Does the world hate you?

sermonindex Nov 18, 2008

Joh 7:7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

Joh 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

Jesus is saying here that the world hates Him because He tesfies that it's deeds are evil.

Then we who have been chosen of him are hated as well for doing the same.

I am not suggesting that we run around telling everybody all the time that they are evil. However it is to be a part of the Gospel proclamation.

Now it seems though like many christians blame other christians for the world hating them. They say they did't share the gospel right, etc.

So when is it acceptable to be "hated" according to this scripture?

God bless, John

sermonindex Nov 18, 2008

I want to reemphasis something. I know some folks are gonna make "balancing" posts about self righteous christians trying to be hated and persecuted.

The intent is for us to live Holy for Him and if we then get persecuted for righteous sake then fine.
God bless, John
P.S. I'm a wimp. I hate being persuecuted.

W

White_Stone Nov 18, 2008

Dear thingsabove,

you said:
"The intent is for us to live Holy for Him and if we then get persecuted for righteous sake then fine."

The way I see it: If our life decisions (made on the basis of Faith in Jesus) show us to be different from the worldly people, they perceive the judgment upon their ways and react with hostility. We do not have to speak out against them. Even when not speaking, the Holy Spirit, who lives in us, speaks volumes to them. That is why they hate us.

I do not believe we should ever give them occasion to hate us by acting out our Faith in a defiant manner. Living our lives for Jesus is as aggressive as we need to be. This means simple every day child care, home maintenance, drive to work, coffee break conversations, etc, should all be conducted as if Jesus was with you. That is what they can not stand.

We should always be prepared to give an answer for the hope we exhibit. I will never forget the Faith exhibited by the Quakers when their children were killed in the school shooting. That was remarkable.

Just giving something to think about,
white stone

sermonindex Nov 18, 2008

Thank you for the post. It is encouraging.
just some thoughts:

everything that is not with love is against love.
the world is directed toward things that are not love,
so the world is directly against love.
Disney World is not love.
Romantic movie soundtracks are not love.
Warm, crunchy french fries are not love.
love is a stench of death to the world.
the world hates love.
the world wants to kill love.
Think of a scavenging beast whose nostrils are always open hoping to catch the faintest whiff of the stench of death.
If we weren't hunted by the world then we didn't smell like love.
If we didn't smell like love then we were of the world.

partial birth abortion is a another vivid picture of the spirit of this world. They prefer it to the natural affection toward children.

Where do most people who 'go to church' fit into this picture?
Where do I fit in?
What will it cost me to follow love?
How much will it hurt?
How far will they really go?
Would people really torture me?
Strip me naked in public?
and mock my faith as mental illness?
Spit on me and laugh at me?
Drown, burn, cut, stab, shoot, crush, and break me?
What about parts of my body that are more sensitive to pain?
What will they do to me?

Do I know this perfect love that casts out fear?
Or is it a stench of death to me.

W

White_Stone Nov 18, 2008

For a couple of years my husband and I have been talking of when they start chopping off our heads for our Faith.

We read in Revelation of all the Saints beneath the throne whose heads were cut off for their faith. When we read that we figured there will be many, many to fill that number. The way the world is going with the Islamification of Europe practically complete, they are heading here, I am sure. We pray for Faith and Strength to stand firm.

I was reading yesterday of persecutions now taking place in Laos. Families of Christians were gathered into a school and then starved into recanting their faith. A small percentage recanted when they saw their children weakening. The others were relocated out of the village but stood in their faith. Praise the Lord. I pray I would be able to do the same. I pray we all would.

white stone