“If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated Me without a cause.'” John 15:22-25
Devotional Thought For The Day
This is a rather dismal conclusion that Jesus expressed to His disciples. The sin He is referring to is that of impenitence, unbelief, and rejection of God’s free and gracious forgiveness and salvation. Although it seems odd to us, there really is no neutral ground with Jesus – you either love Him and embrace Him as your dear Savior and Lord, or you hate Him. Those who merely “respect” Him as a great teacher, or a noble martyr for principle, or one who provided them with an opportunity to save themselves, do not truly respect Him or love Him. They are merely covering over their unbelieving and hateful hearts with a superficial and hypocritical veneer of “respect” – for they have rejected His Word and His great work of salvation. In hating Jesus they also hate the Father – and regardless of the logic and rationale that has led them to such rejection of Jesus it is always “without cause.” We need to understand what is really going on in human hearts when they turn away from Jesus and refuse to believe in Him.
You will remember that Jesus also said: “These things I command you, so that you will love one another. If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you.” [John 15:17,18] Now, this too is “without cause” even though we may “offend” the sensibilities of others or fail to be as winsome as we might be in relating to them and in encouraging them to join us in true faith in Jesus. The real “cause” of this hatred is the source, the unregenerate and unbelieving human heart, which can only bring forth one fruit, the hatred imbued by its master, the devil. Those born of God love those who have been born of God [1 John 5:1], whereas those who have not been born of God cannot love. They cannot love God nor those born of God, or anyone else for that matter. The unbeliever doesn’t even know what love really is. We need to understand what is really going on in human hearts when others refuse to embrace Jesus, and when they demonstrate their unbelief and rejection of Jesus by hating His dear people of faith.
We must also take care in what we allow to go on in our own hearts. The more we allow anger, malice, and hatred to abide the further we move away from Jesus and the Father, for “God is love.” The closer we are to Jesus the more we will forgive even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven us. The way in which God wills for us to express our love for Him is in loving people, especially in loving one another within His church. Of course, this can only happen among those who have been born of God, those who truly know and believe the great love that God has for us in Christ Jesus, the life and salvation He has provided for us as His free gift to us in His suffering, death, and resurrection. Outside of this faith, this rebirth, there is only hatred regardless of how cleverly it may be hidden and disguised. Those who persist in such hatred, without repentance, demonstrate their unbelief and rejection of Jesus, and their hatred of God.
It is important to understand these dynamics so that we can properly tend to our own hearts. It is also important to understand these dynamics in our relationships with other people. When we are hated by others, especially for Christ’s sake and the sake of His Word, this is “without cause,” and is not indication that there is something wrong with us, but rather that there is something wrong with the one hating. In hating those begotten of God, those with true faith in Jesus, the hatred is really directed against Jesus and our heavenly Father. This is a dismal conclusion to come to, but it is the conclusion and assertion of Jesus Who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” He certainly is not lying to us. He speaks these things so that we not be troubled, but have His peace and joy as we suffer the trials and tribulations of life in this fallen world of sin.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, You more than anyone suffer the hatred and violence of those who repudiate the wondrous love of the Father. Forbid that we allow the hatred which You have forgiven us and redeemed us from to remain in our hearts. Protect us from the hatred of the evil one, and those caught in his darkness. Grant us peace and joy as we do Your work, especially when it brings the anger, hatred, and malice of others upon us. Amen.