There are problems on many sides concerning this discussion. VanDeKoik is right in that the church in the last 40-50 yrs. stopped being the salt and light Christ called us to be. Instead of giving our time, energy and money to the work of the ministry (binding up the broken hearted, caring for widows and orphans in their distress, preaching the acceptable year of the Lord vs chasing the American dream and living for self) we have imbibed in the cultural Kool Aid - hence the world sees only the negative side of our beliefs (don’t drink, chew and go with girls that do) instead of the poured out life that really costs us something and can only be lived if we are vitally connected to the source of power through obedience to the Holy Spirit.
The other half is what is recorded in many places in scripture (like Romans 1 and II Tim. 3) which indicate that evil increases in the last days and that our enemies arise from within our midsts - money preachers, phony laughing revivals, women ordained, gay clergy, pedophiles and adulterers in our church leadership. We are the last church - Laodicea = people’s opinions is its basic meaning. Luke warm, rich and comfortable. At ease in Zion with no fire and no power and totally lacking in discernment.
The world will always hate the church because it hates the truth and love “the lie” but that is what we are called to - faithfulness in the face of a hostile world. True believers will count the cost and pay it for their love of the Savior and for those few who will come to faith.
Roman_War_Criminal is also correct. Christ is not coming back for a fat, ugly, drunk, promiscuous bride with smeared make-up and a wart on her nose. Judgement must begin at the house of the Lord - the Jew first and also the believing gentiles. “If the righteous scarcely be saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?” Persecution always cleans up the body of Christ. It separates those who profess from those who possess his Spirit. Those who have oil in their lamps and are ready, watching for the Bridegrooms coming.
Well that needed to be said! As well as where the unGodly and the sinner will appear, which is not merely being separated from God for eternity, as is typically all that is said about eternal punishment. But may God always be my highest object of spiritual affection, object of allegiance, or source of security, and manifest Him to the world.