Do not be surprised or discouraged when the world hates, slights, or persecutes you, for such hatred is certain and to be expected. It follows the pattern of Cain, who murdered his brother Abel out of jealousy cruel as death because his own works were evil and his brother's righteous obedience condemned him. This hatred reveals that there are only two sides, the children of God who do righteousness and love one another and have passed from death unto life, and the children of the devil who do not love their brother and abide in death, so that hatred of a brother is murder with no eternal life abiding in him. The world hates because it did not know Christ and does not recognize His followers, being at enmity with God with eyes too blind to discern spiritual things and powers too perverted to esteem heavenly light, while faithful living rebukes its unbelief, pride, selfishness, and ambition, especially in those who vindicate God's holy law including the Sabbath memorial of creation. Meet this hostility with Christlike meekness without retaliation, with steadfast integrity unmoved by flattery, bribes, reproach, or persecution, letting it develop faith, patience, and love, for by God's grace and living faith in Christ the loyal shall gain the mastery and bruise the serpent's head though the offense of the cross has not ceased.
Why the World Hates
Marvel not, be not surprised, wonder not, and be not discouraged when the world hates, slights, neglects, or persecutes, for such hatred is certain and to be expected. The hatred comes for the same reason Cain slew his brother, and the world's rejection is therefore no cause for discouragement. Love for fellow believers shown in practical acts of care stands opposite this hatred, which contradicts the life of love.
The verse belongs to a testimony beginning at 1 John 3:9 through the close of the chapter that binds law and gospel together in a perfect whole. That testimony must go throughout the length and breadth of the world, and will be impressed upon every heart opened to receive it, giving light and understanding to the simple and contrite in heart. The chapter links love to God with love to the brethren closely together, expressing the great principles of the law in the two precepts to love the Lord with all the heart and to love neighbor as self, upon which hang all the law and the prophets. These principles are very precious as expressing the love of God in life and character in treatment of fellow men.
The hatred follows the pattern of Cain, who was of that wicked one and slew his brother Abel out of jealousy cruel as death, because his own works were evil and his brother's works were righteous. Evil works thus oppose righteousness, Abel's obedience condemned Cain, and hostility toward God's people arises from the contrast between evil and righteous conduct. When Abel obeyed God's express direction in his sacrifice while Cain offered according to his own ideas, Abel's righteous works condemned Cain's evil works.
The hatred reveals the manifest division between only two sides, with no middle ground. On one side stand the children of God, who do righteousness and love one another in deed and in truth and stand with Christ who kept His Father's commandments, and on the other the children of the devil, who do not do righteousness, do not love their brother, and abide in death. Love for the brethren proves passing from death unto life and fellowship with God who is light and love, while he that loves not his brother abides in death, and whoever hates his brother is a murderer with no eternal life abiding in him. The love of God laid down His life, so believers ought to lay down their lives for the brethren and not shut up compassion from a needy brother while having this world's goods, but love in deed and in truth by believing on the name of Jesus Christ and loving one another and keeping His commandments.
The world hates because it did not know Christ's divine identity and relationship with the Father, and therefore does not recognize His followers' relationship with God. Worldly people judge them by worldly standards and see no value in their humble, unpopular lives. The surrounding verses contrast that hostility with the love believers are to have for one another.
The world hates because it is at enmity with God and His people and is not pleased with real, vital godliness and firm, steadfast character. It cannot understand Christian motives, character, or conscientious religious action for Christ's sake because spiritual things are spiritually discerned, and it knows not the power of the truth nor the Lord Jesus Christ nor the unseen inner life woven with the life of God and hid with Christ in God. Its eyes are too blind to discern spiritual things and the value and preciousness of the spiritual nature and a Christlike character, its touch too coarse to handle Christian character, and its soul powers too perverted to esteem the living heavenly light shining in the Christian mind and heart. It may recognize talent and weight of character in the man of God, but responds with envy rather than admiration, and because Christians are at variance with the world and stand in contrast to it as light to darkness, opposed to display and clothed with humility as they reflect the image of Christ, the humble are called narrow, bigoted, and exclusive, the zealous are regarded as fanatics, and those who advocate truth with pen and voice that the day of the Lord is at hand are pronounced excitable and charged with denouncing all but their own belief. In all ages believers have for Christ's sake been accused, misrepresented, hated, and passed through much tribulation, a lesson learned by experience.
