The World Hates Christians

The world hates true born again Christians who are abiding in Christ and living by his word.  Many people think the better of a Christian you are, the more people will love you because you are so nice and kind and so helpful to people.  But in reality that is not true at all.  Jesus loves sinners so much that he suffered greatly for them, and he always had compassion for people.  He healed the sick and fed the hungry, and yet he was hated and nailed to the cross.  People spit on him, mocked him, whipped him and beat him even beyond recognition as a man,   Was there ever anyone who loved so much as  Jesus did.  He went through all of that because he loves us and wants to save us from our sin so we can have eternal life.  But in spite of his great love, the world hated him, and the bible says if we abide in him, the world will hate us too.

John 15:18: If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19: If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20: Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord.  If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21: But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.

The closer we walk with Jesus and stay in his word, the more people of the world will hate us, just like they hated Jesus.  People hate Jesus because they love darkness rather than light and don't want to accept him as their savior.  John 3:9: And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and man loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 
Christians who are walking with Jesus are walking in the light with him, but unsaved people of the world are in darkness.  John 8:12: Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

The world also hates Christians because we are not like them, because we are different than the world, and that offends them.
John 17:14: I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

John 3:1: Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.  I John 3:13: Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

The world persecutes Christians.  Persecution means being treated very badly and hated by the world, and unsaved people trying to cause us a lot of trouble and tribulation for Christians.  Unsaved people scorn and ridicule Christians, and in many parts of the world today Christians are tortured and put to death.  But the bible says we should be happy and rejoice when we suffer for Christ for our reward in heaven will be great.

Matthew 5:10: Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11: Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12: Rejoice, and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Luke 6:22: Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.
23: Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

So we should be happy when we are persecuted because that is the way they treated Jesus, and sharing in the sufferings of Jesus makes us closer to him than ever before.

I Peter 3:14: But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled.

Philippians 3:10: That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Another reason we should not be surprised if the world hates us is that they even accused Jesus of being the devil.
Mark 3:22: And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of devils casteth he out devils.

The bible definitely teaches that if we are abiding in Christ that we will be persecuted for it.  It may not be being put to death like in some countries, but there will be some kind of persecution from the world. II Timothy 3:12: Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.  


Sometimes people will say about someone that he hasn't an enemy in the world.  But if everyone in the world loves you then you are not abiding in Christ.
Luke 6:26: Woe unto you, when all men speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

Another thing the bible teaches us about persecution is that we should love someone who is persecuting us and pray for them to get saved.
Matthew 5:22: But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.

The apostle Paul's name before he got saved was Saul, and when he was Saul he used to persecute Christians.
Acts 22:4: And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
Acts 26:11: And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.
But then when he got saved he was totally changed and became a great man of God, and God used him to write many of the books of the new testament, and he preached the gospel mightily and got many people saved.
Galatians 1:23-24: But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.  24: And they glorified God in me.

So, in conclusion, let's remember that if we abide in Christ we can expect persecution, but persecution will draw us closer to the Lord.  And remember that we should love our persecutors and be like Jesus, even as Jesus loved the people who nailed him to the cross.  Luke 23:34: Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.  And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.