We all want to be popular. It is part of the way we are wired. We all want people to think highly of us, to throw compliments our way, and to be our friends. The only problem with this desire to be friends with the world is that it often comes at the cost of displeasing our Lord. For we read in (James 4:4): “…Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” And to this thought Evangelist Dwight L. Moody added: “The man that is popular with the world is not a friend of Jesus. You cannot serve two masters. The world hates Christ, and if you are a friend of the world you cannot be a friend of His. You may be sure that something is wrong with you when everybody is your friend.”1
Now don’t get me wrong while we should always be friendly and loving, true love toward the unsaved means telling them the truth about the gospel. And telling someone that they are sinners in danger of eternal damnation will often elicit unpleasant reactions, for the gospel is offensive to most people. My friends, if you want to be popular then just tell people that God loves them, but withhold the part that they are sinners. The problem here is that sharing only half the gospel might make you popular in the eyes of the world but not in the eyes of Jesus because half a gospel is in reality no gospel at all.
In order to be popular in the eyes of the world we have to totally water down the gospel. But when we do this we greatly displease the Lord and in reality demonstrate our lack of love toward those we are sharing with. And this is because true love is willing to risk being unpopular in order to share the truth on spiritual matters. Most people don’t want to hear that they are sinners but unless they recognize their lost sinful state, they may never come to the light of Jesus. True love risks being unpopular by sharing the truth about Jesus.
Our role as Christians is to share the good news of the gospel, to pray for those we share this good news with, and to allow the reality of not being very popular with the world to be trumped with the knowledge that we are pleasing in the sight of our Lord. My friends in our world today truth is becoming less and less popular but in the economy of God standing on the truth is non-negotiable.
Truth tellers will never be popular in the eyes of the world but knowing that Jesus is pleased with us when we stand on His truth is the best way I know of to bring deep and abiding joy to our hearts as well as great rewards in heaven. So, the next time you face unpopularity with the world for standing up for Jesus remember what we read in Scripture: “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12).
1 TOP 25 QUOTES BY DWIGHT L. MOODY (of 294) | A-Z Quotes (azquotes.com)
Curt, your post is fantastic. It highlights a common misunderstanding among Jesus’ followers during His time. They hoped He would fulfill the prophecy of becoming a beloved King among His people. Even Satan, during his temptation of Jesus, urged Him to jump off the temple and showcase His power to gain popularity. However, Jesus rejected this behavior and instead endured humiliation for the gospel’s sake. Therefore, can we expect anything different in our service to the Lord?
Great commentary today. So true. I would humbly add, my husband and I always try to keep this verse in mind when sharing the gospel: “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,”
1 Peter 3:15 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1pe.3.15.ESV
Thank you for this devotional today. I have been meditating on the dangers of Christian celebrity just recently. Even among God’s children we can become enamored of the popular and famous. May God please keep us from this type of idolatry. God bless you brother!