In Matthew 10.22 Jesus says the following.
“You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”
What comes to mind is how offensive the gospel, and the commandments of God and his Messiah are. How offensive is it to say that there can only be one right way? There is a huge gay-rights movement in America today; try telling one of them that their sexuality is a sin against God. That’s being intolerant of other people’s life styles.
Preaching the true Gospel today is the hardest task for a Christian (if you actually do it). You’re telling people that the day of the LORD and his Messiah is coming and and he is going to exterminate sinners from the land ( Isaiah 13.9). We have a society in which you cannot claim that there’s only one right way, and tell someone your wrong. You even feel bad saying it. I bet if you go around claiming Jesus’ message, you’d be hated by the world. Jesus had a few parables that stated clearly that he is the only way to eternal life and to the Father. If what Jesus said was true, there are a lot of people who don’t know Christ. Even a lot Christians who “bear his name” don’t really bear his name. They’re just as worldly as the world.
Art Katz once said that If you’re not experiencing persecution that you are living beneath the Kingdom level. Being hated by the world and persecution are one and the same. Wouldn’t you think?
