{"id":4400,"date":"2021-03-22T18:55:51","date_gmt":"2021-03-22T18:55:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/?p=4400"},"modified":"2021-03-22T18:57:09","modified_gmt":"2021-03-22T18:57:09","slug":"how-to-be-hated-by-the-world-and-win-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/how-to-be-hated-by-the-world-and-win-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Be Hated by the World (and Win the World)"},"content":{"rendered":"

18\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cIf the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.<\/span><\/span>\u00a019\u00a0<\/sup>If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because\u00a0you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.<\/span><\/span>\u00a020\u00a0<\/sup>Remember the word that I said to you:\u00a0\u2018A servant is not greater than his master.\u2019 If they persecuted me,\u00a0they will also persecute you.\u00a0If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.<\/span><\/span>\u00a021\u00a0<\/sup>But\u00a0all these things they will do to you\u00a0on account of my name,\u00a0because they do not know him who sent me.<\/span><\/span>\u00a022\u00a0<\/sup>If I had not come and spoken to them,\u00a0they would not have been guilty of sin,[a<\/a>]<\/sup>\u00a0but now they have no excuse for their sin.<\/span><\/span>\u00a023\u00a0<\/sup>Whoever hates me hates my Father also.<\/span><\/span>\u00a024\u00a0<\/sup>If I had not done among them the works that no one else did,\u00a0they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have\u00a0seen and hated both me and my Father.<\/span><\/span>\u00a025\u00a0<\/sup>But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: \u2018They hated me without a cause.\u2019 (John 15:18-25)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Introduction<\/b><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s message is titled, \u201cHow to be Hated by the World.\u201d And for those who might think that a bit strange, I have added on the end, in parenthesis \u201cand Win the World.\u201d So, \u201cHow to be Hated by the world (and Win the World).\u201d Now, the last part of the title is actually very important, because if you simply like being hated by the world, and do not want to win the world, then you are not thinking like a Christian. Likewise, if you just want to win the world, but desire to avoid being hated by the world, then you won’t ever actually win the world, and also are not thinking like a Christian. These are both two extremes present in our world today. On the one hand, you have the Westboro Baptist types who love being hated by the world, that all they do is condemn the world, and never attempt to actually save it, by preaching the gospel, or loving their enemies. As such, it is not Christian. On the other hand, you have the Andy Stanley types, who want to win the world, but much more they do not want to be hated by the world. Because their chief desire is not to be hated by the world, they must be pragmatic and make all sorts of compromises, that by the time you win the world, it is not orthodox Christianity you have won them to. And to be honest, in our current day and place in the world, this is the much larger category.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the reasons for that may be that our current society is all about love, and not hate, or so they say. These are the mottos of the cultural zeitgeist: \u201cLove, not hate.\u201d \u201cNo place for hate.\u201d \u201cLove is love.\u201d The duty of it\u2019s obedient servant is to eradicate hate, and stomp out all hatred, wherever it may be found. This is the suffocating atmosphere of our current cultural institutions. And it is suffocating, because of course we all recognize the problem being that they cannot properly define love or hatred, if you can even get a definition from them at all. There is no objective standard by which this \u201clove\u201d and \u201chatred\u201d they so often speak of can be determined. As unreasonable as that may seem to us, it is intentional by the enemy, because without an objective standard by which to define these terms, which are so important to the Christian faith, these terms are able to be used as weapons with which to manipulate society, and Christians whose chief desire is by all means to not be hated by the world. If we cannot point to an objective standard to define these terms, then they mean whatever the zeitgeist wants them to mean in the moment. But since we are Christians, we do in fact have an objective standard by which to define \u201clove\u201d and \u201chatred.\u201d So at this point, all we need is to learn to be okay with being hated by the world, and become unable to be manipulated by it. And part of being okay with being hated by the world is understanding that being hated by the world does not mean we are failing in our mission to make disciples of the world, but it just might mean that we are right over the mark.<\/span><\/p>\n

