People Who Know Only God Persecute the Children of God

"These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.

"They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

"And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me." (John 16: 1-3)

Those who know God as a distant power will persecute those who know God as Father.

This persecution began in the Old Testament:

"And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking." (Genesis 21:9)

Sarah would not let anyone offend her blessed child of Promise:

"Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac." (Genesis 21: 10)

In this verse is the first mention of the concept "cast out", and Paul elaborates on the type and shadow of Law and Grace to the Galatians:

"Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

"But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

"Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

"So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free." (Galatians 4: 28-31)

Hagar and her sickly Ishmael represent the law, which makes a man weak and beggarly. (Galatians 4: 9)

Through God's grace, we are not servants, but full-grown sons:

"And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

"Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." (Galatians 4: 6-7)

We are free in God through His grace, which we receive by believing on Him whom God the Father sent to die for us (John 6: 29)

Those who still think of God as master do not know His grace through His Son, so they will persecute those who know God as Father, which we know and believe through Christ.

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)