Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 1 John 3:13-15

Jesus said “If the world hates you, know that it hated me first” (John 15:18) As a Christian you should not be surprised when you receive great opposition sharing the true gospel of Christ and living a genuine Born Again lifestyle. The world will hate you because it hates the real Jesus Christ. Why? Because Jesus is the truth in a world of deception,  because Jesus is the Light in a world of darkness, because Jesus is life in a world of death. 

Its been said before Why would we expect to be treated better than our Lord who was killed by this world? You shouldn’t expect better treatment than Christ. So when the world rejects and persecutes it, consider pure joy because the world knows the living God is inside of you. The Apostle James said “Anyone who loves the world is an enemy of God” (James 4:4) One of the great mistakes the Church makes today is they try to be more like the world instead of more like God. You can’t be in the world and be in Christ at the same time. They are enemies of one another!

So why do we remain in this world until we are called home by our Lord? As the Apostle John says here “ Because we love the brethren (Church)” Even during persecution or suffering we have a higher calling by God, to finish our race placed before us! To be the salt and light of this world, to be the hands and feet of Christ in your community. You are the difference in your local community. You are the difference in your local Church, serve and be faithful to your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Speaking of the Church, notice what the Apostle John says here under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit “Whoever hates his brother (Church) is a murderer, and you know that a murderer does not have eternal life abiding in them” The Apostle John is going off Jesus teaching at the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21-22) You can’t hate the Church and be Born Again also, this is a complete contradiction of the Holy Spirit

If you don’t like what’s going on at your local Church , be the difference! If you don’t like what’s going on in your local community, be the difference! You were called to be a servant of Christ, be the Light in this dark world, be the Salt in a corrupted world that is fading away, expect to suffer for Christs sake because the world hated Christ first!