Athanasius of Alexandria lived during the 4th century when the debate over the nature of Christ was raging on, it was a battle between heresy and orthodoxy. It was Arianism that said Christ was \u201clike\u201d God the Father, but not of the same substance. So Athanasius fought for the truth that the Son is not merely \u201clike\u201d God the Father, but that He is of the same substance, being the second person of the Trinity. And it is said that it was Athanasius against the world. Athanasius himself said, \u201cIf the world is against the truth, then I am against the world.\u201d It was because Athanasius was okay with being hated by the world, that he ended up saving it, so to speak. It was his fight for, and at times, seemingly lonely stand for truth, that ended up winning out, and it is that which Christendom has confessed ever since. It is my prayer that God would give us a million more like Athanasius.<\/span><\/p>\n

Be Not of the World, v. 18-19<\/b><\/p>\n

So the first way that we can become hated by the world, and so win it, is to be not of the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus tells His disciples that if they were of the world, then the world would love them as its own. But as it was the world did not love them, but rather hated them, and Jesus gave them two reasons as to why. The first reason being that they were not of the world. This is very simple, and remains true for all of Jesus\u2019 disciples today. When we live as Christians, not of the world, the world hates us. It hates us when we do not join them in their sin and debauchery. It hates us when we do not go with them into wickedness or into evil pleasures. When we stand out from the world, and are not of it, and do not join them in their sin, our lives of righteous conduct stands as a testimony against their worldly ways, and they cannot stand it. This is why so much hatred from the world toward Christians today does not come from the fact that we believe Jesus is of the same substance with the Father, but comes from the fact that we do not join them in their celebration of sodomy, and other such acts. It is a moral division that draws the ire of the world, in our day today. It is a sharp rebuke to many professing Christians to say that the reason so many of them are not hated by the world, is because they live so much like the world, there is not much difference in how they live their lives, and their is certainly no offense to be taken from their nonexistent holy living.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As we consider the text of Scripture before us we recognize that Jesus is not giving us a command, \u201cbe not of the world,\u201d although that is a valid command. But what Jesus is doing here is describing those who are His, His disciples, saying \u201cthis is who you are, you are not of the world.\u201d As Christians we are not of the world, we are of a new world, we are new creations in Christ Jesus. And in this description of who is disciples are, Jesus gives us the second reason why the world hates His disciples, and indeed it is also the reason why we are not of the world, and that is, as Jesus says, \u201cbut I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.\u201d Christians are those, not who have got themselves out of the world, and not who were better or wiser or stronger than their fellow man, but they are those who Christ has chosen out of the world. It is Christ who came and made us not of this world. And Jesus says, \u201cthis is why the world hates you, because I chose you out of the world.\u201d Think of the disciples\u2019 own calling. They were off being rough and rowdy fishermen, or mob-like tax collectors, and not from the learned and pious Pharisees, and yet these were whom Jesus chose out of the world to be His disciples. And because Jesus chose them, they were hated, by the world, by the Pharisees. So if you want to be hated by the world, and so save it, be not of the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Serve Jesus Christ, v. 20<\/b><\/p>\n

Secondly, if you want to be hated by the world, and so save it, be a servant of Jesus Christ.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus reminds His disciples of what He had previously taught them, that a servant is not greater than His master. So if they have persecuted our Master, they will certainly persecute us. We know the immediate relevance that this had for the disciples, who would all be physically persecuted: thrown in prison, beaten, banished, crucified upside down, etc. Being a servant of Jesus Christ means you are submitting to the One who was beaten and crucified.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now of course this does not mean that all disciples of Jesus will be persecuted to the same degree or in the same way. Each one is assigned a different measure. Those of us living here where and when we are have not even come close to being physically persecuted for Christ, not yet anyway. And that is a good thing. We should want a society to be Christianized enough that Christians are not physically persecuted, a lust for persecution is a foolish thing. However, the temptation is to think that since we are not being physically persecuted then we are not being persecuted at all. However, we are being persecuted, in a different way, when people mock us for our faith, or when relatives get angry at us for living in an unpopular Christian way, or when we are slandered by the world, things of that nature. We are not left to simply \u201csuck it up.\u201d Rather, we also can draw comfort from this, that when such things happens are showing ourselves to be servants of Jesus Christ, who are not greater than our Master.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you give your life to be a servant of Jesus Christ, the world will not like that, because you are not being their servant, and what you are doing as one who exclusively serves Christ, is undermining the authority, power, and purposes of the worldly spirit of the age.<\/span><\/p>\n

