Chapter 7

From: Lectures to Professing Christians – 1836 by Charles G Finney

And modernized by Cliff Collins

RELIGION OF PUBLIC OPINION.

“For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” (John 12:43)

John here is talking about certain individuals who refused to confess that Jesus was the Christ, because He was extremely unpopular with the scribes, the Pharisees, and the important people of Jerusalem.

There is a difference between self-love, or the simple desire for happiness, and selfishness. Self-love, which is the desire for happiness and dread of misery, is constitutional. It is a part of the way that God made us, and the way He intended us to be. Its indulgence, within the limits of the law of God, is not sinful. It is only when self-love is indulged contrary to God’s law that it becomes sinful. When the desire for happiness or the dread of misery becomes a principle that controls our lives, and we prefer our own gratification to some other greater interest, then self-love becomes selfishness. When, to avoid pain or obtain joy, we sacrifice other greater interests, we violate the great law of unselfish love; it is no longer that self-love which acts within lawful bounds, but it becomes selfishness.

In my lecture last Friday evening, I described some professing Christians who were motivated to perform religious works because of hope and fear. They were moved sometimes by self-love, and sometimes by selfishness. Their purpose in life was not to glorify God, but to secure their own salvation. You will remember that these people, as well as the real friends of God and man, agree in many things; and if you look only at the things they agree on, you can’t tell them apart. It is only by looking at their differences, that you can see that the real purpose of those professing Christians is not to glorify God, but to secure their own salvation. In that way, we can see their true purpose in life, and see that when they do the same things as those whose hearts desire is to love and glorify God, they do those same things for completely different reasons, and as a result, these acts are completely different in the sight of God.

Tonight, I plan to point out the characteristics of a third group of professing Christians. Those who “love the praise of men more than the praise of God.”

Now I don’t believe that a simple concern for reputation has led these people to profess religion. The Christian religion has always been too unpopular with most of the human race to make it popular to become professing Christians from a desire for a good reputation. But in places where it is not generally unpopular to become a professor of religion, and their popularity will not diminish if they profess Christianity, these people are motivated with a hope of securing happiness in the future world while their reputation may increase while here on earth. And so, many people claim that they are Christians. But when we examine their motives, we discover that the main reason they embraced Christianity is the good opinion of their fellow men. If embracing Christianity would cause them to lose their reputation, they would not profess Christianity. Their profession turns on this. And although they claim that they are sincere Christians, you can see by their conduct that they will do nothing that will forfeit this good opinion from those around them. They are not willing to face the hatred and opposition that one receives when he gives himself up to root sin out of the world.

Observe, that unrepentant sinners are always influenced by one of two things in everything that they do that appears like religion. Either they do them out of a regard for mere natural principles such as compassion or self-love, principles that are constitutional in them; or they do them because they are selfish.

These works are done either from a regard for their own reputation or happiness, or the gratification of some natural principle in them that has no moral character; and not because they love God. They love “the praise of men more than the praise of God”.

I will now tell you how you can detect the true character of these people who make the praise of men their idol, even though they profess to love God supremely. And this will help you determine your own true character, if any of you here tonight belong to this group.

1. These professing Christians do what the apostle Paul said certain people did in his day, and for that reason they remained ignorant of the true doctrine. They measured themselves by their own standard, and compared themselves to each other.

Many demonstrate that they have no intention of making Jesus Christ their standard of comparison and the Bible their rule of life. They show that they never seriously dreamed of making the Bible their standard. These people do the same religious things, and imitate the piety of other people and the churches around them. Their purpose is to maintain a respectable religious appearance. Instead of seriously asking themselves what the Bible requires, and asking how Jesus Christ would act in certain situations, they are only looking at the way professing Christians do things, and are satisfied with doing what is good from their own viewpoint. They demonstrate that their goal is not so much to do what the Bible says they should do, but simply to imitate what most professing Christians do. They do what is respectable, rather than what is right.