Faithful living rebukes unbelief, pride, selfishness, extravagance, and ambition, with faithful spirituality, earnest admonitions and prayers rebuking the pride, extravagance and ambition of the world. Such faithfulness may bring gossip, falsehood, slander, reproach, and opposition. Those chosen out of the world, as Christ was hated before them and the servant is not greater than his Lord, become instead of receiving its smiles, flattery, and applause objects of scorn, derision, and meanness, since the only religion the world admires, respects, and esteems is a passive faith corrupted by worldly currents.
Those who honor Jesus and keep the commandments of God, who obey God and magnify His law as holy, just, and good and vindicate it by keeping it, must expect no better treatment than the treatment given to the law itself, even the same treatment Abel received from Cain. This includes keeping the fourth commandment to keep the Sabbath as the memorial of creation, for which disobedient men unreconciled to the law, who set aside God's Sabbath for a spurious sabbath and offer what God never commanded, show the same bitterness, malice, envy, jealousy, and hate Cain showed toward Abel. Those who vindicate the law by keeping it become targets for the wrath of the dragon, and as long as human nature is under the control of the enemy of all righteousness, enmity against the righteous will be shown through men and will not end until evil is destroyed. The offense of the cross has not ceased, and Satan, working even under pretensions to godliness, turns his most efficient forces against the followers of Jesus, so they must expect to be reviled, misrepresented, maligned, persecuted, and oppressed, while the great rebel leads his armies against them.
Friendship with the ungodly may appear safe, but conformity to the world's principles and customs can draw God's people into sin and separate them from Him. The world's professed friends may then turn against them and seek their destruction.
Enduring Hatred Faithfully
The text is instruction to be received and profited from, to be studied, believed and practiced, revealing wonderful love in calling the sinful race to cease from sin. It calls those who become sons and daughters of God to walk uprightly in a crooked and perverse generation, showing the contrast between the principles of Christ and the principles of Satan. It is for youth, for students in schools and sanitariums, for workers in printing offices, and for their instructors and leaders. Its testimony of light and understanding must go throughout the length and breadth of the world, and will be impressed upon every heart that is opened to receive it, giving light to the simple and contrite in heart.
In contrast to hatred, love for fellow believers is shown in practical care in deed and in truth. After God's example in laying down His life, believers ought to lay down their lives for the brethren and not shut up compassion from a needy brother while having this world's goods, but love by believing on the name of Jesus Christ and loving one another and keeping His commandments. Hatred and prejudice toward a brother is contrary to the Word, must be put away, brings guilt before God, and harms the one who harbors it.
Full preparation is required to meet certain hatred, with manliness and firmness in Christian character. A cheap Christian character works more harm in the world than the character of a worldling, for professed Christians mislead others by professing to represent Him whose name they assume.
Opposition must be met with meekness and submission, learning meekness and lowliness from Christ so His yoke is easy and His burden light. There must be speaking as Christ spoke, with no harsh, passionate, or rash words, keeping hereditary and cultivated tendencies under control. Injustice may be permitted if need be rather than indulging Cain's spirit, with no retaliation and no railing accusations against opponents, but with the kindness and tenderness of Jesus. Character is to be daily refined, sanctified and purified, living every moment under the Saviour's keeping power as witnesses testifying in daily life to the power of grace.
Such hostility is no cause for discouragement when the world hates, slights, or neglects, and need not dismay those faithful to God. It can help develop faith, patience, meekness, and love. A life of personal piety obtained by wise and unconditional surrender to God, by asking God in prayer apart from human beings with duty measured in the light of the Word, produces a life full of goodness, love, and truth, with conversation of heaven and looking for the Saviour. Such religion tells in its influence and personal deeds while kept from evil though left in the world.
The lesson is steadfast integrity that does not seek praise or exaltation, is not drawn away by bribes or flattery, and is not driven from duty by fear of reproach, false accusation, hatred, or persecution, but serves the Lord rather than self. Drifting with the current down from righteousness and holiness to darkness and transgression is easy, while winning eternal life requires struggling against wind and tide with aggressive, heroic faith. Believers must cling by living faith to Him as a Rock higher than themselves, a refuge that will never fail, and scorn for faithful spirituality is a compliment to Christian integrity.
God's people stand firm only through the grace of God, contesting the ground inch by inch until victory. Though reviled, misrepresented, maligned, persecuted, and oppressed, and though the great rebel leads his armies so the offense of the cross has not ceased, he can bruise only the heel. Those loyal to Christ by fidelity and piety shall through Christ bruise the serpent's head and gain the mastery.
