Well, cultural support for homosexual relationships and for so-called gay marriage is very strong today, as strong as it's ever been in the United States, and for Christians who are resolved to resist the incredible pressures of pop culture conformity. We are certain to face ridicule and even various expressions of intolerance for our position.

And that leads us to today's question from a concerned dad, Jason, in Toledo, Ohio, who writes in, "Pastor John, what advice might you have for my two high school-aged daughters as they experience ridicule for speaking out against homosexuality?" What would you say to them, Pastor John? The advice I have is to give them eight biblical reasons that they should be thrilled.

Glad and rejoice that they have the grace of God working in their lives to stand for truth and for love the way they're standing. And here are my eight encouragements. And if they feel right now, maybe they're listening, I don't know, that it doesn't make them happy to be made fun of, I get that.

I feel that nobody likes to be made fun of in our natural capacities. But let these eight words from God transform your emotional priorities so that you really are able to do this miracle. Number one, Jesus, the Lord of the universe, promised you it would come to you just the same way it came to him, because you're following him.

So Matthew 10, 25, "If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul," that is the devil, if they call Jesus the devil, "how much more will they malign, ridicule, make fun of, insult those of his household?" So when this happens to you, it's a confirmation. You're in his house and you have a wonderful partner in your misery.

He's glorious. Number two, you are in great company with apostles and prophets. Acts 5, 41, "The apostles left the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name." Boy, if you could come out of a situation where you had been shamed for the name and you could look at Peter and John in the face as they were rejoicing, you would feel such a glorious camaraderie.

It would make you glad. Number three, you do not know if the ridicule is the last word from these people or if God may use your courage and your love and your devotion to truth to change them. And I say that because in the first epistle of Peter, you seem to get that kind of change.

Chapter 3, verse 16 says, "Have a good conscience so that when you are slandered, those who reviled your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame." So you're hoping that they will be led to be ashamed of their criticism. And then it says in chapter 2, verse 12, "Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable so that when they speak against you," so there you've got them speaking against you as evildoers, "they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation." So it pictures something, something begins with evil speaking and ridicule and insult, and then they see something about you.

They see how kind you are and loving you are and faithful you are and courageous you are and something triggers by God's grace in their heart and they switch. Don't assume that the ridicule is the last word. Number four, there is a special blessing from the Holy Spirit for those who bear the ridicule for the name of Christ and for the truth that he calls us to stand for.

1 Peter 4, 14, "If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you." I really believe that means there is a special anointing, a special presence, a special ministry of the Holy Spirit given to those whom he gives grace to stand like that.

Number five, there is a great reward coming to you because you bear reviling for the name of Jesus. Chapter 5 of Matthew, verse 11, "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account." They say things about you that are not true.

Verse 12, "Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." There is a great reward awaiting you that will make up ten thousandfold for anything you lost here. Number six, God may be preparing you. I say this especially to young people because these are teenagers I gather and they might feel like, "Good night.

My whole world, my whole life is undone because all my friends are turning against me." So number six is God may be preparing you for some remarkably greater purpose in this world, greater than you can dream. Here's where I get that. James chapter 1, verse 2, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds." Why?

Why should you count it as joy? "For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." What does that mean? It's like a muscle. I mean, why do we go to the gym and pick up heavy weights that put our biceps— I'm holding my bicep right now, so I wish you could see my illustration.

I'm flexing it now with 10, 20, 30 pounds, whatever I could do in that arm, and it's making my bicep hurt just like trials make us hurt, make our faith hurt. Why? Because that makes the bicep stronger so that when you need to lift a car off of your sister, you'll be able to do it.

And so it is with your faith. When Jesus does these things to us, he lets people come at us this way, he's preparing us for something. So you young people, dream your dream of what this steadfastness and this muscular Christianity that you're developing might enable you to do someday.

Number seven, God is absolutely sovereign over the world, and he will accomplish all his purpose. Don't be afraid that right now you look like you're on the losing end. You're not. Isaiah 46, 9, "I am God, there is no other. I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times, things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.'" You do not need to be afraid that God will fail to bring about his purpose.

And finally, number eight, with all that authority, Jesus promises to be with you personally, intimately, close enough to count the hairs on your head. "Behold, I am with you to the end of the age." So I say to these young people, be encouraged. Do not become sullen or self-pitying or defeatist or defensive.

Jesus said amazingly, "Rejoice and be glad." And I know that sounds virtually impossible, but let these truths sink in, and you will see that it makes sense, that joy makes sense, and the Holy Spirit will work it in your heart. We really should be, we Christians, with that amazing hope, we should be the happiest people in the world.

Amen. Those are golden promises for students, Pastor John. Thank you. And thank you for listening to the Ask Pastor John podcast. We are over 700 episodes into this thing. Thank you for listening and for asking great questions and for your willingness to share this podcast with your friends. To find our past episodes and to see a list of our most popular episodes to date, or to download the podcast app, or to ask Pastor John a question of your own, go to DesiringGod.org/AskPastorJohn.

Well, what's the difference between self-love and self-esteem? There is a difference, and John Piper will explain how to distinguish the two tomorrow. I'm your host, Tony Reinke. Thanks for listening.