If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified, 1PE 4:14.

In ISA 65:5 we read, "Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day." If we have self-righteousness within our heart, we tend to say that we are holier than others.

We should not come into the company of others to exalt ourselves above them. If we understand the first seven marks that the Lord Jesus laid out in the beatitudes in MAT 5:1-10, we haven’t a stone to throw at the chiefest of sinners. If we threw a stone, it would only be at ourselves because we have come to realize that we are the chiefest of sinners.

If it weren’t for the grace of God, we would have subjected ourselves much more to the service of Satan than others do. We cannot exalt ourselves based upon anything within ourselves saying, "Come not near to me; for I am holier than thou."

Our Saviour’s commission is to save us from sin itself. See what the Lord told Joseph in a dream, "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins," MAT 1:21. By nature, sin has such a power over us that we have no might against it. If we understand this, we will never say in self- righteousness, "I am holier than thou." To do so is not suffering for righteousness, but it is suffering for self-righteousness.

We can become a martyr for self-righteousness by our busyness in other men’s matters. If we still have bitterness in our own heart against others and have not cleaned up our own act, we are not a Christlike example when we tell others what is right and wrong.

Exalting ourselves above our fellow man, as though we are holier than they, is spiritual poverty. If we have been quickened by grace, we have learned that we would have stooped much lower than they would if God had left us to ourselves. We have not one stone to throw at the chiefest of sinners; there is no room for self-righteousness.

In 1PE 4:14 we read, "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified." If we have become a reproach for the name of Christ, it is not because we stand holier than others.

What did Christ do? He humbled himself unto death, even the death of the cross. Christ gave Himself into their hands to be crucified, and this is what it takes to walk in the ways of our Saviour. "Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously," 1PE 2:23.

Others will try to bring a reproach upon the name of Christ in order to bring a reproach upon you, but if you have been conformed to the blessed image of Christ and endure the persecution like He did, He will be glorified.

Our Saviour says, "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified." Verses 15-16 continue, "But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf."

If we have to suffer for the reproach of Christ, this is the blessedness revealed in these verses. Scripture clearly says that a busybody in other men’s matters will separate chief friends. Being a busybody in other men’s matters is not suffering for righteousness’ sake.

We must not suffer as a talebearer. PRO 26:20-21 says, "Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife. The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly."