God is the Creator of heaven and earth and all there is within. Nothing is created outside God. Therefore the heaven and the earth and all there is within is God’s possession and no one else’s. God is the Husbandman and has given the management of the vineyard to man. However, in the garden of Eden, man chose to no longer believe and obey God, but the devil and to do his will. And many still chose to believe and obey the devil, despite the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. But although many people keep serving the devil through sin and empowering him, it is still God, who is the Owner and shall judge everyone according to their works. God has this right, no matter what people say. God is the Husbandmen and the earth is the vineyard and God still sends His servants in the vineyard, despite the wicked husbandmen. But as the wicked husbandmen, who are sons of the devil, treated the prophets and the Son of God in the Old Covenant and the sons of God in the New Covenant (both males and females), the wicked husbandmen still treat the sons of God, because the darkness can’t stand the light. Who still dares to work in the vineyard?
Abel was killed because of his righteousness
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 (Luke 11:49-51)
Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar (Matthew 23:34-35)
Abel was the first person, who was killed because of his righteousness. The righteousness of Abel revealed the unrighteousness of Cain. The sacrifice of Abel was accepted by God, but the sacrifice of Cain was not accepted by God, and because of that Cain became very angry.
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect.
And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him (Genesis 4:3-7)
God confronted Cain and asked, why he was angry (wroth) and why his countenance fell. Then God warned Cain of the sin he was about to commit, by giving him a choice to do good or do evil.
If Cain would choose to do well, he would not give in to his anger and would rule over his feelings of anger and because of that, he wouldn’t sin.
But if Cain chose to do not well, and give in to his anger, then he would open the door for sin and sin would rule over him, instead of the other way around.
God warned Cain and the consequences of his decision, but it was up to Cain to decide. Would Cain rule over his anger or would Cain allow the temporary feelings of anger to rule over him and bear the fruit of sin in his life?
Cain didn’t listen to God’s warning but rejected the warning of God. Instead of submitting to the words of God and choosing to do good, Cain rejected God’s warning and yielded to the will of his flesh and gave into his feelings of anger and allow the anger to rule over him and so Cain slew Abel, so that the righteousness of Abel would not accuse him anymore.
But the blood of righteous Abel bore witness of the sin of Cain and cried from the earth unto God (Genesis 4:8-16)
The prophets were killed because they spoke the righteous words of God
Abel was not the only one, who was killed because of his righteousness, which became visible through his sacrifice. It was not only his blood that cried from the earth unto God. The prophets, who God had sent and walked righteously before the face of God according to His will and spoke the righteous words of God and revealed the sin and iniquity of the people and convicted the people of their sin and called the people to repentance, were also killed by the people.
The true prophets of God were killed, so that the people of God could do evil and live the way they wanted to live according to their own will, without being harassed and accused by the prophets of God and without feeling guilty.
The people loved to hear the false prophets, who prophesied according to their own insights and from their own will, lusts, and desires and therefore prophesied lies and peace, while there was no peace, and approved the sin of the people, so that the people could live according to their own will.
Zachariah was the last prophet of the Old Covenant, who was killed between the altar and the temple.
The message of Zachariah was a hard message with the purpose to turn the people from their evil ways and their evil doings (deeds) and repent and serve the Lord by keeping His commandments, so that the people would be saved.
But the people didn’t want to hear the words of God, which were spoken through the mouth of Zachariah and so they killed Zachariah, so that the people wouldn’t be confronted by Zachariah with their evil ways and their evil doings and no longer be accused, but continue their own way.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was killed because of His righteousness
The world cannot hate you; but Me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil (John 7:7)
Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, was the last One of the Old Covenant and the first One of the New Covenant, who was killed because of His righteousness by the house of Israel. Jesus did good and only spoke the words of God and preached the message of repentance and brought the Kingdom of God to the children of Israel.
Although Jesus was a Man of compassion, Jesus didn’t consider the feelings and emotions of the carnal people, but Jesus spoke the words of God, despite the consequences and the persecution of people.
Jesus experienced persecution by the people, who looked sincere, pious, and religious outwardly but were wicked inwardly (Read also: Who is Jesus Christ really? and Jesus, a Man of compassion).
The people, who looked sincere and religious from the outside, but were evil on the inside, were convicted by the righteousness of Jesus of their evil works and walk.
Although they belonged to the house of Israel and many of them were appointed as leaders of the house of Israel, they had the nature of the devil and listened to their father, the devil, and did his will and works and because of that, they walked in darkness in his will (Read also: The will of God vs the will of the devil).
They tried to find a way to get rid of the Person, who accused them and convicted them of their sins.
They followed the example of Cain, who killed Abel, and the example of their fathers, who killed the prophets, and got rid of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, by sentencing Jesus to death, so that Jesus wouldn’t be a threat to them anymore and Jesus wouldn’t testify of their evil works and they wouldn’t be accused anymore, but they could continue their evil works.
The sons of God were persecuted and many of them were killed because of their righteousness
And as they killed Abel, the prophets, and the Son of God, because of their righteousness, they also silenced and persecuted and many sometimes even killed the sons of God of the New Covenant because of their righteousness in Christ (a.o. 2 Corinthians 5:21)
The world has not changed, nor is the ruler of this world. Therefore the world shall still silence and persecute and sometimes even kill the sons of God when they preach the true gospel of Jesus Christ and the words and will of God.
The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and of judgment
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. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. He that hateth Me hateth My Father also (John 15:18-23)
The Holy Spirit, who dwells in the new creation, convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Therefore those, who belong to the world and obey the ruler of the world and persevere in sin and live in darkness, can’t stand the light and can’t be in the presence of those, who are born of God and belong to Christ and have the Holy Spirit abiding in them, because the righteousness of God testifies that their works are evil (a.o. John 7:7; 16:8-11)
There shall be people, who shall be convicted, by the Holy Spirit, of their sins and iniquities and by faith in Jesus Christ repent and be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit, so that by faith and regeneration in Christ, they shall be saved from death and shall no longer be a slave of sin and death (Read also: The armor of darkness and The armor of light)
But there shall also be people, who shall be convicted, by the Holy Spirit, of their sins and iniquities, but shall refuse to repent because of their stubbornness and hardened heart, and therefore they shall feel uncomfortable in the presence of Christians and can’t be in their presence and shall become angry and walk away or accuse and persecute them, so that they will no longer testify of their evil works and they won’t feel condemned and guilty and can continue their evil works.
Do you still dare to work in the vineyard?
If the prophets, Jesus the Son of God and the new creations; the sons of God would have considered the feelings and emotions of people and spoke the words the people wanted to hear, as so many preachers do today, the prophets wouldn’t be killed, Jesus would not have been crucified and the disciples and apostles would not have been persecuted and died a martyr’s death.
Following Jesus will cost you everything, it will cost you your life. Are you willing to give up your life and be a witness of Jesus Christ? Are you a brave soldier of Jesus Christ? Do you dare to preach the uncompromised gospel of Jesus Christ that calls to repentance, the removal of sin, and saves and changes lives, and makes people righteous and walk in righteousness? Do you still dare to work in the vineyard?
‘Be the salt of the earth’
