Who's Hated the Most?

There is so much hate in the world! It gets worse every day. Hating someone is having  feelings of dislike and even hostility. The hostility is sometimes so extreme that the hater wants to administer extreme pain on the person hated. Bullies hate often for no reason at all!

The world is full of bullies. It has always been! However, at the present time bullying has hit an all time high. Unfortunately, it's those who are perceived as weak who're bullied the most. Christians, at least those who practice love, are perceived as weak. Consequently, Christians are bullied! Because of the pacifist teachings of Christ and loving our enemy, Christians cannot with good conscience strike out at those who hate us! Some believe we should, but the Bible tells us differently... turn the other cheek... Allow God to heap hot coals on their heads... etc.

 John 7:6 "Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. 7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil."

I say this without reservation: Jesus is the most hated person to ever have existed!  He's even hated more than Hitler; whose atrocities are in the process of slowly being minimized, even forgotten! However, those endeavoring to follow the lifestyle of Christ are open to disdain. Why? Because with Christ comes rules! Rules people still wish not to follow! Mankind never changes, we've always been in rebellion and we always will be. Christianity is about submitting and submit we won't!

The world hates Christ because he testifies to the evil of the world. He said so in the verse above.  Those who have desires of the flesh place pleasure above obedience and rebellion results. "I won't follow a bunch of rules because I want to enjoy life!"  "I'll do as I want right now and ask for forgiveness later!" That's just not the way it works with Jesus, but somehow we're smarter than God!

We are of the world, so the world hates us very little! Although we are disciples of Christ, we're poor disciples! We are forgiven, but sin has made its mark. We still follow our own desires, and for the most part the world does not hate us for our actions, but because the world hates Christ!  If we stand down the world leaves us alone, but if we stand up for Christ, we're hated!  When a Christian says something that's judgmental against the evils of the world, that person is ostracized. To get along, an apology often follows. While we're consorting with those who hate Jesus and trying to appease them, Jesus never ever apologized! He was right and made no excuses for it. However, we conform to the world and that's not a good thing:

Romans 12:2 "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

If we're transformed, we too will be hated:

2 Corinthians 4:8 "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed..."

If we are righteous we will be persecuted! That's just a condition of being a priest for Christ. If we are righteous for his name's sake, we will be hated! If it hadn't been for hate and persecution Christianity would never have spread throughout the world. God has little regard for this life since life itself is subject to him. God provides eternal life and suffering in this life is worth living forever!

Right now Christianity is persecuted. While the western world once held God in high esteem, God has now been redefined. God has become no more than the practice of social justice. No one can be judged. No one can be rebuked, all behaviors and beliefs are copacetic, and even endeavoring to fulfill "The Great Commission" by proselytizing is called "intolerant" by the thought police! Christianity is a victim. Christianity is being bullied by the world; by those who hate what Christ stands for!

Don't be bullied! Stand up for Christ and his teachings without apology! When God calls something "an abomination", disgusting it is!" When God says to "love others" love we do! When God says "be obedient", obey we must!  When God says to "stand up for truth", truth it is! When God says to "pattern our life after Christ", we make Jesus our model. We do all this in the face of persecution, just as Peter and Paul did! They died for Christ's sake and that death was not caused by the hate of the apostles, but for the hate of Christ. We're to bear the same battle scars as Jesus did! Stand up for America? No stand up for Jesus and America will follow!