2. These people do not try to raise the standard of piety around them.

They are not troubled at the fact that the general standard of piety is so low in the church, that it is impossible to bring the great mass of sinners to repentance. They think the standard is high enough. Whatever is the standard at the time satisfies them. While those who truly love God and their neighbors are complaining that the standard of piety in the church is too low, and trying to wake the church up and raise the level of religion, these professing Christians feel that those who truly love God are being critical and meddlesome, and are motivated by a bad spirit in them. It reminds me of the time when Jesus Christ denounced the scribes and Pharisees, and leading professors of religion in His day. They said, “He has a devil”. Why? “Because He is denouncing our sour doctors of divinity, and all our best men, and He even dares to call the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, and He tells us that except our righteousness shall exceed theirs, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. He has such a bad spirit!”

A large part of the church today has the same spirit. Every effort to open the eyes of the church to make Christians see that they live so low, so worldly, so much like hypocrites, and that it is impossible for the work of the Lord to go on, will only produce ill will and the reproach from these people. “Oh,” they say, “he shows such a bad spirit. He is so censorious, and so unkind. Surely that is not the meek, kind, and loving spirit Jesus demonstrated”. They forget how Jesus Christ poured out his denunciations against those that had the reputation of being the most pious people in that day. They act as if Jesus Christ never said anything severe to anybody, but only flatter those Scribes and Pharisees, and sooth them into His kingdom. Who does not know, that it was a hypocritical spirit exhibited by professors of religion that roused His soul and moved His indignation, and called forth his burning torrents of denunciation?

Jesus was always complaining about those who were looked up to as patterns of piety, and Jesus called them hypocrites, and thundered over their heads the terrible words, “How can ye escape the damnation of hell!”

When so many people love the praise of men more than the praise of God, there will be little or no excitement when the truth is told. They are happy with the standard of piety as it is, and they think that as long as the people are busy with Sunday school, missions, and Bible studies, everything is just fine. They feel that nothing more is needed. Oh! Woe are they because of their blindness! They don’t realize that with all of this, the lives of most of the professing Christians today are almost as different from the standard of Jesus Christ as light is from darkness.

3. These professing Christians know the difference between those requirements of God that are strongly enforced by public opinion and those that are not.

They are very careful to observe those requirements that the public favors, while they ignore those that the public does not enforce. Illustrations of this are everywhere. The use of alcohol is one example. Many yield to public opinion concerning drinking where they would never yield to God or man. At first they waited to see what the general feeling was. They resisted giving up their favorite liquors. But when they discovered that avoiding hard liquor was popular, and they found they could do very well with wine, they tossed their Jim Beam. They were determined to yield no farther than public opinion drove them. And so, they showed that, by throwing away their alcohol, it was not their goal to maintain a Christian witness based on a love of God and neighbor, but simply to maintain a good character. They love “the praise of men more than the praise of God”.

There are multitudes who go to church on Sunday, not because they love God, but because it is respectable to go to church. You can see this because they do it because they have friends at church, but when they travel to where they are not known, where they are out of the sight of their friends, you will find them far from any place of worship.

All those sins that public opinion is opposed to, these people avoid, but they do those things that are not frowned on that are just as bad. They do those duties that are enforced by public opinion, but not those that are less enforced. They will not stay away from public worship on Sunday because it would hurt their religious reputation. But they neglect things that are just as important in God’s word.

Where an individual knowingly and habitually disobeys any command of God, I can promise you, that the obedience he appears to render, does not come from a regard for God's authority, or out of love for God, but from other motives. In fact, he doesn’t really obey any command of God. The Apostle has settled this question. “Whoever,” says James, “shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all”. (James 2:10) That is, he does not keep the law at all. Obedience to God's commands implies an obedient heart, and therefore nothing is obedience that does not come from a heartfelt regard for the authority of God.

Now, if a man's heart is right, then whatever God commands he feels that it is more important than anything else. And anything that is more important than God’s authority is that person’s idol. Whatever we supremely regard is our god; whether it is reputation, comfort, riches, honor, or whatever. That is the god of our heart. Any reason a person has for habitually neglecting his duty to promote the kingdom of Christ proves that he considers his own reason more important than God.

God is not pleased with anything that person does for Him. Rest assured, his religion is a religion of public opinion. If he neglects anything required by God’s law, it is because his neglect won’t be noticed, and public opinion does not demand it. If he does things that are inconsistent with God’s law, it is because public opinion requires it. It is a simple matter of fact, that he only yields obedience to public opinion. He has no regard for the glory of God in anything that he does.

