Daily Devotional For Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Well, it’s Tuesday. Did you know there are animals who have the ability to blend in so much to their environment that you cannot see them. The Technical term is “Cryptic Coloration.” This is a defense mechanism or tactic that organisms use to disguise their appearance, usually to blend in with their surroundings. Organisms use camouflage to mask their location, identity, and movement. As a result, they do not become prey to the predators seeking to eat them or attack them. God has provided some animals and species this ability.

This is great in the animal kingdom, but it has no place in a Christian’s life. Jesus said this in John 15:18-19, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated Me first. (19) If you belonged to the world, it would love you as it loves its own. But I have chosen you out of the world, so you don’t belong to it. That is why the world hates you” (NLT). 

In recent decades, a great deal of effort has been spent trying to convince Christians we should blend into the culture. We've been more concerned about being camouflaged than being conspicuous because of our biblical values. But the truth is, we are called to be different, and we will experience consequences because of that. Jesus could not have said it more plainly: “This is not going to be easy. They hate Me, and they’re going to hate you.” The culture would have us act as if “God is love” is the beginning and end of our story. But we cannot afford to walk among people who do not know God and not tell them the good news of His Kingdom—His values, His expectations, and the good things waiting for anyone who is willing to declare their allegiance to Him.

When Jesus said these words to His disciples He knew how the Roman government and the Jewish Sanhedrin would hunt them down as prey. I don’t have time, but there were about 4-5 major persecutions over 400 years. And after Rome began to be  “Christianized” by Constantine, the Roman Catholic Church itself began to hunt down and persecute sincere disciples of Jesus Christ for sharing of all things — the Gospel.

 Knowing His time is now brief, He has less than a week to live physically, He is attempting to prepare His disciples not only for HIs death but His departure back to heaven 40 days after His Resurrection. While victory is assured, the followers of Jesus are soldiers in a great conflict between two realms: the kingdom of God and the world system ruled by satan—the forces of light and darkness (John 1:5; 3:19–21; 8:12; 12:36; 1 Jn. 1:5–7; 2:8–11; Rev. 21:23–24; 22:5). Furthermore, war brings hardship, suffering, gloom, and even death.

In John 15:18, the word translated as “if” is the Greek New Testament word [εἰ, ei]. It can also be translated as “since or because.” So, let’s read John 15:1-19 this way, “Since or because the world hates you, remember that it hated Me first. (19) Since or because you belonged to the world, it would love you as it loves its own. But I have chosen you out of the world, so you don’t belong to it. That is why the world hates you.” 

Jesus identified the enemy of God’s kingdom as “the world.” The construction of the Greek sentence and this particular use of the term translated “if” indicate that the condition is assumed to be true. This would be like a man saying, “If the sun comes up tomorrow, I’ll be playing golf.” Or, “Since the sun comes up tomorrow, I’ll be playing golf.” In other words, the man is certain to be on the fairways the following day. Therefore, we can substitute the term “if” with “because or since.”

The “world” is not a reference to the planet that orbits our sun, but the system of evil and sin that exists on this planet that endorses the values of the devil and are cursed by sin due to the Fall. The “world” refers to that part of humanity that serves willingly to that end — meaning, the propagation of sin in the world. Pastor and author Chuck Swindoll writes this:

“He was rejected by the world (see John 3:18; 12:48); therefore, He began to separate “His own” from the world (See John 10:14, 26–27; 13:1; 15:19). His crucifixion would formally declare the dividing line between the kingdoms of God and satan, and His resurrection would demand a choice from each individual.

The world either loves or hates; there is no neutral ground. The world loves or hates depending upon whether one is in agreement with it or not. The disposition of the world is completely conditional, which is one reason we know the conditional acceptance offered by legalistic religion is of the world, not Christ. The world system, of which religion is a part (16:2), clothes its hatred in sophistication, refinement, culture, and peace. But the world system is a boorish, slobbering, ignorant enemy of God and, therefore, despises any who dare side with Him.

If you are unsure of this, go to places of higher learning, or seek out captains of industry, or stand before political powers, and then present the gospel of Jesus Christ plainly. Watch as their “tolerance” fades. Observe as their cool, rational demeanor dissolves into petty disdain. I caution you to plan your escape route, for soon popular opinion will no longer give them reason to veil their hatred and they will give full vent to their anger. The chronicles of times past are proof that the cycle of history will come around again” (Source: Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary, “John,” p. 298).

This is why Jesus says what He does in John 15:20, “Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted Me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to Me, they would listen to you” (NLT). Jesus says the price for us not camouflaging ourselves in this world will be persecution. If we choose not to blend into this world, we should expect persecution. 

The Greek New Testament word translated as “persecute” is [διώκω, dioko]. It means “to run or flee, put to flight, and to drive away.” New Testament Greek scholar A.T. Robertson says διώκω, dioko] means “to chase like a wild beast” (Source: Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures In the New Testament, Vol. 5, p. 262). In other words, in persecution, hatred becomes deliberate, not merely coincidental. The world will pursue Christians for the sake of venting its hatred.

We Christians are not to be part of this world because Jesus has chosen us to be out of it or not part of it. As the world becomes more accepting and tolerant of every kind of sinful lifestyle, the blasphemous show that occurred in the opening celebration of the Olympics in France this year will continue and eventually be the norm. 

Questions To Consider

1. At the beginning I shared with you a defense mechanism that some animals and species have called “cryptic coloration.” For some or many Christians, they utilize a spiritual version of that. Are there areas of your life that you choose to blend into our culture? Why? When and where do you utilize “spiritual cryptic coloration” so that when people see you, they see the world? If not, what are the results?
2. Many of our universities (most of the first ones were started by churches), are now liberal cess-pools of immorality, evil, sin, tolerance, anything goes and snobbishness. If you attended college, what was your experience? If you have children or grandchildren who attend now, what is their experience? Why do you think this is so pervasive today?
3. The world system hates genuine Christianity and sincere discipleship. It loves “religion” because religion complies with the world’s ideology. Are you ever around people who call themselves Christians but they engage in “spiritual cryptic coloration?” Do you ever challenge them on this? Why or why not? If you do, what are the results?
4. The world system prides itself on tolerance and inclusiveness, except when it comes to Christianity and discipleship. Why do you think this is so? 
5. As mentioned above, there have been times the church itself was the predator hunting down genuine disciples for sharing the Gospel. What does this tell you?

Scripture To Meditate On: Luke 6:22, “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!” (ESV).

Prayer To Pray: “Dear Jesus, please forgive me when I blend in with the world rather than standing out against it. Please give me the courage and faith to be different, to take the heat, and to share the Gospel with my life. You have given me assignments and authority through the cross. Help me discharge those in a way that honors You. Forgive me for when I have not understood or been timid. Give me new awareness and boldness, with a reverence for You that is greater than any fear of anyone. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

I love you Southside!—Pastor Kelly