“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.” (John 15:18-21 ESV)
By “the world” is meant the people who are of the world, which sadly includes all professers of faith in Jesus Christ who are still living like the world, and who are still following after the flesh, and who are still deliberately and habitually sinning against the Lord. And their “hate” towards us, who are following Jesus in obedience, may be at multiple different levels, from just loving us less than they do others, all the way to being strongly opposed to us, to the point of being vicious and malicious towards us.
For their “hate” towards us may be merely in the form of wanting nothing to do with us, while rejecting, casting aside, and/or ignoring us, so that they do not have to deal with us. But it may be strong opposition, persecutions, false accusations, and cruel and willful mistreatment of us as a way of punishing us for who we are and for what we stand for and for what we speak in defense of, which is the truth of the gospel of our salvation. For they are opposed to the truth of the gospel, which demands death to sin.
For it isn’t just us they are opposed to. For if they hate us because we follow Jesus Christ with our lives, and because we stand on the truth of God’s word, taught in context, they are also hating Jesus Christ and his gospel message, and so they are coming against Christ and his gospel when they come against us who are serving the Lord in following him wherever he leads us in sharing the truth of his word. And this is of major concern right now, as the gospel message is under serious attack.
For we have a large number of people now who have bought into an adulterated gospel message which does not require death to sin and living to righteousness and which, in some cases, is even teaching that God makes no requirements of us other than for us to “believe” in Christ, which is rarely biblically defined. And then they go on to say that no works are required of us at all – no forsaking of our sins (repentance) and no walks of obedience to the Lord, for they claim that God does it all and that we do nothing.
[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-24; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-11; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
But this lie that they are telling the people is spreading, and it is gaining much ground, and appears to presently be in a leading position among those who profess the name of Jesus, at least here in America. For it resembles the truth, but with a twist, and with much deception and manipulation of truth. For it is vicious and malicious in its attacks against the true gospel, and it is cruel, callous, and uncaring in giving people the impression that they can have the hope of heaven while they still live like hell.
And so if you do not believe the lie, and so you continue to speak the truth of the gospel to the people, don’t be surprised if even others who profess faith in Jesus Christ now become your enemy and oppose you strongly or else want nothing more to do with you. And don’t be surprised if some of them begin to spread rumors about you to others, too, in order to turn others against you or in an effort to discredit you and what you are teaching. For the enemy does not want us speaking the truth against the lies.
[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-19; Jn 15:1-21; Jn 16:33; Jn 17:14; Ac 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]
All Through the Night
An Original Work / December 7, 2013
Based off Various Scriptures
Blessed are you when you’re persecuted
Because of your faith in Jesus Christ.
Blessed are you when people insult you,
And falsely say what leads folks to doubt.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is
Great in the heavens. You’re not alone.
When you are persecuted in one place,
Flee to another. God will be there.
You will be hated by all the nations
Because you testify of God’s grace.
Many will seize you and persecute you,
And put to death the foll’wers of Christ.
Yet do not fear what humans may do to you,
For I’m with you all through the night.
I tell you, love your enemies with my love,
And forgive as I forgave you.
Pray for those who do evil against you.
Rest in my love and grace from above.