Where do you stand, dearly loved? Do you habitually neglect something that God requires, because it is not supported and enforced by public opinion? If you claim to be religious, then we can assume that you don’t neglect any requirement that is strongly urged by public opinion. But, what about other requirements? Don’t you habitually neglect certain duties? Do you do some things that you know are contrary to the law of God because it won’t hurt your reputation? If you do, it demonstrates that you regard the opinions of men more than the judgment of God. Write down your name, hypocrite.

4. These religious people are likely to indulge in some sins when they are away from home that they would not commit at home.

Many a person who is temperate at home, when he goes on a trip, he will unhesitatingly watch an inappropriate movie in a motel room, or walk into a local bar and ask for liquor without shame, or go and watch some improper entertainment. When I was on the Mediterranean, at Messina, a gentleman asked me if I would go to the theater with him. “What! I go to the theater? A minister go to the theater?” “Why,” he said, “you are away from home, and no one will know it.” “But wouldn’t God know it?” His thought was clear. Although I was a minister, I could go to the theater when I was away from home. It didn’t matter if God knew it, as long others did not know it. And how else could he get that idea, if he never saw ministers who were doing those very same things?

5. Another development of the character of these individuals is that they indulge in secret sin.

I am now speaking about something that you may secretly know yourselves. If you allow yourselves to secretly indulge in sins, because you know that nobody else will ever know about it, know that God sees it, and that He has already written down your name, hypocrite. You are more afraid of disgrace in the eye of mortals, than of disgrace in the eye of God. If you loved God supremely, it would be a small thing that other people knew your sins, in comparison with having God know them. If you were tempted to commit sin, you would exclaim, "What! Shall I commit sin under the eye of God?"

6. These “so-called Christians” secretly neglect their duty, which they would not dare to let others know about it.

They may not practice any secret sins, or indulge in those secret pollutions that people so often talk about, but they neglect those duties, and if it became known, it would destroy their Christian character. Secret prayer is one example. They will go to the communion table. Yes, they will receive communion and appear to be very pious on Sunday, and yet, as to private piety, they know nothing about it. They have no prayer closet. God never hears his voice. It is easy to see that reputation is their idol. They are more afraid of losing their reputation than offending God.

Where do you stand today, my friend? Is it a fact, that you habitually omit those secret duties, and are more careful to perform your public duties than private ones? Then where is your heart?

Do you need to be told? “They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”

7. The conscience of these people are formed on other principles than the principles of the gospel.

These professing Christians seem to have a conscience in those things that are popular, and no conscience at all on those things that are not required by public opinion. You may preach their duty to them ever so plainly, prove it ever so clearly, you may even make them confess that it is their duty, and yet as long as public opinion does not require it, and as long as it is not a matter of reputation, they will continue in the same way as before. Show them a “Thus saith the Lord”, and make them see that their course is inconsistent with Christian perfection, and contrary to the interests of the kingdom of Christ, and yet they will not budge. They make it clear that it is not the requirement of God they regard, but the requirement of public opinion. They love the praise of men more than the praise of God.

8. These “so-called” Christians generally dread the thought of being considered fanatical.

They are practically ignorant of a first principle in religion: that the world is wrong! The public opinion of the world is against God, and every one who intends to serve God must first of all, set his face against the public opinion of the world. They are to take it for granted, that in a world of rebels, public opinion is certainly wrong. They have never had their eyes open to this fundamental truth, that the world is wrong, and that God's ways are against their ways. As a result, it is true, and always has been true, that “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution”. Christians will be called over-enthusiastic, superstitious, fanatical, and other similar things. They always have been, and they always will be persecuted as long as the world is wrong. But these people will never go further than is consistent with the opinions of worldly men. They say they must do this and that in order to have influence over such men. Right over against this is the course of the true friends of God and man. Their goal is to reverse the order of the world and turn the world upside down. They long to encourage everyobdy to obey God, and to get all the opinions of men to conform to the word of God, and all the governments and institutions of the world to harmonize with the spirit of the gospel.

