BLESSED ASSURANCE – Evidence #8
“Opposition From The World”
1 John 3:11-13
INTRODUCTION: We continue in our SERIES on the EVIDENCES that can give us the ASSURANCE of our salvation.
We have seen, so far:
EVIDENCE #1 – A TRUE Christian will have a relationship with Jesus.
EVIDENCE #2 – A TRUE Christian will deal with the sin in their life.
EVIDENCE #3 – A TRUE Christian will obey God’s Word.
EVIDENCE #4 – A TRUE Christian will love other Christians.
EVIDENCE #5 – A TRUE Christian will forsake the world.
EVIDENCE #6 – A TRUE Christian will understand the truth.
EVIDENCE #7 – A TRUE Christian will practice righteousness.
NOW – EVIDENCE #8 – A TRUE Christian will have OPPOSITION FROM THE WORLD.
Have you found out that:
o Not everybody loves the Lord as much as you do?
o Not everyone appreciates your witness and testimony?
o Not everyone encourages you in your Christian walk?
We seldom face down-right PERSECUTION in this country, like they did in New Testament times. OR … Like JESUS did. No one was more God-like than Jesus … no one ever loved more than He did … AND … no one was ever more persecuted than Jesus. As a matter of fact, the more He loved, the more He was persecuted & hated!
They eventually crucified Him on a cross. They hated His love. Even as He hung on the cross, bearing the sins of the sinners, they mocked, blasphemed and cursed Him.
When you follow in Christ’s steps, you too will be despised by the world. It’s a PROMISE! John 15:20 - "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;” 2 Tim. 3:12 – “And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
Our Christian life will be irritating to the world. This should be UNINTENTIONAL! We should never TRY to be irritating (tho I know some who do). We are to be “salt” (and “light”) in this world.
When SALT is rubbed into an open wound, it hurts … and people will get mad with us. When we don’t laugh at their jokes … don’t compromise our standards to make them feel comfortable … don’t agree with their morals or ethics … don’t appreciate their lifestyles … they will be hurt … and seek to put us down to their level.
If you are rejected and opposed by this world … it can give you the ASSURANCE of salvation. If you are accepted by this world, it can cause you to DOUBT your salvation.
The Christians that John was writing to in his day were under severe persecution. He had a message for them (us).
1 John 3:11 – They had heard this message from the BEGINNING of their Christian walk … and it hadn’t changed. For 2000 years, the MESSENGER has changed … the METHOD has changed … BUT … the MESSAGE is still the same. BEWARE of new messages. BEWARE of false teachers who say that God has given them a “special message”.
Sometimes people will tell preachers, “God told me to tell you ….” Until God tells ME, I don’t want to hear it. If it’s not in the Scripture, I won’t believe it. I don’t need anyone else to tell me what God wants me to know or do.
God’s message from the beginning has been “love”. Jesus made it “new” when He demonstrated it in His own life. John 13:34 - "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” This has been God’s commandment from the beginning. Matthew 22:37-40.
It becomes “new” when the Christian allows the Holy Spirit to love through us. Galatians 5:22 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,” See 1 John 4:20-21. The more we love God, the more love we should show towards others.
John now shows us UNACCEPTABLE love.
1 John 3:11-12 – Adam & Eve had 2 sons, Cain & Abel. Cain went through the motions of love, but his heart wasn’t right with God. He was religious … but LOST. Abel loved God and wanted to please God. The FIRST PERSECUTION we find in the Bible was because of Cain’s JEALOUSY of Abel’s love for God, and God’s love for Abel.
Cain was a farmer … Abel was a shepherd. Both brought sacrifices to God as a part of their worship. Cain brought his offering of his fields … Abel brought his offering of his flocks. Genesis 4:3-4a – all turn.
God accepted Abel’s offering … BUT … God rejected both Cain and his offering – 4:4b-5a. Something was wrong with Cain … and with his offering.
Cain didn’t have a pure heart towards God. Look at his ANGER – 4:5b. His heart was full of pride and hatred.
Cain’s offering was wrong. God had set the precedent for a BLOOD SACRIFICE. Hebrews 9:22 – “And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
Adam & Eve had hidden their nakedness (a sign of their sin) with fig leaves. God clothed them with the skins of animals – 3:7, 3:21. The killing of an animal required the giving of a life to cover their sin. This was a picture of what was to come with the crucifixion of Jesus, Who would shed His blood to forgive sin.
Cain brought what HE wanted to bring … the fruit of his labors. Mankind still believes today that you can get to Heaven (please God) by your own good works. He tried to please God HIS WAY instead of GOD’S WAY. He made up his own religious practice.
To bring an offering acceptable to God, Cain would have had to go to his brother Abel and get a lamb from him. He wasn’t about to do that … his PRIDE wouldn’t let him. God had no respect for Cain, nor his offering.
Abel’s heart was right with God. AND … he and his offering were accepted by God.
Cain got ANGRY at God – 4:5b-7. “The heart of the problem, is the problem of the heart.” Sin was in Cain’s heart, ready to pounce on him. Cain needed to repent of his sin, and get his heart right with God. The sin offering was readily available in Abel’s flock. It was Cain’s CHOICE.
Instead of Cain’s heart being convicted and molded … it was hardened. What did he do? 4:8. WHY? 1 John 3:12. Abel’s righteous life, and acceptance by God, so ENRAGED Cain, that he killed him … the first act of religious persecution.
NOTICE: It wasn’t from a heathen … but from a religious person (Cain brought a sacrifice to God in worship, tho it was with a disobedient heart). Many of OUR persecutions today will come from those within the “church” … from the LOST who call themselves “Christians” … “Counterfeit Christians”. SOMETIMES it will come from outside the church. BUT … persecution will come, in one form or another … if you are a TRUE Christian.
1 John 3:13 – The WORLD … and FALSE CHRISTIANS (religious but lost) will hate you. You can expect opposition, if you live for Christ. Who was it that hated Christ the most? The religious leaders of His day. Who persecuted the early church Christians? The religious leaders. John 15:18-19 - "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, therefore the world hates you.”
The tares will always try to choke out the wheat. The goats will always attack the sheep. BUT … it lets you know who is the wheat (the TRUE Christian) … and who is the TARE (the LOST). Persecution should only strengthen our ASSURANCE of salvation. Matthew 5:11 - “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.” Persecution only clarifies whose side you are on.
Sometimes we are rejected by family or friends for our faith in Christ … for our stand on our Christian convictions. It’s hard, painful, and hurtful. BUT … Matthew 5:12 – “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”
STORY: Years ago in Russia, Christians were meeting behind closed doors, in fear of the Communist persecution … fearing for their lives. Suddenly, the doors burst open, and four armed soldiers rushed in. They said: “It’s against the law to meet and worship except in the state-sanctioned church. If you renounce your faith and leave, I’ll forget I ever saw you here.” One by one they left … until only the Pastor and a handful of Christians remained. The officers bolted the door. The Pastor said: “Go ahead and shoot us … but we will never renounce our faith in Christ. He loved us enough to die for us … we are ready to die for Him.” The soldiers raised their rifles … then laid them down. One of them said: “We, too, are Christians, and we have come to worship with you. But, we want to worship with TRUE believers. We had to make this threat to find out who was really saved. It would cost us our lives to worship with mere pretenders.”
There was no doubt who, in that room, were true worshippers of Jesus.
CONCLUSION:
Persecution for this world can be EXPECTED. BUT … it’s a blessing in disguise. It is God’s method to bring to the light of our hearts those who really worship Him. It is God’s way to give us the ASSURANCE of our salvation.
You don’t know the quality of something until it is tested. You won’t trust something until it has been thoroughly tested. Faith that cannot be tested, cannot be trusted. A faith that is persecuted, is a faith that is proven to be true.
Until you suffer for your faith, it will remain suspect. When opposition comes, and we remain faithful and true to our convictions, we can have the ASSURANCE of our salvation.
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BLESSED ASSURANCE – Evidence #8
“Opposition From The World” – 1 John 3:11-13
INTRODUCTION: A TRUE Christian will have opposition from the world … it’s a PROMISE – John 15:20, 2 Timothy 3:12.
- Our Christian lives will be irritating to the world … like “salt”.
- Rejection by the world can give the assurance of salvation.
1 John 3:11 – The MESSENGER & METHOD may change, but the MESSAGE is the same … “love” – John 13:34.
- Matthew 22:37-40, Galatians 5:22, 1 John 4:20-21.
1 John 3:11-12 – An example of UNACCEPTABLE love.
- Cain was religious, but LOST … Abel wanted to please God.
- The first persecution was over jealousy – Genesis 4:3-5
- God set the precedent of a BLOOD sacrifice – Hebrews 9:22, Genesis 3:7,21.
- Cain tried to please God his own way, making up his own religious practice through his own efforts & good works.
- “The heart of the problem, is the problem of the heart.”
- The first act of religious persecution – Genesis 4:8 – it came from a religious person, not a heathen.
1 John 3:13 – If you live for Christ, you can expect opposition.
- The religious leaders hated Christ the most – John 15:18-19
- Persecution will strengthen assurance of salvation, and show you which side you are on – Matthew 5:11-12
CONCLUSION:
- Persecution is a blessing in disguise … faith that cannot be tested, cannot be trusted.
- Until you suffer for your faith, it will remain suspect.