Do not be surprised or discouraged when the world hates, slights, or persecutes you, for such hatred is certain and to be expected. It follows the pattern of Cain, who murdered his brother Abel out of jealousy cruel as death because his own works were evil and his brother's righteous obedience condemned him. This hatred reveals that there are only two sides, the children of God who do righteousness and love one another and have passed from death unto life, and the children of the devil who do not love their brother and abide in death, so that hatred of a brother is murder with no eternal life abiding in him. The world hates because it did not know Christ and does not recognize His followers, being at enmity with God with eyes too blind to discern spiritual things and powers too perverted to esteem heavenly light, while faithful living rebukes its unbelief, pride, selfishness, and ambition, especially in those who vindicate God's holy law including the Sabbath memorial of creation. Meet this hostility with Christlike meekness without retaliation, with steadfast integrity unmoved by flattery, bribes, reproach, or persecution, letting it develop faith, patience, and love, for by God's grace and living faith in Christ the loyal shall gain the mastery and bruise the serpent's head though the offense of the cross has not ceased.
Why the World Hates
Marvel not, be not surprised, wonder not, and be not discouraged when the world hates, slights, neglects, or persecutes, for such hatred is certain and to be expected. The hatred comes for the same reason Cain slew his brother, and the world's rejection is therefore no cause for discouragement. Love for fellow believers shown in practical acts of care stands opposite this hatred, which contradicts the life of love.
The verse belongs to a testimony beginning at 1 John 3:9 through the close of the chapter that binds law and gospel together in a perfect whole. That testimony must go throughout the length and breadth of the world, and will be impressed upon every heart opened to receive it, giving light and understanding to the simple and contrite in heart. The chapter links love to God with love to the brethren closely together, expressing the great principles of the law in the two precepts to love the Lord with all the heart and to love neighbor as self, upon which hang all the law and the prophets. These principles are very precious as expressing the love of God in life and character in treatment of fellow men.
The hatred follows the pattern of Cain, who was of that wicked one and slew his brother Abel out of jealousy cruel as death, because his own works were evil and his brother's works were righteous. Evil works thus oppose righteousness, Abel's obedience condemned Cain, and hostility toward God's people arises from the contrast between evil and righteous conduct. When Abel obeyed God's express direction in his sacrifice while Cain offered according to his own ideas, Abel's righteous works condemned Cain's evil works.
The hatred reveals the manifest division between only two sides, with no middle ground. On one side stand the children of God, who do righteousness and love one another in deed and in truth and stand with Christ who kept His Father's commandments, and on the other the children of the devil, who do not do righteousness, do not love their brother, and abide in death. Love for the brethren proves passing from death unto life and fellowship with God who is light and love, while he that loves not his brother abides in death, and whoever hates his brother is a murderer with no eternal life abiding in him. The love of God laid down His life, so believers ought to lay down their lives for the brethren and not shut up compassion from a needy brother while having this world's goods, but love in deed and in truth by believing on the name of Jesus Christ and loving one another and keeping His commandments.
The world hates because it did not know Christ's divine identity and relationship with the Father, and therefore does not recognize His followers' relationship with God. Worldly people judge them by worldly standards and see no value in their humble, unpopular lives. The surrounding verses contrast that hostility with the love believers are to have for one another.
The world hates because it is at enmity with God and His people and is not pleased with real, vital godliness and firm, steadfast character. It cannot understand Christian motives, character, or conscientious religious action for Christ's sake because spiritual things are spiritually discerned, and it knows not the power of the truth nor the Lord Jesus Christ nor the unseen inner life woven with the life of God and hid with Christ in God. Its eyes are too blind to discern spiritual things and the value and preciousness of the spiritual nature and a Christlike character, its touch too coarse to handle Christian character, and its soul powers too perverted to esteem the living heavenly light shining in the Christian mind and heart. It may recognize talent and weight of character in the man of God, but responds with envy rather than admiration, and because Christians are at variance with the world and stand in contrast to it as light to darkness, opposed to display and clothed with humility as they reflect the image of Christ, the humble are called narrow, bigoted, and exclusive, the zealous are regarded as fanatics, and those who advocate truth with pen and voice that the day of the Lord is at hand are pronounced excitable and charged with denouncing all but their own belief. In all ages believers have for Christ's sake been accused, misrepresented, hated, and passed through much tribulation, a lesson learned by experience.
