The
LORD does not call men to agreement, HE calls them to intimacy.
HE is not seeking an amicable relationship, but something much
more substantive.
"That all men should
honour the SON, even as they honour the FATHER. He that
honoureth not the SON honoureth not the FATHER which hath sent
HIM." GOD is not looking
for us, to simply acquiesce, HE demands to be embraced. It
is not that HE desires to be merely acknowledged; for HE will settle
for nothing short of our all out and abandoned love.
"Greet one another with
an holy kiss." A kiss is
the universal expression of rapture; and nearly impossible to
perform apart from the underlying emotion associated with it.
That said, there are however, some astounding examples of
intimacy with intent to kill, found in the pages of Scripture; and
undoubtedly, none more egregious than the kiss of Judas
Iscariot: "And
while HE yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called
Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto
JESUS to kiss HIM. But JESUS said unto him, Judas,
betrayest thou the SON OF MAN with a kiss?"
Though Judas is long gone, his enterprise
thrives to this day. Our globe is glutted with the
'Kissing Booths' of empty religion; while daily, around the
world, masses are engaged in the foolish feet kissing of plaster
worship. Is there not the 'kiss of death' all about us in the clear
and obvious cold shoulder to the SON? This theme will surely
be dominant as HE
begins the indictment proceedings of eternal judgment one day at
the Throne.
"... GOD is angry with
the wicked every day."
The FATHER is calling us out of the arms of sin to the bosom of
HIS only BEGOTTEN; and that call to all, is non-negotiable, and
perilous to ignore.
"And the times of this
ignorance GOD winked at; but now commandeth all men every where
to repent:" There is an
horrible fate which awaits each who will dare to shun the SON.
"Thou gavest ME no
kiss: ..."