We live in a world where mega corporations and corporate media want to have your soul and drain every ounce of life out of you into total service to them. Everything about mega corporate media and the modern life it wants for you is meant to take from you every bit of joy, meaning, and transcendence, and keep you enslaved to them. They want you weak and dependent and sapped of all energy to do anything other than serve them. So they can\u2019t stand it when young people refuse to submit to their chains and way of life, because they are in service to Jesus Christ. They don\u2019t like it when you don\u2019t waste your life binging through their shows, or when you reject their pornography, or dont\u2019 consume their fake food, or don\u2019t depend on their drugs and medications. These things they offer to you to make you their slave. But when you don\u2019t comply and don\u2019t consent because you are in service to Jesus Christ, they hate you, and they will call you an extremist. If you want to be hated by the world, be a servant of Jesus Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n

Be More Christlike<\/b><\/p>\n

Third, if you want to be hated by the world, and so save it, be more Christlike. So often when we think of what it means to be Christlike, we think simply of being gentle, meek, and mild. Certainly those are essential aspects of Christlikeness. We must be gentle, meek, kind, compassionate, and humble. But in modern evangelicalism, those blessed terms have been used to describe passivity and being a doormat. Those terms have been used as covers for cowardice. Christlikeness does not mean that we do not confront the sins of our day, and call for repentance. Passivity toward sin is not Christlikeness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Though of course He is talking to His disciples here, Jesus does not hesitate from confronting the sin and hatred of the unbelieving Jews. Now, as an exegetical note, when it says that they would not be guilty of sin if Jesus had not come and said and done the things that He did, it is obviously not saying that they would have been sinless, but I believe Jesus is just speaking in reference to their ultimate sin of hating and rejecting the Father and the Son. If Jesus had not come then they would not have been guilty of the sin of rejecting and crucifying their Messiah, and hating Him without a cause.<\/span><\/p>\n

As we consider this aspect of Christlikeness we remember how Jesus did not cower rom confronting their sin and unbelief face to face with the Pharisees. As we have seen throughout John\u2019s gospel, most of Jesus\u2019 interaction with the Pharisees was confrontation. Jesus told them that they are just like their father, the devil. In His ministry Jesus cast out demons and drove people out of the temple, calling it a den of thieves and robbers. In short, part of Christlikeness is courage to confront the darkness. That is what Jesus came to do. The world has no problem with passive Christians who never confront the idols of the age. The world doesn\u2019t hate you because you are a doormat. When the world hates you for being Christlike, it is when you confront the darkness and tip over their idols. The world is fine with Christians who mind their own business. But what they don\u2019t like is Christians who say that Jesus is Lord here, there, and everywhere, and who seek to apply His Lordship in public.<\/span><\/p>\n

I love the story of the 8th century Christian called St. Boniface. He was an Anglo-Saxon missionary to the Germanic tribes who were pagan and who worshipped the Norse gods like Thor and Odin. These Germanic pagan tribes were of course very violent and dangerous, lost in darkness and demonic activity. Boniface would go and preach the gospel, and he would also destroy pagan shrines, convert the people, and leave churches in their place. And one story has it that there was a great oak tree that was a shrine to Thor. It was called the Oak of Thor, and there the pagans would make sacrifices to their false gods. They believed that if anyone touched this tree, Thor would strike them dead with lightning. So Boniface goes and declares that he will not only touch this tree, but that he will chop it down. So there is a crowd that gathers around expecting to watch Thor strike this insane Christian dead on the spot. Boniface, believing that Christ had triumphed over the demons, chops this tree down, and many of the pagans are converted and baptized right there. Boniface, like Christ, confronted the darkness and the idols of the world, was okay with being hated by the world for it, and then converted the world, as it were. Later on in life Boniface was attacked while preaching the gospel by a band of pagan warriors and sent to glory as a faithful martyr for Jesus Christ. So if you want to be hated by the world, and so save it, be more Christlike.<\/span><\/p>\n

