Professing religionists will misrepresent you and treat you ill. The wicked will rise against you when you try to convert them. They will attack you with desperate insinuations and unkindness. Persecution will come, Christians are ridiculed in the workplace, they are pointed out in the street and slandered, disgraceful names are hooted at them. Be careless of man’s esteem. The genuine thoroughbred Christian is often hated. Be thorough and true, and your family will respect your faith. Live unto God in a thorough-hearted way. A Christian’s holy life condemns the world.
Be not so proud as to think yourself too good to be laughed at. They laughed Jesus to scorn. You will have ridicule poured upon you; your attempts to convert the lost will be mocked. Simply preach Jesus Christ, and the dogs will growl and howl at you directly. You shall have all ill names, wicked stories, and all sorts of jests thrown at you. If you have fine music and entertainment and turn the place of worship into a theater, or just be a respectable professor of religion, and never let a distinctive truth come from your lips or perform one single distinctive action of Christianity, and just do as others do, and you will never have any problems. But as soon as you begin to live your Christianity Biblically and practically and speak it out, just see how long it will be before the world is at war with you.
The Christian stinks in the esteem of the godless. Let us be content to be low and vulgar in man’s esteem. Holiness will never be popular in this world. Seek a lowly, loving spirit at the feet of Jesus. Are you knit to Jesus? Does your very soul cleave to Jesus? Follow closely after Jesus, resolve to find Him, abide by Him. More real, practical love to Jesus. The faithful follower of Jesus must be content to part with name and fame, and suffer shame. Faith is within my heart and mind, spiritual and inward, the very core of the renewed heart. Faith in my pain, poverty, despondency, old age, death bed – that is faith. More Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday faith, faith in the kitchen, the workshop, in the storm, in the hospital, at home, everyday faith . It is better to go to heaven under all opposition than to go Hell with the world’s flattery in your ears. Be dead and deaf to the dogmas of carnal wisdom, the oppositions of philosophy, the damnable errors of proud human wisdom. Shadows of men’s superstition won’t do when you’re dying. Be content to let the world go by.
The spirit of true Biblical Christianity is simple, gentle, lowly, yielding, easy to be entreated, seeking not itself, humble, bold, self-sacrificing, self-distrusting, pure, chaste, holy; this can only be produced by the Holy Ghost. Have nothing to do with today's vain religious parade and show. Be ready to hear slander and ridicule for Jesus’ sake. Brace yourself, don’t get into a huff when worldlings and religionists begin to mock at you. Adore the Almighty, trust to the name and blood of Jesus, rely on the power of the Holy Ghost. Distribute tracts, witness personally to individuals, and the jeers and sneers of the ungodly will come to you as a soul-winner. Don't clam up about Christ. Walk humbly with God.
If the Lord sends poverty , obscurity, pain, weariness, reproach, still bless His holy name. Tell out unwelcome Gospel truth, leave all your worldly friends to spread the gospel. Proclaim free pardon through God’s Blood. The great object of being here on earth is to bring others to faith in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit’s one object is to glorify Christ. The chief work of the Christian is to glorify God, and to prove to this world that Christ’s grace is sufficient in all things. Always ask yourself this question - Will this help me to glorify God, or will it not? Seek more faith in Jesus' blood, more reliance on the Holy Spirit, more confidence in Christ's finished work, personally glorify God in private and in public.
Anything which leads to self-esteem will lead you into utmost danger. Have a low opinion of yourself, and a high opinion of Jesus, this is the main element of safety. Do right, serve God, live for Eternity, care little about man’s esteem, abhor the pride of life, do not care about being respectable. More lowly gratitude, take a lowly suppliant position at Jesus' feet. Envy and contention is opposite of the lowliness and humility. More self-denying service for Jesus’ sake. Trust to the power of the Holy Spirit to make us holy and keep us so. We rely upon God in Christ. Trusting only to His blood. There is no person the worldling will not slander nobody’s character is safe.
Be mindful of God's kindness and thankful to Him for His mercies. Sin prevents men from seeing God’s true character and nature. Ridicule is a fiery dart of the wicked that strikes the center of the heart; take up the shield of Faith. Self-distrusting, lowly-minded, trembling at God’s words. Human nature dreads the frown and eye of man. More denial and quitting of self, the abhorrence of sin, and clinging to the Lord. Practical Christianity is the only real Christianity. If your Christianity can be laid aside on Monday, you need to get rid of it.
The beginnings of true piety is often bitter. Lost men will say, "Do not trouble us with your Gospel. Do not bother us with your religion. Don't come around here with your tracts and Bibles. Let us alone. We don't want to be worried with the thoughts of death, judgment, and Eternity, or repentance and faith in a Savior. Just go your way, and let us alone." You will be hated the more you witness for Jesus. Your old buddies and lost family will be inclined to avoid you. You will pointed as a hypocrite because you cannot live up to the world's standards for a Christian.
The serpent's seed still hisses at the seed of the woman. Marvel not, if world hates you. *John 7:7; John 15:18-19; I John 5:13* Do you endeavor daily to keep clear of sin? Do you beg God for grace and help to be delivered from old impure habits? Are you fighting against your besetting sins? Do you contend with the spirit of this world and struggle against the evil warring in your members? Be of good courage, be not afraid, neither be dismayed; fight the good fight of faith as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
