Hated by the World, Helped by the Spirit | John 15:18-16:33

As Jesus spends his final moments with his disciples, he gives them the sobering warning that they will be hated by the world. But despite the persecution they will face, they can take heart because Jesus will be sending them the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will be their "Helper" as He convicts the world towards repentance, guides disciples into a deeper understanding of the Gospel, and transforms sorrow into indestructible joy. As such, disciples of Christ should respond to the hatred of the world, not by avoiding or attacking or accommodating to the world, but by being witnesses to the world as they are empowered by the Holy Spirit.