9. However, these people are very intent on making friends on both sides.

They keep one foot on each side of the fence. They avoid the reputation of being either overly righteous or of being ungodly or unspiritual. It’s been this way for centuries. People could maintain a reputable profession of religion, without ever being called fanatical. And the standard is still so low today that a large percentage of Protestant churches today are trying to occupy this middle ground. They want to have friends on both sides. They want to be too good to be reprobates but not good enough to be called fanatics or bigots. They are “fashionable Christians!” Why? First, their style of religion is popular and fashionable. Second, they generally follow worldly fashions. Their goal in religion is to avoid doing anything that will disgust the world. No matter what God requires, they are determined to be so prudent that they will never bring on them the censures of the world, nor offend the enemies of God. They clearly have more regard for men than for God. And if they ever get into a situation where they have to decide between offending their friends or offending God, they will offend God. If public opinion clashes with the commands of God, they will yield to public opinion.

10. They will do more to gain the applause of men than to gain the applause of God.

This is seen from the fact that they will yield obedience only to those requirements of God that are sustained by public opinion. Although they will not exercise any self-denial to gain the applause of God, yet they will exercise great self-denial to gain the applause of those around them. People who gave up alcohol, because public opinion made it necessary, will give up wine also, whenever public opinion demands it; but not until then.

11. These people are more anxious to know what those around them think of them, than to know what God’s opinion is of them.

If one of these people is a minister, and preaches a sermon, he is more anxious to know what people think about his sermon, than to know what God thought about it. And if he fails, the disgrace of it with men cuts him ten times more than the thought that he has dishonored God, or hindered the salvation of souls. This is also true with an elder, or a member of the church, who is one of these people. If he prays in a meeting, or exhorts, he is more concerned to know what others thought about what he said or did, than to know how God is pleased.

If such a person has some secret sin that is discovered, he is vastly more distressed about it because he is disgraced than because God is dishonored. Or if he falls into open sin, when he comes face to face with it, he cares more about the disgrace of it than the sin of it.

These people care more about their appearance in the eyes of the world than in the eyes of God. Women of this type are far more anxious, when they go to church, about how they look in the eyes of men, than how their heart appears in the eyes of God. Such a person will spend all week getting ready for Sunday, so she looks her very best, and perhaps will not spend half an hour in her prayer closet, to prepare her heart to appear before God in His courts. Everybody can see, at a glance, what her religion is the moment she holds it up for others to see. Nobody is at a loss to say what that man's or that woman's name is. It is hypocrite! They will go into the house of God with their hearts dark as midnight, while their external appearance is attractive and decent. They must appear stunning in the eyes of those around them. But what about that part that God looks at? The heart may be dark, and disordered, and polluted, and they don’t care as long as the eye of man detects no blemish.

12. They refuse to confess their sins in the way that the law of God requires, lest they should lose their reputation among others.

If they are ever required to confess more than they think is consistent with their reputation, they are more anxious as to how it will affect their character, than to know whether God is satisfied.

Search your hearts, you who have made confessions, and see which most affected your minds, the question of what God thought about it, or what others thought about it. Have you refused to confess what you knew God required because it would hurt your reputation among men? Will not God judge your hearts? Only be honest now, and answer this question!

13. These ‘so-called’ Christians will yield to custom what they know will damage the cause of religion and the welfare of the human race.

A striking example of this is found in the way New Year’s Day is celebrated. Who does not know that the customary way of celebrating New Year's Day is by getting together, stocking up on beer and lots of food, and spending the day sitting in front of a TV, drinking, eating, and watching football? It is a waste of money, harmful to your health, and damaging to your souls and the interests of religion.

Yet, many do it. Who can tell me that those who will do this, when they know it is harmful, supremely love God? I don’t care who attempts to defend such a custom. It is wrong, and every Christian must know that it is wrong. And those who persist in it when they know better, demonstrate that a supreme regard to God is not their rule of life.

14. These professing Christians will do things of doubtful character, or things that may be illegal, in obedience to public opinion.

15. They are often too ashamed to do what they are supposed to do.

Now when a person is too ashamed to do what God requires, it is clear that his own reputation is his idol. How many do you know who are too ashamed to acknowledge Jesus Christ, too ashamed to reprove sin in high places or low places, and too ashamed to speak out when religion is attacked! If they really cared for God, could they ever be ashamed of doing their duty? Suppose false statements were made against a man's wife, would he be ashamed to defend his wife? Of course not! If his children were abused, would he be ashamed to defend them? Not if he loved them. It would not be shame that would keep him from defending his wife or children. If a man was friendly to the administration of the government of his country, and some people were verbally attacking the government, would he be ashamed to defend it? He might not think it wise to speak for other reasons; but if he were a true friend of the government, he would not be "ashamed" to speak in its behalf anywhere.

