If you are a good soldier of Jesus Christ, you will have to endure hardness, you will be despised and ridiculed for Jesus' sake. The reproach of believers is really the reproach of Him in whom they believe and love. Be not sensitive to jests, sneers, and gibes from the world's crowd. Aspire after this - A pure, gracious, useful life for the glory of God. Seek to do that which is right in the sight of God. Be willing to bear ridicule for Jesus' sake. Stand patiently the test of poverty, sickness, scandal, scorn. Christians must face the test of high-minded sarcasm and learned contempt. Pass the test of sickness of body, depression of spirit, and the common trials of life. Get ready for bitter sneers, biting sarcasm, and cruel actions. What God loves, I should love; what God hates, I should hate. If there is any idol set up in my heart that is contrary to God, I should desire to have it thrown down.
Care much about what God thinks, not what man prefers. Remain steadfast and enthusiastic in God's service under slander, reproach, and misrepresentation of every kind. Publish the Gospel more than ever. Be faithful in rough weather, and bear up under opposition. Christ's disciples must endure the sneers and cutting remarks of lost men. In the service of God, you may encounter much ridicule, endure losses, and bear hardships. Bear the ridicule and sneer of the proud, and the cavil of the doubter. They that are really of Christ must expect to be misunderstood and misrepresented. The hard times put the shine into the diamond. If you are a genuine Christian, the world will not have much to do with you, they will throw you on the trash heap. Be a God pleaser, not a man pleaser. Pleasing God will bring this world's ridicule and persecution upon you.
If you're definitely and thoroughly a Christian, you will have the world's dogs barking at you all the time. Worldlings will see every little flaw in your character and will report it and magnify it. The world expects you to run with them, and when you don't, it condemns their vile behavior, and they don't like that. Unfurl your Gospel colors before the world. A clear decision for Christ and true holiness will save you from many dangers, and ward off many temptations. A public witness before others is a sin and fool repellent. Never blush in the service of the Lord. Be ashamed of shame. Explicitly declare that you are on the Lord's side.
Believe implicitly and explicitly on the Lord Jesus Christ. Aspire to walk with God and love Jesus. Make a very explicit avowal of your faith in Jesus. Be unmoved by the world's sarcasm and ridicule. My God will hear me. Be calm and faithful through pain, bereavement, slander, and ridicule. My heart is fixed trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. Get ready for blasphemy, persecution, criticism, and skepticism. If you speak up for Jesus, you will be the object of ridicule and the target of reproach. Do you prefer the world's reverence or its ridicule? Trust Jesus' Blood while others despise it with disdain. Endure the sting of ridicule, the stab of slander, and the spit of scorn, daily affliction, bodily pain, opposition and reproach. Suffer without murmuring; be silent under the shears. Ask God for grace to enable you to meekly and joyfully bear sarcasm, ridicule, misrepresentation, and the loss of this world's goods for Jesus' sake.
I'm just a nobody trying to tell everybody about Somebody who died for me. The world knew Jesus not, therefore the world knoweth us not. If you witness for Jesus regularly, be ready to be misunderstood, misrepresented, belied, ridiculed, and receive evil treatment. To abide in the fear of the Lord is to dwell safely. Nobody regards "off and on" Christians. Consistency and constancy is the proof of sincerity. Follow the narrow way, keep close to Christ, and the crimson way of the Precious Blood, defy all ridicule. Follow after Jesus and holiness. Keep to the narrow way of secret prayer and fellowship with God. Quit the fellowship of worldly religions. Be conscientious and scrupulous. Regard not the fear of men, dread not ridicule and sarcasm.
The world hates the Gospel, because it condemns their evil. The world despises the Gospel, because it makes them despise themselves. A faithful witness of the Cross will receive coarse jokes and mockings. You will be prodded and provoked by unbelievers. Grow up in the fear of the Lord and serve Him loyally. Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. Hearty submission, sacred awe, holy reverence, loving obedience, childlike trust, tender submission, lowly adoration, sincere devotion, godly fear. Love of human approval is directly opposite of the fear of the Lord. Keep to the simplicity of your first faith, practice great watchfulness, grow in dependence upon God, be thorough, be scrupulous. This is the way - Safe and careful walking with the Lord daily.
Many people have to weep for months and years, because they didn't watch for minutes. An inward faith and the public avowal of the Gospel, must never be divided. Practical and pure service for Jesus. High thoughts of self always go with low thoughts of Christ. As we decrease, Christ increases. Do not desire the approval of your fellow men. The carnal mind says, "I must do this or that in order to please my company." Don't stand in awe of human censure. The love of human commendation and the fear of disapproval ought not to rule a Christian's conduct. Christ's glory is to be your one aim. The love of Christ constraineth me.
