If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 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. (John 15:18-19)

I never try to teach a horse astronomy, and to teach an unconverted man spiritual experience would be a folly of the same sort.

I might stand and preach until midnight concerning my Lord, but all that men who are unconverted would gain would be to hear what I have to tell and then to say, “Perhaps it is true.”

But they could not possibly discern it; the thing is beyond the cognizance of sense. So is our spiritual life. Beloved, you may reign over sin, but the sinner does not comprehend your being a king.

You may officiate as a priest before God, but the ungodly man does not perceive your your priesthood and your worship. Do not expect him to do so; your labor is lost if you try by any way to introduce him to these mysteries, except by the same door through which you came yourself.

What did the world do with Christ as soon as they saw him? Set him in the chair of state and fall down and worship his absolute perfection? No, not they: “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3).

Outside the camp was his place; cross-bearing was for him the occupation, not of one day, but of every day. Such you must expect to be the lot of your spiritual life that men can see.

As soon as they see it to be spiritual life, they will treat it as they treated the Savior. They will despise it. ((Charles Spurgeon, At the Master’s Feet [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005], August 15.))

Charles Spurgeon

Further reading

• BRIAN MCLAREN: WE’RE ALL GOD’S CHILDREN
• TIM TEBOW “JESUS” POSE STIRS CONTROVERSY
• Я U READY 4 QUANTUM PRAYER?