Loved by the World

After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. Now the Jews' Feast of Booths was at hand. So his brothers said to him, "Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world." For not even his brothers believed in him. Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. (John 7:1-7 ESV)

Has there ever been a time when someone hated you because of your faith? It doesn't even have to be full-blown persecution. It may have just been a time when someone mocked, laughed at, or ridiculed you because of your faith. Maybe someone just said, “I don't like so and so because he's just such a Bible-thumper.” Has anything like that ever happened? Ever?

If not, you might want to examine your faith. I'm not necessarily saying you're not a Christian but it could be that you're not acting like one. Jesus was hated by the world because He spoke out against it. He talked openly about people's sin and reminded them of Scripture. He condemn the hypocrisy of the religious rulers. He preached the gospel to Publicans, prostitutes, Samaritans, and even to Romans. He gored many sacred bulls, as it were, and people didn't like it.

If we are to be like Christ, we should do many of the same things He did. We should preach the word openly. We should speak out against sin. We should concern ourselves with the spiritual condition of those around us. And as we do these things, we might expect to receive some of the same reactions He received. It's inevitable that these things will make some people uncomfortable.

So what does it mean if the world doesn't hate you? It could be because they don't see Christ in you. They never hear you condemn sin. They never hear you quote Scripture. Instead, they see you as one of them. If we are like the world, John 15:19 says that the world loves its own. Notice the dichotomy: If we were of the world the world loves us. Otherwise, it hates us. There's nothing in between. We can't be neutral about this. If the world doesn't hate us, it precisely means it's because they see us as its own.

It's time to make an appraisal of your spiritual condition. Are you hated or loved by the world? My opinion about it doesn't matter. Your own assessment will tell the whole story.