The Loneliness and Opposition of the Saint

The Loneliness and Opposition of the Saint  

 

It is human to stand with the crowd; it is divine to stand alone.  It is manlike to follow the people, to drift with the tide; it is Godlike to follow a divine principle, to stem the tide. It is natural to cornpromise conscience and follow the social and religious fashion for the sake of gain or pleasure; it is against nature to sacrifice both on the altar of God's will. 

 

"No man stood with me, but all men forsook me", wrote the battle-scarred Apostle in describing his first appearance before Nero to answer with his life for believing and teaching contrary to the Roman world (II Tim. 4:16). Truth has been out of fashion since man changed his robes of fadeless light for a garment of faded leaves. Noah built and voyaged alone. His neighbors laughed at his strangeness and perished in style. Abraham wandered and worshipped alone. Sodomites smiled at the simple shepherd; followed the fashion and fed the flames. Daniel watched and prayed alone. Elijah sacrificed and witnessed alone. Jeremiah prophesied and wept alone. 

 

The Lord Jesus Christ loved and died alone! And of the lonely way His disciples should walk, He said: "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matt. 7:13-14). Of their treatment by the many who walk in the broad way, He said: "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you" (Jn. 15:19). 
 

The church in the wilderness praised Abraham and persecuted Moses. The church of Caiaphas praised the Prophets and persecuted the Lord Jesus Christ. The church of the popes praised the Savior and persecuted the saints. And multitudes now, both in the so-called church and in the world, applaud the courage and fortitude of the Prophets, Apostles, and martyrs, but condemn as stubbornness and foolishness, like faithfulness to truth today. 

 

Now is the accepted time for men and women, young and old, to obey the Word of God in their convictions of truth and duty, at the cost of fortune and friends, and even of life itself. "Wherefore come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty" (II Cor. 6:17-18). "Havmg therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves of all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (II Cor. 7:1). --The Bible Friend