Testifying that the world is evil

"The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil." [Jn 7:7]

The good, kindly, sweet Jesus, who everyone so affectionately regards as being the embodiment of God's love only, has often been quoted saying things that some would (indeed some have tried to) remove from the Scriptures, sayings such as:

"And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." [Matthew 25:46]

Now we have in John 7 Jesus himself affirming such sayings and owning them entirely, and offering this as the full explanation as to why the world hates Him: because He testifies that its works are evil.  Why would he tell people their deeds are evil?  This just isn't done if you want to be a public figure, which is of course what everyone wants. Even Jesus' own brothers completely misunderstood Him, thinking it was also what He wanted.  It was not. He wanted to glorify the Father; that was the sum of our Lord's desires.  And inasmuch as it was the Father's will, he wanted to redeem those whom the Father would give to Him.

But to go around telling people that they're evil is the wrong way to win souls, if you listen to Christians today. They will every one of them advise you the same, as you begin any sort of preaching or evangelism.  Tell people they're sinful, corrupted and going to hell, or point out any single thing they're doing as something condemned in the Scriptures, and you are, to hear so many well-meaning Christians, hurting them.  But Jesus did this.  So did Peter, Paul, James, John, and almost every other sincere preacher, evangelist or teacher of Scripture since.  Obviously there is a huge difference in berating and mindlessly lambasting people of sin, and speaking the truth in love as the Lord did.  And I'm totally encouraging the latter, not the former.

But we've raised up a generation of preachers who are so fearful of doing the one that they do neither at all. In fact, they are so desirous of being public figures that they don't at all know how to preach like Jesus, because to do so is to be hated.  For "just as they hated me, they will hate you," said our Lord.  All the more if we preach as He did, will they hate and vilify us.  All the greatest preachers were lampooned and attacked, usually by other Christians, until their fruit was matured after 20 or 30 years.  The ancient prophets and early Christian saints were martyred for their testimony and preaching.

And in this age, where accusations of "hate speech" are the latest ruse of the Devil for silencing Christians, we can't afford to say anything that anyone anywhere might construe as a criminal act, as justice is all but dead in such situations.  There was a time when a black man who was accused of anything was as good as lynched; times have changed, but people still want their lynchings. Now they are more than willing to lynch Christians who decry sin, especially the sacred cows of sexual sins.

Thus, I think it only appropriate to decry a few. "E-ville" would seem to be the most fitting pronunciation of evil for our online era.  And what greater sin that the mental fondling of the idols taking place in the world of online pornography.  I admit I know how vile it is. But cannot but shake and shudder when I see it, knowing it to be the very breath of demons pouring into the eyes of the soul, a darkness illuminated by The Light of the World, and shown for the filth it is.  Who can justify it?  Yet many Christians do so, at least to themselves, with no thought for the Holiness of God, and the Son of God they are trampling under their feet while indulging in their lust.

If the world was really such a wonderful place, I might doubt that men's deeds are all that evil. But when I see the wars, thefts, murders, and so many vile people living in idolatry, I cannot but tremble that we are doing so little to win them, and doing even less to influence them with godly lives.  We are salt that has lost its saltiness, and is not even fit for the dunghill. [Lk 14:34,35]

May God help us not to seek the pleasure of the world, but choose rather to suffer with Christ.  For this is what has been granted to us. [Phil 1:29] May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus help us to restore that good news that is:

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. [Acts 3:19]

forsaking that half-gospel which omits the diagnosis of sin altogether.  Lord, increase our love for you, and desire to seek first your kingdom and your righteousness.  AMEN