Posted on 09/17/2020 9:13:59 AM PDT by metmom
Jesus tells the church, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:10-12).
Why does the world hate the true church, its pastors and parishioners? A true Christian is loving, peaceful, forgiving and caring. Those who obey Jesus’ words are self-sacrificing, meek and kind.
Common wisdom tells us that it isn’t natural to hate those who love you, bless you and pray for you. So, why are Christians so hated? Jesus says simply, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you … If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:18, 20).
The church, ministers and believers are hated because of their mission, which is much more than telling lost people, “Jesus loves you.” You may draw back in surprise when reminded of what our mission is. Simply put, as Christians we are to take back from the ungodly what is most precious to them: self-righteousness. It is to translate them into a freedom they think is slavery.
Jesus said, “I chose you out of the world” (John 15:19). This strikes at the very heart of why we are hated. When we were saved, we got “out of the world” and accepted our mission to insist that others also “get out of the world.”
“You are not of the world … therefore the world hates you” (15:19). Christ is saying, in essence, “The world hates you because I called you out of your condition. And that means I called you out of their fellowship. Yet, I didn’t just call you out, I then sent you to call everyone else out.”
Here’s an encouraging word, though. Even though the world hates and persecutes Christ’s true disciples, we find a growing love and godly affection among the members of his church. Indeed, as the world around us grows increasingly chaotic, the incredible love of our fellow believers grows more precious.
As Christ said, “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34).
Jesus opened up the jails for sinners to be free.
Most are still chained to their egos, pride, sins, and evil deeds and will be judged for them too eventually.
They hate us because of our ‘privilege’ on not being condemned anymore. It’s an envious hatred that is blood thirsty from the pit of hell.
Sad thing is, they have the same opportunity at that lottery ticket and they would rather tear it up.
All men are liars.
I am a liar.
I do what I want, whenever, whatever, however.
But before I’m even done doing it, I start making up a story about it, retroactively, justifying what I did.
“It’s all their fault, I had to do it because of them.”
I was forced to do what I wanted to do.
What I did unthinkingly, without forethought or plan.
Because I always do whatever I want, whenever, whatever, however.
It’s normal, natural, and inevitable.
I am a liar.
Exactly. Jesus didn't say he would whisk us away magically from tribulations, rather Jesus told His followers (us Christians) that we should expect tribulations. No magical upward pull
John 15:[19] If you had been of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
AUGUSTINE. (Tract. lxxxvii. 2) He saith this to the whole Church, which is often called the world; as, God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself. (2 Cor. 5:19) The whole world then is the Church, and the whole world hateth the Church. The world hateth the world, the world in enmity, the world reconciled, the defiled world, the changed world. (Tract. lxxxviii. 4.). Here it may be asked, If the wicked can be said to persecute the wicked; e. g. if impious kings, and judges, who persecute the righteous, punish murderers and adulterers also; how are we to understand our Lord’s words, If ye were of the world, the world would love his own? In this way; The world is in them who punish these offences, and the world is in them who love them. The world then hates its own so far as it punishes the wicked, loves its own so far as it favours them. (Tract. lxxxvii. 4.). Again, if it be asked how the world loves itself, when it hates the means of its redemption, the answer is, that it loves itself with a false, not a true love, loves what hurts it; hates nature, loves vice. Wherefore we are forbidden to love what it loves in itself; commanded to love what it hates in itself. The vice in it we are forbidden, the nature in it we are commanded, to love. And to separate us from this lost world, we are chosen out of it, not by merit of our own, for we had no merits to begin with, not by nature which was radically corrupt, but by grace: But because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
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I’m not debating with you on this thread. I was agreeing with you on it - thank you for posting this “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you … If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:18, 20).
This is as Jesus told His followers (us Christians) that we should expect tribulations
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