If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first.If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you.If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.If the world hateth you, ye know that it hath hated me before it hated you.
4 sermons cite this verse
… Jesus, in fact, was the one who said in John 15, 18, if the world hates you, just know it hated me before it hated you. Right. So he's saying, if you're going to follow me, it's going to happen. The New Testament echoes that all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. So a part of living in a broken world, a part of doing great things, a part of being God's anointed in this way is going to be, it's going to happen. So you just have to remember, Samuel didn't. David said it so perfectly. Samuel didn't choose me. God did. Saul, you don't have to choose me. You didn't give me my blessing. You didn't give me this opportunity. So you can't take it away. I'm just going to continue to keep my eyes on God. Don't be surprised. Secondly, don't become spiteful. Don't become spiteful. Don't ever resort to getting even. Now, of course, it's human nature to want to eye for an eye, tooth for tooth. …
… listen, those of you who've been trying to play footsie with the world, here's a warning, John 15 AND VERSE 18, if the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. Are you better than Jesus? Do you want the world to love you that hated Jesus? Then James said, put this scripture down, in James 4 VERSE 4, listen to it, oh, oh, oh, ja, James said, ye adulterers adulterers and adulterses, and adulterses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? And whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. If you're a friend to this world system with its prince and its philosophy and its purpose, you are shaking your fist in the face of God. You have declared war on God himself. There is A purpose. Satan's system is what? What is his purpose? It is calculated to draw away your heart and your mind from Jesus and from the things of God until Satan can enthrone his own king, the Antichrist, on the earth. Now what's the fourth P? …
III. 1. One would imagine such a person as has been above described, so full of genuine humility, so unaffectedly serious, so mild and gentle, so free from all selfish design, so devoted to God, and such an active lover of men, should be the darling of mankind. But our Lord was better acquainted with human nature in its present state. He therefore closes the character of this man of God with showing him the treatment he is to expect in the world. “Blessed,” saith he, “are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” 2. In order to understand this throughly, let us, First, inquire, Who are they that are persecuted? And this we may easily learn from St. Paul: “As of old, he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.”(Gal. 4:29.) “Yea,” saith the Apostle, “and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution.” (2 Tim. 3:12.) The same we are taught by St. John: “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.” (1 John 3:13–14.) As if he had said, The brethren, the Christians, cannot be loved, but by them who have passed from death unto life. And most expressly by our Lord: “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love its own; but because ye are not of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” (John 15:18.) …
4. Is it strange that it should decrease, if those words are really found in the oracles of God: “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?” What is the meaning of these words? Let us seriously consider. And may God open the eyes of our understanding; that, in spite of all the mist wherewith the wisdom of the world would cover us, we may discern what is the good and acceptable will of God! 5. Let us, First, consider, what it is which the Apostle here means by the world. He does not here refer to this outward frame of things, termed in Scripture, heaven and earth; but to the inhabitants of the earth, the children of men, or at least, the greater part of them. But what part? This is fully determined both by our Lord himself, and by his beloved disciple. First, by our Lord himself. His words are, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: But because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. And all these things will they do unto you, because they know not him that sent me.” (John 15:18.) You see here “the world” is placed on one side, and those who “are not of the world” on the other. They whom God has “chosen out of the world,” namely, by “sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth,” are set in direct opposition to those whom he hath not so chosen. Yet again: Those “who know not him that sent me,” saith our Lord, who know not God, they are “the world.” …