Have you ever tried to share the Gospel with someone, and been laughed at, ridiculed, or worse? I have, and believe me, it is not fun! And yet, one has to wonder why those who oppose the truth, feel so much anger; it quite often seems to be pure hatred! Well, I have good news (sort of): Jesus said it will happen. "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you" (Jn. 15:18). "I have given them Thy Word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world" (Jn. 17:14). As a result of their hatred, the Lord has allowed their hearts to be hardened; Paul wrote of this in Chapter One of Romans:
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, Who is blessed forever. Amen.
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them" (Rom. 1:18-32)!
Since we do not know their status before the Lord, we must pray that God will lead us as to whom we are to share the Gospel, and be willing to suffer the consequences of their rejection of the truth.
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