John 15:18-John 16:1-4. Now we find instructions and warnings for our relationships with the world we live in. When referring to "the world", we are talking about the system of society opposed to Jesus and God the Father. It is the people, organizations, philosophies, and purposes that are anti-Christian. The prince of such things is Satan - the archenemy of Jesus. So why does the world hate Christians? It first hated Jesus. We no longer belong to the world. The world has rejected His Word. It doesn't know the Father. The world's sin is exposed by Jesus. Nothing fires up people more than having their shortcomings illuminated or proving their actions don't meet the standard.
Even as Christians who bear His very name, we must be careful to not become worldly in varying degrees, moving from friendship with the world, to loving the world, and then finally conforming to the world. Anything in our lives that keeps us from enjoying God's love and doing God's will is worldly and should be put away.
Jesus begins chapter 16 with the reason for this discourse: "all this I've told you so that you will not fall away". We need to adjust our perspective, approach, and philosophy about this life. We tend to be so selfish that we are bent towards an entitlement to live the "good life". We insulate, protect, insure, and isolate ourselves to promote a life of comfort, pleasure, entertainment, and ensure receiving of continual blessings. I personally believe this is a simple perversion of what was instilled into mankind by God Himself when He created us. We have a deep longing for heaven. Our pursuit of these things, though selfishly in error, is our acting out our great desire for the goodness of heaven and a pure relationship with Jesus. In heaven, we will be perfectly complete in our relationship with Christ. Out of that relationship, we will have the true satisfaction and contentment we so desperately long for. We will experience more joy and pleasure than any temporary worldly substitute or compromise. We can also have this same relationship, even now, by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. He can bring us true light and life, right here, right now, no matter the temporary circumstances we are facing.
So, we make a grave mistake to think we might deserve to live such a "grand" life while here on Earth, considering how the world treated the Jesus we serve. How could we expect to live so much better than our Master and Savior? Once we get this straight in our selfish minds, we can broaden our perspective to include our real purpose for this existence. It is at that point, we can begin to grasp how to live for His glory, and not our own. It is there that we can humbly act on the fact that He is the vine and we are simply His branches, allowing His life to flow through us. The fruit comes from Him, not us.
Forget being popular with the world. Don't even try. Jesus was famous, but not popular. Teach your kids this truth. Don't compromise to gain popularity or position. Don't try to be greater than our Lord. You can say you believe in God and still be popular. The real test is in your relationship and attitude towards Jesus. The Holy Spirit bears witness to Jesus. Is Jesus real to you? Is Jesus being glorified in your life? If not, ask the Spirit to do a work in your heart. Don't take another step through your day without working out the answers to these questions, until the answers are "yes". We must have the reality of Jesus solidly rooted in our lives in order to not fall away. The stakes are that high, friends. We can't afford to play "footsies" with the world and have any kind of fellowship with Jesus. Be rid of that preconceived image of success in the world and walk in the freedom Jesus paid for. He doesn't want to lose even a single soul.
