Title The reason the world hates the saints
Chapters 13-15 of the Gospel of John, which are the main text of the sermon on the worldly life, are words of comfort to the anxious and fearful disciples before Jesus was crucified. It is also called “Strengthening the Darakbang,” and Jesus promised to give the Holy Spirit to the worried disciples and taught them how to live on this earth without Jesus.
Today is the last day of the secular life sermon, and the text of the text tells you that the world will hate you and even persecute you in a different color than before.
Look to God and love each other
Even today, the world hates and persecutes the saints. The path of the saints is a thorny road and a road of hatred and persecution. The work of the saints is a spiritual battle against the devil, and in view of their own power, they are bound to become frustrated and discouraged.
Psalm 42 is a classic example of discouragement. When you focus on yourself saying "I" and "I", you can't help but be discouraged. But in verse 5, he confesses, "Hope in God, and I will praise you for the help of his countenance." We can stand up when we look to Almighty God.
John MacArthur, in his book How to Live in a Secular Society, says: "The devil is attacking us every day, and what if even the saints attack each other? To overcome the devil's attack, we must love each other. You can survive when you love."
As John MacArthur said, you can't win the world by hating each other. We can overcome the world only when we comfort, encourage, and embrace. The reason the world hates us is because we are not of the world. This is because, like verses 18-19, the saints are alien to the world. Why does darkness hate light? Because the light shines and judges the darkness.
Seeing the End in Persecution
Verse 20 says that a servant is not greater than his master. Therefore, because Jesus was persecuted, we have no choice but to be persecuted. If you say you are participating in Jesus' suffering but turn away, how will you go on the way of the cross? The true blessing is being persecuted for the sake of Jesus.
Matthew 5 teaches us what true blessing is. Verse 10 says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” As such, the end of righteousness is blessed. We struggle and hesitate when we connect righteousness with persecution.
The devil hides blessings and exposes persecution. The serpent does not tell Eve that if she eats the fruit of good and evil, she will die, only that her eyes will be opened. In this way, the devil sees the bait, but true faith has the power to see the end. The Bible tells us to see the end.
Hebrews 11:24 shows Moses' faith. "By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh, but preferred to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the temporary pleasures of iniquity, and to give the reproach for Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt. I thought, because I am looking forward to the reward.” He was able to throw everything away because he looked to the end. This is faith.
Romans 5:3 says that we rejoice even in afflictions. Tribulation produces patience, patience produces refinement, and refinement achieves hope. The reason we rejoice even in tribulation is because we can see the end of it, hope. To believe in Jesus is to see the end like this.
Weep for your neighbor and have a heart for Jesus
The cross purifies us, purifies us, and brings us to the essence. Jesus does not teach us success. After saying, come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, he tells me to come to me, take my yoke upon you, and learn “meekness and humility.”
Persecution teaches nuns and weeping. Declining numbers is not a crisis. The crisis is that the love in my heart disappears and the heart of Jesus disappears. The psalmist says, "He that sows with weeping will reap with joy."
Luke 8:6 tells us that the seed that falls on a rock will wither and die due to lack of moisture. Moisture here means tears and the heart of Jesus. If the heart of Jesus disappears, only dust will appear. Even the church cannot become a church if the heart of Jesus disappears.
Therefore, believers must have the heart of Jesus and become the hands and feet of Jesus. We'll have to take a look and see if it's just dusting off too much. Comfort and blessings are ruining us.
The essence of Christianity is to deny yourself and go the way of the cross. The disciples in the Gospels boast that they are good for each other, but the disciples in Acts all walked the path of evangelism and martyrdom. I hope that you will become those of you who deny yourself and walk the way of the cross.