Trading Holiness For The World's Favor

Trading Holiness For The World's Favor

Quoting William Gurnall . . .

\tWhen we lose man's love we gain God's blessing. "Blessed are you, when men say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my name sake" (Matthew 5:11). God's providence is a perfect roof over our heads to defend us from the storm of man's rage. But it is a different story when a saint is caught in sin and gives the ungodly opportunity to speak evil of him. Man reviles and God frowns. His Word does not open its shelter then to hide you from the assault of reviling tongues. But when the wicked hate you for your holiness, God is bound by promise to pay you love for their hatred and blessing for their cursing. Can we ever complain about man's disrespect when obedience and holiness advance us to a higher place in the King's favor? When we lose the world's love we gain its reverence and honor.

The people who will not love you because you are holy cannot help but respect and fear you for that same reason. But every time you give up a little holiness to gain false love from sinners, you forfeit the reverence which their consciences secretly paid to your life. Like Samson, a Christian walking in the power of holiness, is greatly feared by the wicked; but if sin exposes an impotent spirit, he is captured and falls under the lash of their tongues and the scorn of their hearts.

Poverty and a low class in society cannot make you contemptible as long as you keep on the breastplate of righteousness. Majesty can reign in a holy heart even when it is dressed in rags. For instance, the righteousness of David commanded reverence from Saul, and the king paid homage to his exiled subject: "He wept, and said to David, Thou art more righteous than I" (Samuel 24:16,17). And this is as it should be - carnal men must admit that they are overpowered by the holy lives of saints. And this shall happen as you behave in that distinctive and singular manner called for by God, doing things that even the best of our unbelieving neighbors cannot do.

\t
From: \t

The Christian in Complete Armour, (year 1665)

It will be worth watching how much people reply to this thread versus the smiley faces thread.

Murrcolr wrote: It will be worth watching how much people reply to this thread versus the smiley faces thread.
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This thread is much more worthy of a reply, you are correct. It is a much better and worth while thing to seek the love and blessing of our most Holy and loving God, then the empty shallow praises of men.

thank you tjservant for posting this.

God bless
mj

excellent Gurnall excerpt, remind me of something i read some time ago from the same "era"

Natural fools make the most stupid and injurious exchanges. Natural fools make the most stupid and injurious exchanges. They will exchange a pearl--for a pin; things of greatest worth and value--for a feather, a ribbon, a toy, a trifle. The foolish Indians prefer every toy and trifle above their mines of gold. All unholy people are spiritual fools. They will exchange spirituals--for carnals; and eternals--for temporals. They will exchange God, Christ, the gospel, heaven, and their souls--for a lust, for a little of the world's smiles, pleasures, or profits. They will exchange their eternal soul--for the toys and trifles of this world. "What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Matthew 16:26

Now do you think that God, who has within himself all the wisdom of angels, of men, and universal nature—that he who has all glory, all dignity, all riches, all treasures, all pleasures, all comforts, all delights, all joys, all beatitudes in himself—that that God who is a super-substantial substance, and understanding not to be understood, a word never to be spoken—that he will have everlasting fellowship and communion with fools? Do you think that a God whose wisdom is infinite and unsearchable, will ever debase himself so as to have his royal palace filled with fools, as to make those his companions in heaven, that he can take no pleasure in on earth? Eccles. 5:4, "He has no pleasure in fools." The wise God would not have his children keep company with fools: Proverbs 14:7, "Stay away from a foolish man; you will gain no knowledge from his speech;" and will God keep company with them himself? Surely not! God has given it under his own hand, that such shall not tarry in his sight: Psalm 5:5, "The foolish shall not stand in your sight" [or, as the Hebrew has it, before your eyes]: "you hate all workers of iniquity." God will never admit fools to be his favorites: he will at last shut the door of glory against them, Mat. 25:4-13.- Thomas Brooks

Thanks for sharing that admonishment from Thomas Brooks.

I have read very little of his work, any suggestions?

This is a wonderful article, with much to consider and feed on.

It would be good if we could take God seriously when He says in His word that without holiness, we will not see Him, Heb 12v14.

God was serious when He said that, for God is a holy God, and desires that for His people also.

He wants us to be separate from this world, whether we want to be or not. And if we don't want to be separate from this world, are we His?

God bless.

the crown and glory of christianity , also goes by the name holiness the only way to happiness.

Its a bit "heavy" in the beginning or it was for me as non English :) but after a bit into it it goes easier, i am glad i did not give up. It deals with one verse just as Gurnalls brick deals with a handful so this is 450 pages from Heb 12:14.

Also these books are very very good, they have parts in them that will comfort the most distressed soul in trouble and travails and the deepest of sufferings. "Precious remedies against satans devices" and "the mute christian under the smarting rod"

What i like very much about both Brooks and Gurnall is they have a very devotional style of writing, and one can literally just "flip" up any of their books and find something amazing and deep and profound for the soul.

Brooks wrote a lot, but i have found just as with J.C Ryle, i never read something from him that did not in someway edify me and encourage me or give me a greater fear of God.

I must say Brooks is one of my absolute favorites

I have his "complete" works , i bought a volume every now and then when i could afford it. And to me it just keep on raising in value. You can find some excerpts from all books i mentioned here plus many others, [url=http://gracegems.org/Brooks/thomas_brooks_quotes.htm]choice excerpts from Thomas Brooks books[/url]

the danger with reading the puritan is you will find most modern authors lacking something even if you cant exactly finger it

Don't want to take away from the original post, but as it has been said 'the danger with reading the puritan is you will find most modern authors lacking something even if you can't exactly finger it.'

That is so true.

Maybe todays authors are catering for todays crowd. Or maybe they are writing to the depth they know, which might not be too deep.

But, Brooks is good. I have the volumes and they are worth getting.

God bless.

What this excerpt speaks to me is not so much an admonition to live a life of holiness before a lost world, which is to me implicit in being a child of God, but rather a warning against giving in to the fear of man. However I find that the greatest pressure to compromise does not come in the form of pressure from a lost world to participate in their sins, but rather from people who name the name of Christ but do so with compromise in their hearts. It is not a pressure to compromise in obvious outward sins which are easily seen and recognized of others, but in inward things which are often seen only by God. "God, if I say that they will reject me. If I dare proclaim Your truth in that area, I will be called a zealot." And so we disobey the leading of the Holy Spirit out of fear of losing our "good reputation among the church."

Travis

'The fear of man brng a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.'

Proverbs 29v25.

The scripture speaks for itself.