"If the world hate you, ye
know that it hated me before it hated you. 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 " Jn.15,18-19. " These
things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.” Jn. 16:1.
The Lord is warning his children and
The world cannot love the Truth
and the children of Truth because his works are darkness. All those that
proclaim the truth in its entirety should not expect "Amen!" from the
multitude, which would simply conflict with the Word of God and His immutable
laws. Since the works of the world are darkness, the world loved darkness
rather than light and thus sealed his judgment for eternity:
"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men
loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone that
doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should
be reproved. But he that doeth truth
cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought
in God.” Jn.3:19-21.
When the truth is preached, it
produces joy in the heart of the son of light, but the children of this world
feel insecure that their wickedness will soon be unveiled. Indeed, they
persuaded people all the time that they were acting on behalf of God, bringing
the truth, and that through them people found their God and were blessed. And
here comes the light: their lies and malice are exposed. So they take counsel: "If
we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him" Jn. 11:48. They
need to do something, at any rate, to fight the Truth. In Chapter 15 where we
were, in verse
20 the Lord went further: "If they kept my saying, they will
keep your’s also." These are the words of awareness to take very
seriously: those who preach the Truth of the Lord should be surprised if it were
easily adhered to.
"But if our gospel be hid,
it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath
blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel
of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” 2Co. 4:3-4.
We have our God, the God of Truth (Es. 65:16), and they, likewise,
have their god, the god of this world. The God of Truth opens the mind to his
children so that they may understand the Scriptures as from God’s perspective (Lc.
24:45). Thus, for the children of light the Bible is God's written
Word in its entirety, it is perfect and consistent and there is no contradiction
in it. But as for the god of this world, he does blind his own so that they may
find in the Word of God inconsistencies and contradictions. When we present the
glorious gospel of Christ, they consider it bullshit.
Therefore, we, children of light,
are spreading the fragrance of Christ, but it is perceived differently
depending on whether one belongs to the God of Truth or the god of this world: "Now
thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest
the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet
savour of Christ, in them that are saved,
and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to
the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?”
And why do they die? -Here's the answer in the next verse, "For
we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as
of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” 2Co. 2:14-17.
The Truth we preach is not only
the bread of life unto life to those that are of the light, it is also the double-edged
sword judging, condemning and executing those that are of darkness (He.
4:12). And who are of darkness, if not those that falsify the Word
of God to mislead people? The unadulterated Word of God points at them, unmasks
them and reveals that they are lying people, and puts death in their camp. This
is how we distinguish who is of the world and who is of God: he that is of the
world falsifies the Word of God, and he that is of God proclaims the Word of
God faithfully.
When the Lord speaks of the
world, some might immediately think of the artistic celebrities, political
leaders, big businessmen, etc.: but all these have nothing (or very little) to
do with the children of God and the eternal Truth. Actually, they are not
enemies of the Truth, because they may be converted and be disciples of the
Truth. Did Pilate, the political leader in Jesus’ time, not wash his hands?
Herod also was not baited against him, but sent him back to Pilate.
Businessmen, sinners, and ordinary people had no problem with Jesus and His
Word. But the enemies, it was those who had already held hostage the souls
that the Lord was coming to set free by the Truth. Jesus was referring to them
when he spoke of the world. But before that, let's see what the Apostle
John tells us about them.
"They are of the world:
therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God:
he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know
we the spirit of Truth and the spirit of error.” 1Jn. 4:5-6. The world loves the Word
of God falsified, he loves those that heal his wound slightly: "They
have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace,
peace; when there is no peace.” Je.6:14 and 8:11. The world loves
the social and material blessings gospel: this year you will be promoted at
work! any weapon that is formed against you shall not prosper! you will not be
the tail but the head! all those that dig a pit against you shall fall therein!
I declare that this month will be a blessing for you! I prophesy that all your hindrances
will be overcome this week! and many more. This literally translates what is
written by Jeremiah the prophet: "They say still unto them that despise
me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that
walketh after the imagination of his own heart: No evil shall come upon you.” Je.
23:17.
Chimeras and flattery! The world
has declared that it needs them indeed,
as expressed in Isaiah 30 "That this is a rebellious people, lying
children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: which say to the
seers, See not; And to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak
unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside
out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.” v.9-11.
Those who seek the reward of the world are investing in this juicy business:
They preach flattery and chimeras, and in return they are acclaimed by the
world. But when we preach the Word of God in its purity, showing the true way
of life and contending that all the rest is darkness, only children of God cope
with us, because, sooth to say, we are a death threat to the world . And John
concludes: hereby
know we the spirit of Truth and the spirit of error.
Finally, let’s come back to the
expression of the Lord, when he speaks of the world. Having said that the world
will hate us because we are not of the world and he has chosen us out of the
world, the Lord justified this by the fact that they do not know the Father nor
Christ. Then he said on in Chapter 16, verse 2, "They will put
you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you
will think that he doeth God service.” This is even the explanation
of the world: kings, presidents, politicians in general, the celebrities of the
world, businessmen, scientists and world leaders, all of these do not run
synagogues or temples and churches to put us out of them. Moreover, they do not
have for function or profession to worship God. But the world that hates the children
of God and the Truth, it is those religions that men have formed based on the
falsifying of the Word of God.
But we cannot give up or shut up,
because we have a firm assurance of victory the Lord has guaranteed us in his
Word: “In
the world Ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the
world."Jn. 16:33.
If you feel blessed, share and pour out the same blessings.
No comments:
Post a Comment