There have been times, and the days may come again, when faithfulness to Christ has entailed exclusion from what is called “society.” Even now to a large extent the true Christian is like a Pariah, lower than the lowest caste, in the judgment of some. The world has in former days counted it God’s service to kill the saints. We are to reckon upon all this, and should the worst befall us, it is to be no strange thing to us. These are silken days, and religion fights not so stern a battle. I will not say it is because we are unfaithful to our Master that the world is more kind to us, but I half suspect it is, and it is very possible that if we were more thoroughly Christians the world would more heartily detest us, and if we would cleave more closely to Christ we might expect to receive more slander, more abuse, less tolerance, and less favor from men. You young believers, who have lately followed Christ, should father and mother forsake you, remember you were bidden to reckon upon it; should brothers and sisters deride, you must put this down as part of the cost of being a Christian. Godly workingmen, should your employers or your fellowworkers frown upon you; wives, should your husbands threaten to cast you out, remember, without the camp was Jesus’ place, and without the camp is yours.
Oh! ye Christian men, who dream of trimming your sails to the wind, who seek to win the world’s favor, I do beseech you cease from a course so perilous. We are in the world, but we must never be of it; we are not to be secluded like monks in the cloister, but we are to be separated like Jews among Gentiles; men, but not of men; helping, aiding, befriending, teaching, comforting, instructing, but not sinning either to escape a frown or to win a smile. The more manifestly there shall be a great gulf between the Church and the world, the better shall it be for both; the better for the world, for it shall be thereby warned; the better for the Church, for it shall be thereby preserved. Go ye, then, like the Master, expecting to be abused, to wear an ill-name, and to earn reproach; go ye, like him, without the camp.
Charles Spurgeon
From a sermon entitled "The Procession Of Sorrow," delivered March 1, 1863.
6 comments:
Timely article, Alesia!
Thanks for posting that.
Hi Anonymous at Mac's! You two are precious.
Alesia, I love your site and I know it is a lot of work but it is rich in content and radiates love, hope, joy and faith in a Heavenly Abba that loves you dearly.
Love you dearly too,
Grany
Grany,
What ME, an anonymous poster?!
Ok, I confess!
Thanks for dropping in, I've missed you.
Love you too
Alesia, I miss you too and I get encouraged from your candor and self control and then you confess to bout of uncontrollable fits of laughter. What's not to LOVE?
I do need your prayers though. I started having horrible headaches in the past 2 weeks and they really shut down my engines big time! I go back to the eye doctor in September (closest I could get) but this is all new to me. I have never had this type of headache in my life and very few headaches of any kind other than of my own making. I really think it is related to the vision thing though. I don't want to whine about it but I could sure use your prayers. Funny thing about the aches though, I can drink a coke or a cup of coffee and the pain subsides for a while. So I go around sucking on coffee and jitterbug all over the place like a flea.
Well, maybe that isn't too bad. It might become a big seller for weight loss and muscle tone.
Love you,
Grany
I could sure use some outstanding muscle tone right now! LOL @;o)
Grany
Grany,
Yes, I do have my maniacal silly moments!
Am praying for both your & Jim's health. Sept. is a long way away, can't get in any sooner?
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