Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Outcast

John 15

""If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."

Feeling left out? Feel like a dork? An outcast?

"Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me."

People do not outcast a "Christian" because of what you have started or are doing. People dislike you, or hate the way you live because of what Jesus started, and you are just following it. People oppose you because of a decision you made to follow Jesus because you are not following those who are not.

"If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. "

People still want to believe that there is no such thing as sin. People still want to believe whatever they are doing is because of "nature" and there is ultimately no consequence or "hell". So how dare you come and tell them there is such a "bad" thing?

"He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin."

Same as before, they close their eyes to so that they do not see.

"But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.' "

Sometimes, reason is thrown out the window.

"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning."

Because of the disciples' decision to do what is right, and the Holy Spirit will help guide them. Today we have the Bible.

To God be the Glory.