not responsible for others behavior only your own before Him. “Be kind, be tenderhearted, forgive just as God in Christ has forgiven you.”-{Eph 4:31-32}.  

Let this be your motto, motivation and practice…I Choose to Love,  “…for Jesus sake.”-{2 Cor 4:6}.

God Bless,

Aidan.