Now the people I am talking about will not take a stand when they are among the enemies of truth, if those around him could reproach him for doing it. These people are very bold defending the truth when among true Christians, and they will demonstrate a lot of courage. But when put to the test, they will sell the Lord Jesus Christ, or deny Him before his enemies and put Him to open shame, rather than rebuke wickedness, or speak out in His defense before his enemies.

16. They also oppose any light that exposes their self-indulgence.

They are disturbed by every new proposal that will cost them money or interferes with their habitual self-indulgence. You can talk as much as you want and preach in favor of it as often as you please, but there is only one way to reach these people, and that is by changing public opinion. When you have won over a sufficient number in the community to change public opinion, then they will adopt your new proposals, but not before.

17. These people are always distressed at what they call the latest trend in the church.

They are afraid that the latest trend will destroy the church. They say we are carrying things too far, and the church will be hurt. Take, for example, abstinence from alcohol. Those who cry out against the evils of alcohol know that alcohol is the same thing wherever it is found, and that to save the world and banish alcoholic abuse, it is necessary to banish alcohol in all its forms. How this could be done hasn’t been figured out yet. Most of the people in this country have never been called to any self-denial in this cause. The place where push comes to shove is when it comes to the question of whether men will exercise SELF-DENIAL, to crush the evil. If they are allowed continue to drink wine and beer, it is not self-denial to give up hard liquor. It is only changing the form in which alcohol is taken, and they can drink as freely as before.

But this country is far from any attempts to control the alcoholic abuse in this nation. Multitudes will never yield, until the friends of God and man can form a public opinion so strong that it crushes the character of every man who will not give it up. You will find that many religious leaders and pillars of the church who are able to drink their wine will stand their ground. No command of God, no requirement of love, no desire to save souls, no pity for bleeding humanity will move these people, until you can form a public opinion so powerful that it forces them to it, on penalty of loss of reputation. For they love the praise of men.

I very seriously doubt, because of the low state of piety today and the decline of revivals in the church today, that a public opinion can be formed, that would be powerful enough to do this. If not, we run the risk of losing what little ground we maintain in this nation. The Temperance Reformation, like a dam of sand, was swept away, the floodgates that had closed were reopened again, and the world, with bottle in hand, continues its march down that broad road that leads down to hell. Yet, its downfall is largely due to those thousands of professing Christians, who wanted to enjoy public respect and at the same time enjoy themselves in their own way.

18. These people are often opposed to men, and measures, and things, as long as these people or things are unpopular and subject to reproach. But when they become popular, these people will support them.

Let an evangelist go through the churches in any city, and wake them up to a revival of religion, and while he is little known, these people will not hesitate to speak against him. But let him preach on, and gain influence, and they will fall in, commend him, and claim that they are one his best supporters. This happened to Jesus. Before His death, He had a certain degree of popularity. Multitudes would follow him as He went through the streets. They cried “Hosanna, Hosanna!” But look! They would not follow Him one inch farther than His popularity followed Him. As soon as He was arrested as a criminal, they all turned against Him and began to cry, “Crucify Him. Crucify Him!”

These people will ride the tide in when a person is reproached, and they will ride the tide out when he is honored. There is only one exception; and that is, when they have become so committed to the opposition, that they cannot change their stand without disgrace. Then they will be silent until another opportunity comes up for letting out the burning fires that are rankling within them.

When a revival first breaks out in a church, certain members of the church will oppose it. They do not like to have such things take place in their church. They are afraid there is too much animal excitement and emotional outbursts. But the work goes on; as time passes on they seem to join in with the multitude. Then, after the revival is over, the church grows cold again, and before long you will find these people renewing their opposition to the work, and as the church declines they increase their opposition, and perhaps, in the end, induce the church itself to take ground against the very revival that they had so much enjoyed. Individuals have actually acted this way during and after revivals in this country. I know many examples. They were awed by public opinion and made to bow down to the revival, while its power swept multitudes into the Kingdom. But as the revival declined, they began to let out the opposition that was in their hearts, which was suppressed when the revival was popular.

