In the last BLOG I touched a bit on what it means to be gracious. What does that word mean in today’s world? The American Heritage Dictionary gives the following definitions:
- Characterized by kindness and warm courtesy.
- Characterized by tact and propriety.
- Of a merciful or compassionate nature.
- Condescendingly courteous.
- Characterized by warm charm or beauty.
- Characterized by elegance and good taste.
As we look at these definitions, we must face the fact that these things can be expressed in politically or socially correct terms or in biblical terms. We certainly must be kind and express warm courtesy. However, that does not mean that we are to compromise the biblical Gospel for the sake of appearing that way. When we are approaching people that hate God, we will not appear kind or to have warm courtesy. We will appear even less to have tact and propriety. Paul told us that “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (II Tim 3:12). Jesus told us that we should expect to be hated if we are going to be like Him. 16 But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, 17 and you will be hated by all because of My name” (Luke 21:16-17). “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:14). Notice in John 15:17 Jesus commands His disciples to love. But then see what happens after that in verse 18. 17 “This I command you, that you love one another. 18 If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.”
Why does the world hate the believer? Before that is answered from Scripture, we need to remind ourselves that churches and denominations are full of unbelievers and worldly people. 19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me” (John 15:19-21). People hate believers and not just because they are not gracious enough, but because they are like Christ. Jesus Christ was perfect in love and yet He was hated by the world. He was especially hated by the religious elite of the world at that time as well. Why was He hated? He preached the standards of a holy God and the Gospel to them.
We must ask those basic questions about Jesus. Was Jesus not gracious enough? Was He not tolerant enough? He had virtually all of Jerusalem against Him and He was hated enough that the religious leaders had Him crucified. The problem was not that He did not love enough, but that He lived and told the truth. We must be brutally honest about these things. It matters not the religion of a person in this day as long as the person does not speak against sin. If the person is willing to be nice enough in the worldly way, then that person will be tolerated. If a person is willing to be open enough or winsome enough in his or her religion, then that person will be tolerated. What brings forth the ire and the hatred of others is when the life of Christ shines through a person enough that the person is willing to stand against the sins of the world and of the Church and proclaim repentance and the Gospel of total grace to it.
We must remember the rest of the passage in John 15: “He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. 25 But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ‘THEY HATED ME WITHOUT A CAUSE'” (vv 23-25). They hated Christ without a real cause. He had done nothing to deserve hatred. He was perfect in every way and perfect in love. Yet they hated Him anyway and perhaps because of His perfect love. His strongest words were reserved for the religious elite of the day and that is what brought their ire. If Jesus lived in our day He would not be gracious enough, tolerant enough, and certainly not winsome enough. Why is that? For Jesus is perfect love and holiness. He is too holy to be gracious to sin and false gospels.
God Loves... Himself 
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