Of No Reputation by Christian Witness

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 27, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 45.

“Of No Reputation.”

By Christian Witness

It is not said that Jesus had nothing to do with the making of his character, but he made himself “of no reputation.” He looked diligently after the real living and doing of the Father's will, and then let the Father take the entire care of his outward and historic reputation. If we want to be and live holy, the same spirit must have full possession of us. We must willingly and constantly agree to be esteemed as little nobodies, not only by the world but by the church as well; to be suspicioned and held at a distance; to have old and intimate acquaintances greet us with the frigid formality of strangers; to be “as a dead man—forgotten;” to be imposed upon without stoutly defending ourselves; to have the plume plucked from our hat and worn by another; to toil and let others get the reputation of doing it; to be neglected and disesteemed by professors of holiness; to be hated by some holiness people (?) who are worldly, and to be castigated by other holiness people because we do not run into all their whims; finally, to be misunderstood by the best saints; to get with Job into a place where about the only record and the only reputation we have is on high; and yet through it all to follow Jesus in his meek and loving spirit; to hide in his cleansing blood; to ever press after universal holiness and peace, not for the sake of any church, or set, or holiness party, but to please him, that he may be all in all,—this is the price of true saintliness.