Do you belong to the World or to God? And how do you even know?
I sit here in my office this morning, reading through John and listening to some incredible worship music. I can’t think of a better way to begin the day. As I was reading through John 7, I came to this verse, verse 7, in which Jesus says to his very own brothers who did not believe in him yet: “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil.”
Thoughts:
- The world did not hate Jesus’ brothers yet, because they did not know God, and they were not following Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Therefore, they lived according to the world’s standards. Moreover, they were not sharing the truth of God’s Word with others which would have put them at odds with the world.
Jesus said in John 15:18-19, 21, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you… They will treat this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.”
Do you belong to the world, or to God? If you belong to the world, are you sensing any of its hatred toward your Christian stance?
- Why does the world hate Jesus so much? Look at verse 7 again: “But it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil.” Jesus stood against the culture. He spoke the truth in love. This is what He calls each one of us to do. The culture we now live in is anti-God, anti-truth, and anti-anything to do with Jesus and His word, the Bible. The Bible speaks against the evil in this world. Just read Romans 1:18-32. Verse 32 says, “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things (evil practices mentioned in verses 26-31) deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”
- Warning: The world is going to continue its downward spiral. It will stand more and more in opposition to God and His true followers. Thus, in the coming days, as followers of Christ, we must be prepared to face more and more hatred and persecution. Are you really willing to follow Jesus and pay the cost? Am I really willing to follow Jesus and pay the cost? The answer should be that we, with the Spirit’s power and courage, will say along with Martin Luther, “Here I stand! I can do no other!”
Let’s be praying for each other that we will be true to our calling and follow Jesus wherever He leads us, no matter the cost.
A guest post by Russ Andrews, Founder of Finding Purpose Ministry. You can learn more about his work and mission here: https://findingpurpose.net