WHY DO THEY HATE CHRISTIANS AND THE CHRISTIAN GOD

 

 The more society rejects Christ and Christian’s values, the more they hate Christians and the Bible-believing Church.

 Consequently, we are tempted to think, “There is something the matter with evangelism, today’s Church, and even with us. Therefore, we have to radically change what we have been doing.” Instead, we must prepare ourselves with the understanding that hatred of Christians is normal, although sinful:

 2 Timothy 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,”

 According to Paul, if we are hated, we must be doing the right thing. Jesus also warned that we will be hated:

Matthew 24:9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.”

John 15:18–19 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Why do they hate us especially as we seek to love them? There are many reasons or this. Their conscience testifies against them of their impeding condemnation (Romans 2:15):

Romans 1:32 “Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”;

Consequently, we are a stench to those who have rejected Jesus:

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and revealing the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

2 Corinthians 2:14-16 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life…

While some will be drawn to us, many will hate us as a constant reminder of the Word of truth embedded within their conscience reminding them of their condemnation:

John 16:8-9 ”And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;“

Unless we confess our sins and are reconciled to our Lord, we will flee from the indictment of our conscience:

John 3:19–20 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

The darkness is paneled with self-righteousness, trying to prove ourselves worthy against the judgment of our conscience and exposure . What form does this judgment take?

John 9:39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who [think they] see may become blind.”

The more we try to prove ourselves worthy against the indictment of our conscience, the call of God to come and find life, the more we are hardened:

Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit. (Romans 1:24; Proverbs 21:2; 12:15)

Unconfessed sin hardens. We see this graphically portrayed by the sin of Adam and Eve. After eating the forbidden fruit, they hid from the exposing Light and Presence of God, answered Him with half-truths, blame-shifted, and covered themselves with fig leaves to hide their shame, never once confessing and asking for forgiveness.

We are still hiding in the darkness, covering ourselves with self-affirmations and the fig leaves of self-righteousness—our attainments, money , power, popularity, whatever represents worthiness to us and the world. No wonder that Jesus and His Gospel are an absolute stench to those abiding in the darkness of concealment from the Light of the Lord! Therefore, Jesus taught:

Matthew 5:11–12 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”