06/01/2026
NOT APPRECIATED BY EVERYONE!
The world hated Christ; they will hate his followers as well. Understand this; the world today ridicules Christ and Chris-
tians. When Believers stand up for godly principles, the world
order of our day (and Jesus' day) does everything it can to
discredit us. Jesus quotes from Psalms 69:4, "But this happened
that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They
hated Me without a cause.'"
Back then they hated Jesus because he disrupted their religious practice that emphasized form over sincerity, actions over attitude; they practiced a hypocrisy that really didn't focus on the true worship of God.
Regarding Christians in this world, here's how Paul expressed it in II Timothy 3:12, "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." And John said it like this in I John 3:13, "Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you." It's clear: Taking an uncompromising stand for the principles of Jesus Christ will draw fire from the established world order—in Jesus' day and ours. Whenever you find someone living for Christ 24/7, he is usually categorized as a religious fanatic! And the religious-form-over-substance people take offense. People, for the most part, want just enough religious activity in their lives to relieve some guilt, but that’s the extent of it. When they see someone who takes his Christian lifestyle seriously, the sense of guilt they feel often causes them to want to characterize the normal as abnormal✞
(Wayne Turner’s 6/2 BT notes – John 15:18-27)
www.bibletrack.org/notes/summary/0602NK.html
