The Hatred of the World

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John 15:18-21

OK so I’m listening to an old song and reading an old blog that I posted ("Frontline"). I was enjoying the song and I decided to click on the scripture links I put in the post. I read through them and closed most of them. Then I came across John 16: 1-3. I read it and felt something stir in my spirit. I identified with being thrown out of the church. I understood that, as the enemy continues to infiltrate the church, and I continue to serve the Lord, I will be outcast from them. I will not be welcome with my people because they will not be His people any longer.


After that, I went back a chapter. I always think it is wise to get the context of the passage before diving in to it. So many well-intentioned people have quoted one sentence in the Bible and used it to peddle a false truth. I do not want to do that, so I try to go back and see what was happening. What were they doing, and why would God have said this. So I went back to the end of John 15. If you read the NIV, you know that they give titles to different sections in the chapters. The given title for this section was, “The World’s Hatred”. Harsh right? I thought so. But, let’s dive in to it anyway.

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. (John 15:18-19)

1.      The world hated Jesus. Remember that? Remember how he was crucified? Is it different now? Absolutely not. Look around. Our nation not only doesn’t agree with us, but actually works against us. Most beliefs are acceptable but Christianity is hated. We are the bigoted, cruel people. The world hates Jesus. This passage tells me that, should I follow him, I will be hated by the world.
2.      If the world welcomes me into its folds, then clearly I am one of them. I cannot be one of them and belong to God. Sorry. It’s written right there. But wait, didn’t Jesus hang out with sinners? Yes, He did. But he was not one of them. He did not, “Fit in”. You will always be an outcast, even when you do good for them.

3.      “I chose you to come out of the world”. Remember where you came from. We were lost in slavery to our sin. Jesus called us out of that. He separated us from our debt to this world. Don’t take that debt back up just to fit in with the lost and broken.

“Do you remember what I told you? ‘a slave is not greater than his master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you”

1.      Clear as day. The Lord is our master. If Jesus could not come to earth and escape the hatred of the people, if he was not exempt from contempt and persecution, how can we hope to be? That’s why Paul said, “to live is Christ. To die is gain”. If we are following Jesus, then we are not of this world but hated by it. We do not belong here. Every moment here is a sacrifice and a battle. Death is not to be feared, but to be welcomed when it comes as it will take us home to our Lord.
“If they had listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all of this to you because of me, for they have rejected me.”

Sums it up perfectly. Serve the world and they will welcome you into their darkness. Follow Jesus and you will, yes WILL suffer for his name. But, oh the reward. Oh the great joy of fighting for my King.

I tell you what. Christians overlook this stuff because they cannot reconcile it. The fact is, yes I said fact, the spirit of religion, a demon of the enemy, has taken control of the visible church. He has tamed the wild spirit of the church that once was. They cannot accept that we will suffer because, “why would God want us to suffer. That’s not very nice”. Let’s be clear. God doesn’t want you to suffer, He’s asking you to. Do you get it? The Lord of creation is asking for your service. In other words, He wants you. Not just to cuddle and pet, but to fight beside him. To take up arms against a world that burns for destruction. A world that steals, kills, rapes, and destroys others. God, of all people, has called you to arms in his fight against Satan.

It is my honor and pride to stand with him, in front of the weak and innocent, and suffer for his name. I will suffer with pride until the day he releases me to the sweet embrace of death and into His arms.

If this message strikes you hard, Good. Think about it. Pray about it. Really search for the answers here, because, my friend, The Lord and I are waiting for you to step up beside us.

“Stand beside, or step aside, for the front lines.”  







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