We are only human.
We like to be liked. Therefore one of the most difficult things for us as Christians is that, if we are faithful to Jesus and his word, the world will hate us. ‘If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first,’ said the Lord to his disciples (John 15.18).
Elite world
Bear in mind that, when John records Jesus speaking about ‘the world’, the Gospel writer is not so much referring to our planet or its inhabitants but to the rebel spirit, the system of attitudes insinuated among us by the devil, which is antagonistic to God, his Word and his people. It is to do with independence, power, pride, love of money, etc. At one level, not all are quite so caught up in the spirit of the world as others. The poor and oppressed loved to hear Jesus. It was the worldly rich and the ruling elites who were the chief instigators of persecuting both Christ and the early church.
Political correctness rules in the corridors of power and among the powerful media elite these days. The Labour Party’s manifesto for last June’s General Election included the slogan ‘For the many, not the few’. But political correctness turns that on its head. In many areas of public life decisions are now made ‘not for the many, but for the few’. LGBT movers and shakers have become a new elite minority. They are the tail that wags the dog.
The re-emergence of heavy shepherds
What would you think if you received a letter from your church leaders that read like this? ‘Are church members …