Employ the Psalter and Believe the Bible<\/b><\/p>\n

A fourth way to be hated by the world, and so save it, is to use the Psalter, and believe the Bible.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Here Jesus quotes from the Psalms to explain the world\u2019s hatred of Him. He says that their hatred of Him is a fulfillment of the Scripture. So when you see it, know that it had to happen. The Scripture cannot be broken. \u201cThey hated me without a cause\u201d is taken from both Psalm 35 and Psalm 69. It is interesting that back in John 2, Psalm 69 was also quoted from. After Jesus cleansed the temple in John 2, His disciples remembered that it was written, \u201cZeal for your house will consume me,\u201d that being a quotation from Psalm 69. So again here in John 15 we have a quote from Psalm 69 that is applied to Jesus, by Jesus Himself. Psalm 69:4, \u201c<\/span>More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; mighty are those who would destroy me, those who attack me with lies.\u201d<\/span> So Jesus uses the Psalter, He applies to Himself and His enemies, and He believes it. It is amazing how Jesus picks out those Psalms and applies them to Himself – not just by way of application, but says that He fulfills it – the true meaning is Him and His situation – they were always about this very thing. The way that Jesus does this without the Psalm itself declaring that it is about Christ, teaches us that we are to do the same. It\u2019s all about Christ. So as we are singing the Psalms, we need to be thinking about Christ\u2019s fulfillment of them. You see our interpretation method must be grammatical and historical, but if it does not move to typological, then it is not Christian interpretation. We don\u2019t just learn specific interpretations from Christ and the New Testament authors, we learn how to interpret as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

You know what the world really hates? It hates Christians who believe all of the Bible, stand on it as their authority, and even applies it to the unbeliever. They have no problem with the professing Christians who don\u2019t believe the Bible, and explain it away, and don\u2019t stand on it as their authority, and never apply it to the world – no problem there. But those who actually believe it, and are not afraid to state \u201cthis is what God says, so this is what we must do,\u201d those people are a big problem. Believe all of the Bible. Stand on it as your authority. Pray the Psalms. Sing the Psalms. The world will hate you.<\/span><\/p>\n

Preach a Sinless Savior for Sinners (v. 25)<\/b><\/p>\n

Finally, if you want to be hated by the world, and so save it, preach a Sinless Savior for sinners. <\/span>Read verse 25.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The fact that the unbelieving Jews hated Jesus without a cause hi-lights our innocent but persecuted Savior. It emphasizes our sinless Savior. The Jews had no reason to hate Jesus. He was sinless. He wronged no man. He committed no crime. He perfectly loved and had compassion on the crowds. He healed. He cast out demons. He taught perfectly the Word of God. He always judged correctly. He committed no blasphemy. And broke no true law. He was the perfect Jew. He was the perfect man. Perfect understanding of the Scripture. Perfect prayer life. Perfect resistance to temptation. There was no wrong to be found in Him. Truly, they hated Him without a cause. You see if they hated Him with a cause, then He could not have been our perfect Messiah and sinless Savior. If they would have had reason to hate Him, He could not have fulfilled the Scripture.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each one of us sitting here today has such great need for a Savior who was hated without a cause. If we have a Savior who was hated with a cause, then we have no Savior at all. Each one of us stand as guilty, sinful, condemned rebel sinners before a holy God. God has every reason to judge us and every cause to hate us. We do not love and obey God because we are special people, but because Christ chose us out of the world. We once were haters of God, enemies of God, rebels to His cause and to His Christ. And without a sinless sacrifice for our sin, that is what we would\u2019ve remained. We would have remained condemned before God for all eternity, and forever His enemies. Without a spotless Lamb and sinless sacrifice, there is no forgiveness for our sins.<\/span><\/p>\n

