A BADGE OF DISCIPLESHIP?

In a sermon entitled "Upon our Lord's Sermon on the Mount, Discourse the Third", John Wesley has this to say about Christians and persecution:

"The persecution which attends all the children of God is that our Lord describes in the following words: 'Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.' This cannot fail: it is the very badge of our discipleship; it is one of the seals of our calling. It is a sure portion entailed on all the children of God; if we have it not we are bastards and not sons."

This is strong language: 

• Persecution is "the very badge" of true discipleship. 

• If in living out our faith we are never persecuted, we are "bastards" rather than true children of God.

Does this rhetoric make us uncomfortable because it is over the top?

Or does it make us uncomfortable because it rings true?

"If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." - Jesus in John 15:19

Have you ever been hated by the world for your faith in Christ?