BE FAITHFUL IN THE MIDST OF THE EVIL WORKS OF THIS WORLD!
BE FAITHFUL IN THE MIDST OF THE EVIL WORKS OF THE WORLD!
Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. —John 7:6-7
Why does the world hate Jesus? It hates Him because He testifies “about it that its works are evil.” The system of this world does evil works. So, let us not be surprised at the evil work the world does. We are not sent by Jesus to change the world, but to be witnesses and disciple-makes of His. That is our main goal. We are to be motivated out of our love for God and people as we go about His business (Matthew 22:37-40; 24:24; 28:18-20).
And don’t be surprised that the world hates you, brothers and sisters, fellow followers of Jesus. Jesus said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first” (John 15;18). Why is it that the world hates Jesus? It is because He bears witness that its works are evil because it is headed up by the “evil one.” It is “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God” (II Corinthians 4:4). And those of the world “must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” (II Timothy 2:25-26).
See, the “god of this world” is the devil/Satan and it is he who has blinded the minds of people so they will not accept the truth about Jesus and follow Him. It is the devil/Satan who has entrapped people and is holding “them captive to do his will.” The only escape from the devil/Satan is for people to “come to their senses” as God makes His light to shine in their hearts so they can understand the truth about Jesus. Then “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
So, brother and sister, fellow follower of Jesus, we are to bring the good news to people because—
“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” —Romans 10:14-15
The world may hate Jesus and us, but our Lord has given us a mandate to share the gospel and make disciples. There are those who will come to follow Jesus. Let us look for those lost sheep and follow the example of Jesus who “came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Jesus promised to be with us in His work right to the end of this age (Matthew 28:20). So let us be faithful until we reach home… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRSGXKsv7IU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ4lAVu9VwU