But praise be to God we have a Christ who was hated without a cause, and therefore we have a Christ who is actually our Savior. Jesus Christ meets our need for a sinless Savior in Himself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not only that, but Psalm 69:4 quoted in John 15:25 gives a biblical warrant to trust in Christ. Since Jesus was hated without a cause, this means that Jesus is the Biblically prophesied Messiah. If Jesus was not hated without a cause then He would not meet the biblical requirements of the prophesied Messiah. But He was and so we have every warrant to believe, and indeed we have no reason not to believe and trust that Christ is our sinless Savior.<\/span><\/p>\n

Having a Savior that was hated without a cause not only meets our need for a sinless Savior, and not only gives us Biblical warrant to trust in Him, but it also frees us from wrongly caring that the world hates us.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is How Having a sinless Savior frees us from caring whether the world hates us:<\/span><\/p>\n

We are loved by God<\/em><\/p>\n

Having a Savior that was hated without a cause testifies to the fact that we are loved by God. God sent His Son into the world, to be hated by the world, to save undeserving sinners like us, who also once hated Him. The Son willingly humbled Himself to do this. This reminds us that we are loved greatly by God. And since we are loved by God in Christ, it doesn’t matter who else does or doesn\u2019t love us. We have all the love that we ever need in Christ. The world can hate us because we don\u2019t need their love.<\/span><\/p>\n

The World cannot condemn us<\/em><\/p>\n

Having a sinless Savior also means that the world cannot condemn us. If we have a sinless sacrifice for our sins, there is no more condemnation that a sinful world can heap onto us. When God says that therefore there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, that means that there is therefore now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. The world can hate us and condemns us and rage against us all that they want, we are free from us, because we have a sinless Savior.<\/span><\/p>\n

This prepare us to die<\/em><\/p>\n

Having these things in our sinless Savior, prepares us to die. When we have these things in our Sinless Savior, much like the disciples we are ready to die. There is nothing more we need from the world. And once we are ready to die, then we are actually ready to live, and do good in the world. And be 21st century Bonifaces.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/b><\/p>\n

Doing these things means that we actually love those in the world, even those who hate us. Being okay with the world hating us, does not mean that we hate the world in return. Rather, as Jesus told us, we love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. And you see we cannot truly love our enemies until we are okay with being hated by them. Once we are okay with being hated by them, we are then ready to love them, just as Jesus did, saying, \u201cFather forgive them, for they know not what they do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This is actually the best thing for the world in which we live and the people we live amongst. Living free from the need to be loved and accepted by the world is the best way that we can begin to love the world. If we need the world to fulfill something in us, they can never do it, and they will become our functional savior, instead of us offering to them the one and only Sinless Savior. Living to be hated by the world, is the best thing for the world. Because true love can take reviling, and still refuse to return evil for evil, but overcome evil with good. You see this is how we take over the world, by being hated by it, because the Bible says that the way we overcome evil, is by doing good.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is what Jesus has done, and is doing through His Church. He is overcoming evil with good. He laid down His life, for those who hated His life. He overcame sin, by being the sinless sacrifice for it. He overcame the darkness of death, by resurrecting from it. He overcame the Prince of the Power of the air, by ascending to the right hand of God, above all rule, and authority, and power.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you would but come to Him and trust in Him as your Sinless Savior today, He will overcome your evil with His good. He will overcome your sin, with His righteousness. He will overcome your death, with His life. You have every reason to trust Him, and so be free.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Click HERE for sermon audio.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

