Christians seem surprised and discouraged by the hostility of the world around them. We see that so often in our culture, there is resentment and aggression against Christian beliefs and practices. Our surprise is often driven by a belief that Christians are owed respect in the world. That has been the case historically in America. But not so around the world. Believers have been persecuted throughout the centuries in many places. Jesus prepared His disciples for this fact – telling them that they should expect hatred from the world because the world hated Him first. The world system hates Jesus because of the words that He spoke and the deeds that He did. In His ministry on earth, Jesus pointed out the foolishness of sin and called people to repentance and faith. That is why we should expect “The Hatred of the World” (John 15:18-16:4).

I. The World's Opposition
II. Results of Opposition
III. Response to Opposition