“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you." - John 15:18
"I [Jesus] have given them your [God the Father's] word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." - John 17:14
"I am the way and the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except by Me." - John 14:6
77.2 percent of the world's inhabitants identify with one of five major religions: Christians - 32%, Muslims - 23%, Hindus - 15%, Buddhists - 7%, and Jews - 0.2%. The remaining 22.8% put their faith in some other belief system or in themselves. But to say that 32% of the world population is Christian and heaven bound would be inaccurate without clarifying what Christian means. I want to elaborate but don't want to lose the point of this post by chasing "rabbits".
It has never been more important to know what you believe and why you believe it. One might ask - can 68% or more of the world be wrong about God and life? The answer is, actually 100% of the world has been wrong about God and life - that is until some of them met Jesus on the road. Many people identify with the Christian faith but, like Nicodemus, must be born again. John 14:6 is pretty clear about how a person gets to God - it's Jesus.
In John 15 and 17, it is pretty clear why the world rejects Christianity and those who embrace the faith - yep, again, it's Jesus. The tenants of the Christian faith have never been so contrary to the majority of the world's view of what is right and what is wrong.
The darker the night the brighter the light. As the world grows darker, light of Christ will shine all the brighter. You know how your eyes react when you are in a dark room, and someone turns the lights on. It hurts your eyes, and you want the light turned back off. So it is with sin. The world does not want the light of the Gospel and the Truth of God to shine on their sin. Don't expect a world that loves its sin to applaud you for the conviction that your life brings. We have come to a point in time when it is no longer cool to be a Christian. In fact, the world will accuse Christians of being evil. The prophet Isaiah spoke of a time that would be and now is.
"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right! Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel." - Isaiah 5:20-24
It has never been more important for Christians to stand and show the love of God to a world in desperate need of Jesus.
Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone
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