“I have given them your 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 don’t know about you, but one of my greatest weaknesses is that I really do like to be liked. There is something in me that always wants to “fit in,” to be “one of the boys,” to be in on the joke everyone else is laughing about. I think that’s part of our human nature. We were made for community. We exist to know and relate to God and be in fellowship with His people. And when that desire works as it was designed to, it helps draw us to Him and to one another.
But this is a fallen world. And in a fallen world our feelings and desires can get twisted and turned around so what was designed for good (our desire to get along with others) can become something bad (an impulse that leads us away from Christ). That’s what happens whenever the world we want to “fit in” with is this world in its rebellion against God (1 John 2:15-17).
This is what Jesus means when He tells us that we are “not of this world.” He doesn’t mean we don’t belong on this planet, or that earth itself is not our physical home. But he means ‘this world’ as it stands in rebellion against God cannot be our true home. It cannot have our allegiance. It cannot set the pace for our lives. Why not? Because we belong to Him and our first allegiance must be to Him. And in every place where our allegiance to Him and His Word keeps us from marching to the drumbeat of this world, we must be ready to stand out.
That’s when the world’s hatred of God’s righteous rule begins to show. As they have hated Him, so they will hate us. This morning’s passage from John 15:18-25 warns us of that. Despite our efforts to walk in love, we will be hated by those who follow the course of this world. That’s not surprising given it’s demand to have its way. And we should not be surprised (1 John 3:13). But we must be prepared as we consider Jesus’ words and set our hearts follow Him.
May we seek the approval of the only One that matters!
Pastor Scott