Faithful living rebukes unbelief, pride, selfishness, extravagance, and ambition, with faithful spirituality, earnest admonitions and prayers rebuking the pride, extravagance and ambition of the world. Such faithfulness may bring gossip, falsehood, slander, reproach, and opposition. Those chosen out of the world, as Christ was hated before them and the servant is not greater than his Lord, become instead of receiving its smiles, flattery, and applause objects of scorn, derision, and meanness, since the only religion the world admires, respects, and esteems is a passive faith corrupted by worldly currents.
Those who honor Jesus and keep the commandments of God, who obey God and magnify His law as holy, just, and good and vindicate it by keeping it, must expect no better treatment than the treatment given to the law itself, even the same treatment Abel received from Cain. This includes keeping the fourth commandment to keep the Sabbath as the memorial of creation, for which disobedient men unreconciled to the law, who set aside God's Sabbath for a spurious sabbath and offer what God never commanded, show the same bitterness, malice, envy, jealousy, and hate Cain showed toward Abel. Those who vindicate the law by keeping it become targets for the wrath of the dragon, and as long as human nature is under the control of the enemy of all righteousness, enmity against the righteous will be shown through men and will not end until evil is destroyed. The offense of the cross has not ceased, and Satan, working even under pretensions to godliness, turns his most efficient forces against the followers of Jesus, so they must expect to be reviled, misrepresented, maligned, persecuted, and oppressed, while the great rebel leads his armies against them.
Friendship with the ungodly may appear safe, but conformity to the world's principles and customs can draw God's people into sin and separate them from Him. The world's professed friends may then turn against them and seek their destruction.
Enduring Hatred Faithfully
The text is instruction to be received and profited from, to be studied, believed and practiced, revealing wonderful love in calling the sinful race to cease from sin. It calls those who become sons and daughters of God to walk uprightly in a crooked and perverse generation, showing the contrast between the principles of Christ and the principles of Satan. It is for youth, for students in schools and sanitariums, for workers in printing offices, and for their instructors and leaders. Its testimony of light and understanding must go throughout the length and breadth of the world, and will be impressed upon every heart that is opened to receive it, giving light to the simple and contrite in heart.
In contrast to hatred, love for fellow believers is shown in practical care in deed and in truth. After God's example in laying down His life, believers ought to lay down their lives for the brethren and not shut up compassion from a needy brother while having this world's goods, but love by believing on the name of Jesus Christ and loving one another and keeping His commandments. Hatred and prejudice toward a brother is contrary to the Word, must be put away, brings guilt before God, and harms the one who harbors it.
Full preparation is required to meet certain hatred, with manliness and firmness in Christian character. A cheap Christian character works more harm in the world than the character of a worldling, for professed Christians mislead others by professing to represent Him whose name they assume.
Opposition must be met with meekness and submission, learning meekness and lowliness from Christ so His yoke is easy and His burden light. There must be speaking as Christ spoke, with no harsh, passionate, or rash words, keeping hereditary and cultivated tendencies under control. Injustice may be permitted if need be rather than indulging Cain's spirit, with no retaliation and no railing accusations against opponents, but with the kindness and tenderness of Jesus. Character is to be daily refined, sanctified and purified, living every moment under the Saviour's keeping power as witnesses testifying in daily life to the power of grace.
Such hostility is no cause for discouragement when the world hates, slights, or neglects, and need not dismay those faithful to God. It can help develop faith, patience, meekness, and love. A life of personal piety obtained by wise and unconditional surrender to God, by asking God in prayer apart from human beings with duty measured in the light of the Word, produces a life full of goodness, love, and truth, with conversation of heaven and looking for the Saviour. Such religion tells in its influence and personal deeds while kept from evil though left in the world.
The lesson is steadfast integrity that does not seek praise or exaltation, is not drawn away by bribes or flattery, and is not driven from duty by fear of reproach, false accusation, hatred, or persecution, but serves the Lord rather than self. Drifting with the current down from righteousness and holiness to darkness and transgression is easy, while winning eternal life requires struggling against wind and tide with aggressive, heroic faith. Believers must cling by living faith to Him as a Rock higher than themselves, a refuge that will never fail, and scorn for faithful spirituality is a compliment to Christian integrity.
God's people stand firm only through the grace of God, contesting the ground inch by inch until victory. Though reviled, misrepresented, maligned, persecuted, and oppressed, and though the great rebel leads his armies so the offense of the cross has not ceased, he can bruise only the heel. Those loyal to Christ by fidelity and piety shall through Christ bruise the serpent's head and gain the mastery.