18\u00a0\u201cIf the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.\u00a019\u00a0If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because\u00a0you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.\u00a020\u00a0Remember the word that I said to you:\u00a0\u2018A […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":685,"featured_media":4401,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,23,25,27,30,32],"tags":[1477,205,1508,274,382,557,562,589,1507,625,678,679,687,699,765,775,1172,1365],"class_list":{"0":"post-4400","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-commentary","8":"category-culture","9":"category-faith","10":"category-gospel","11":"category-preaching","12":"category-theology","13":"tag-athanasius","14":"tag-bible","15":"tag-boniface","16":"tag-christ","17":"tag-disciples","18":"tag-god","19":"tag-gospel","20":"tag-hate","21":"tag-hated","22":"tag-how","23":"tag-jenkins","24":"tag-jesus","25":"tag-john","26":"tag-joshua","27":"tag-lord","28":"tag-love","29":"tag-spirit","30":"tag-world","31":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/03\/boniface.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4033,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/why-the-world-hates-christ-john-71-7\/","url_meta":{"origin":4400,"position":0},"title":"Why the World Hates Christ; John 7:1-9","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"March 2, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because\u00a0the Jews[a]\u00a0were seeking to kill him.\u00a02\u00a0Now\u00a0the Jews' Feast of\u00a0Booths was at hand.\u00a03\u00a0So his brothers[b]\u00a0said to him, \u201cLeave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing.\u00a04\u00a0For no one\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/03\/unnamed.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3820,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/you-cant-hide-john-319-21\/","url_meta":{"origin":4400,"position":1},"title":"You Can’t Hide: John 3:19-21","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"July 30, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 19\u00a0And this is the judgment:\u00a0the light has come into the world, and\u00a0people loved the darkness rather than the light because\u00a0their works were evil.\u00a020\u00a0For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light,\u00a0lest his works should be exposed.\u00a021\u00a0But whoever\u00a0does what is true\u00a0comes to the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/07\/16-10-18-michael-berg-light-and-darkness-always-coexist-within-us.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/07\/16-10-18-michael-berg-light-and-darkness-always-coexist-within-us.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/07\/16-10-18-michael-berg-light-and-darkness-always-coexist-within-us.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4551,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/why-the-church-is-in-the-world-gods-historical-agenda\/","url_meta":{"origin":4400,"position":2},"title":"Why the Church is in the World: God’s Historical Agenda","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"August 9, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"But now\u00a0I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have\u00a0my joy fulfilled in themselves.\u00a014\u00a0I have given them your word, and\u00a0the world has hated them\u00a0because they are not of the world,\u00a0just as I am not of the world.\u00a015\u00a0I\u00a0do not ask that you\u00a0take them\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/08\/thurnechurch.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/08\/thurnechurch.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/08\/thurnechurch.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/08\/thurnechurch.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/08\/thurnechurch.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/08\/thurnechurch.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3794,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/how-god-loved-the-world-john-316\/","url_meta":{"origin":4400,"position":3},"title":"How God Loved the World; John 3:16","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"July 10, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Introduction \u00a0 If you have a red-letter bible you will see that John 3:16-21 is in red, meaning these are the words of Jesus. However\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/07\/t08008_10.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/07\/t08008_10.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/07\/t08008_10.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/07\/t08008_10.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/07\/t08008_10.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/07\/t08008_10.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3618,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-true-light-is-already-shining-commentary-on-1-john-2v7-11\/","url_meta":{"origin":4400,"position":4},"title":"The True Light is Already Shining: Commentary on 1 John 2v7-11","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"September 10, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 As we examined the previous verses last week, we saw the moral test for our assurance \u2013 that we can know that we have come to know God if we obey his commandments. Because those that love God obey Him, and walk as the Lord Jesus Christ walked. As\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/09\/1490894-7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/09\/1490894-7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/09\/1490894-7.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/09\/1490894-7.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3541,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/abundance-in-christ-commentary-and-gospel-thoughts-on-genesis-41v46-57\/","url_meta":{"origin":4400,"position":5},"title":"Abundance in Christ – Commentary and Gospel Thoughts on Genesis 41v46-57","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"April 30, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"In this passage we will observe four elements of the grace of God: the abundance of grace, the forgetfulness of grace, the fruitfulness of grace, and the exclusivity of grace. The Abundance of Grace Verse 46:\u00a0Moses tells us that Joseph, at this time, is now 30 years old. This marks\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/04\/tombe_doumsou_2-crop.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/04\/tombe_doumsou_2-crop.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/04\/tombe_doumsou_2-crop.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/04\/tombe_doumsou_2-crop.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4400","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/685"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4400"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4400\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}