Jesus Christ did not promise His followers prosperity or good fortune, He warned them that in this world they will suffer persecution.
We read the words of Jesus in John 15:18 He said to His disciples:“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19“If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. 20“Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21“But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. 22“If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23“He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24“If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. 25“But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ‘THEY HATED ME WITHOUT A CAUSE.’
If we follow Jesus Christ and we associate with Him the world will reject us and they will hate us like they also rejected, hated and persecuted Him.
Before Jesus was crucified He once again warned His disciples. We read in John 16:32“Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
If we follow Jesus Christ we must be blameless, pure and holy and the world will hate us, WITHOUT CAUSE. Many professing Christians are SINNERS like the rest of the world and they are the ones who persecute those who follow and obey Jesus Christ, those who are LIKE Jesus Christ, those who OBEY Him, those who live according to His words. But we have to OVERCOME.
Jesus Christ OVERCAME, not by fighting but by doing the will of His Father, by seeking the approval of the Father. We need to overcome in this world of wickedness, not by fighting back, not by doing as the world does but by living in obedience to Jesus Christ, by being BLAMELESS, by being PURE, by SUFFERING PERSECUTION, by turning the other cheek, by following the guidance of the Holy Spirit and thus doing the will of God and then we will have the approval of Jesus Christ.
We WILL suffer persecution, we will suffer tribulation if we follow Jesus Christ, if we associate with Him. If we do not suffer tribulation and persecution then we are not of Jesus, then we are of the world, then we fit in with this world. But if we are of Jesus Christ they will hate us and persecute us without reason.
Are we being persecuted for the sake of righteousness and for the sake of obeying and following Jesus Christ? Are we of Christ? Are we overcoming the world or are we giving in to temptation and to sin? Are we also sinners like the rest of those who profess to be Christians but they are not like Jesus Christ? If we are truly like Jesus and we follow and obey Him we will not be accepted by this world. They will hate and persecute us but we have to OVERCOME and thus prove that we are children of God.
May Jesus bless you.
finalcall07 