1 John 3:13 says:
13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
-Brothers and sisters in Christ, many times in the Word we hear that the world will hate us. This isn’t the only time in Scripture that we hear that the world will hate us. We are not to be surprised if and when this happens! Most Christians around the world and throughout history have been hated! We have for the most part lived in favor in the United States of America as Christians since this country was founded! However, that is beginning to change. The LGBT and other liberal and postmodern communities are coming hard against Christians who believe and preach the Bible in its fullness.
-In the last few years we have begun to see biblical speech be regarded as “hate speech.” There is talk in the Government about tax exempt status being taken away from churches who don’t affirm gay marriage and churches that speak out against it! The world boasts that they are “tolerant” but they’re only tolerant when you agree with them. They are extremely intolerant of Christians.
-If I could poll my readers I would ask how many of us have heard of the term homophobia or homophobic?
How about Islamophobia?
-I'm sure that most of us are familiar with these terms; let me quickly define them just in case you haven't heard of them.
According to dictionary.com homophobia is an irrational fear or prejudice against homosexuals.
Islamophobia is an irrational fear or prejudice against Muslims.
-The word phobia means fear, so now if you disagree with homosexuality as a lifestyle, if you disagree with Islam and say you believe the Quran is false now you are labeled homophobic or Islamophobic!
- So, as we see unbelievers have made up words in order to silence Christians. How many people have heard of the word Christophobia? You probably never heard of it because no one really uses it. David Lynn a Pastor, open-air preacher and Evangelist in Toronto coined the phrase Christophobia in order to respond to the homophobia and Islamophobia that Christians are too often falsely accused of.
-Christophobia is an irrational fear or prejudice against Christians! So, I encourage you brother’s and sister’s the next time someone asks you are you a homophobe? Are you Islamophobic? Turn it right back on them and ask them are you a Christophobe? Are you Christophobic? We have every right to disagree with them, no one can force us to believe what they believe. Ask them, do you hate me because I follow Christ? Are you discriminating against me because I believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven and that the Bible is the perfect inspired Word of God?
-Do some believers mistreat and hate homosexuals and Muslims; yes. Many believers have unfortunately misrepresented Christ and have failed at loving on the gay and Muslim community and we have to own that. We can’t sweep that all under the rug even if we ourselves did not participate in any of the sinful hate against these communities.
-However, disagreement and mistreatment are not the same thing. We must love on these communities (Mk. 12:30, 31), but we lovingly defend the faith, we lovingly defend the truth! (Jude 3) We don’t allow the hypocrisy that they promote. They want us to agree with them and when we don’t, they try to paint us at hateful. Don’t fall for it brothers and sisters! Be strong in the Lord and in the courage of his might!
-The world is going to hate us brothers and sisters. Persecution is coming for the American church and God is going to expose the fakes and counterfeits! Take courage because we can stand firm against Satan and the world though because through Christ we already have the victory!!!