The same is true concerning missions, and if anything should turn up unfavorable to missions, so as to break the present power of favorable public opinion that it has today, you would find plenty of these fair weather supporters turning to the opposition.

19. If any measure is proposed to promote religion, they are very sensitive and scrupulous not to allow anything to be done that is unpopular.

If they live in a city, they ask, “what will the other churches think of such a measure”? And if it is likely to bring reproach on their church or their minister, from the ungodly, or from the other churches, they are distressed about it. It doesn’t matter how much good it will do, or how many souls it will save, they do not want to have anything done that may injure the respectability of their church.

20. These “so-called” Christians never try to form public opinion in favor of perfect godliness.

The true friends of God and man are always aiming at forming public opinion, and correcting public opinion, on all points where it is wrong. They are determined, with all their hearts, to search out all the evils in the world, and to reform the world, and drive out iniquity from the earth. These other people are always following public opinion as it is, and feeling which way the tide is going so they can go that way, shrinking back from everything that flies in the face of public opinion. They are ready to brand as imprudent, or rash, anyone, or anything, that tries to stem the tide of public opinion and turn it the other way.

REMARKS.

1. It is easy for people to take credit for their sins, and convince themselves that certain things are acts of piety, when they are really acts of hypocrisy.

Many people do things that appear pious, and then they give themselves credit for being pious, when their motives are really corrupt and hollow, and nothing they do comes from a supreme regard for God’s authority. We can see this from the fact that they do nothing except where God's requirements are backed up by public opinion. Unless you aim to do all your duty, and unless you aim to obey in everything, the piety that you take credit for is only hypocrisy, and is, in fact, sin against God.

2. There is a great deal more apparent piety in the church today than there is real piety.

3. There are many things that sinners believe are good but are abominable in the sight of God.

4. If it weren’t for the love of reputation and the fear of disgrace, many in the church would break out into open apostasy.

Is there anyone here, who would break out into open vice if it weren’t for the restraints of public opinion, the fear of disgrace, and the desire to receive some credit for virtue? Where someone is virtuous out of a regard for the authority of God, whether public opinion favors it or frowns on it, it is true piety. Their reward comes from God. But many in the church today do things for the sake of gaining credit in the eyes of men, and they gain it. But if they expect any favor at the hand of God, they will be disappointed. The only reward that He will bestow on such selfish hypocrites is that they will be damned. (Read Matt 6:1-2)

And now I would like to know how many of you will determine to do your duty, and all your duty, according to the will of God, no matter what public opinion says? Who of you will agree to take the Bible as your rule, Jesus Christ as your pattern, and do what is right, in every situation, no matter what man may say or think? Every one of you that is not willing to take this stand must consider yourself a stranger to the grace of God. You are, by no means, in a state of justification.

If you are not resolved to do what you know is right, in spite of public opinion, it is proof positive that you love the praise of men more than the praise of God.

And let me speak to the impenitent sinners here. Do you see what it is to be a Christian? It is to be governed by the authority of God IN ALL THINGS and not by public opinion, to live, not by hopes and fears, but by the supreme consecration of yourself to God. Do you see, that, if you want to be religious, you must count the cost? I will not flatter you. I will never try to coax you to become religious by holding back the truth. If you intend to be a Christian, you must give yourself completely up to Christ. You cannot float along to heaven on the waves of public opinion. I will not deceive you on this point.

Do you ask, sinner, what is to become of all these people who claim they are Christians who are conformed to the world, and who love the praise of men more than the praise of God? I answer. They will go to hell, with you, and with all the other hypocrites. This is as certain as the fact that the friendship of the world is enmity with God.

“Therefore, come out from among them, my people, and be ye separate, and I will receive you”, says the Lord, “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters.” And now, who will do it? In the church and among sinners, who will do it? Who? Who is on the Lord's side? Who is willing to say, “We will no longer go with the multitude to do evil, but we are determined to do the will of God in all things whatsoever, and let the world think or say whatever they want about us”. Since many of you are now willing to do this, will you signify it by standing up before the congregation, and then we will all kneel down while prayer is offered, that God would accept and seal your solemn covenant to obey God from this day forward in everything, through evil report and through good report.