SEEKING TO BE UNDERSTOOD

The questions I pose is, " Can a Christian be understood and accepted by the ungodly?"

God's Word makes it clear that friendship of the world is enmity with God (James 4:4).
Proverbs 29:27 An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked. There are those that may seem to be are friends that are unsaved, but truly they seek to defile and ruin us. We are despised by them. I Corinthians 2:14 states that they will not understand us because the things of God " for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
I John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
John 3:20 states," For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved."
This passage in John makes it very clear why those that do wrong will either avoid or ridicule those who take a stand for what is right. The good behavior is a reproof to them.
Psalm 1:1 makes it clear, "Blessed [is] the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."
Those that ridicule us for standing firm in our convictions are scorners. This passage also shows a progression of familiarity with the ungodly of which we are warned against developing.

Certainly the Lord has us living and working among the ungodly/unsaved and we are salt and light to them (Mt5:13, Lk 13:34). Salt is a preservative and this reference implies that as Christ-like ones our testimony will serve as salt or a preservative to others. A preservative keeps contaminants at bay. That is why when a Christian enters a room ungodly behavior or conversation will cease. Once we compromise our convictions to keep at bay the criticism of others it is then that we lose our saltiness or our testimony (Mt5:13b "if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.) This passage also serves as a severe warning to God's children...what does it mean to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. On the surface, it indicates that we can lose our utility as servants of Christ....It certainly has eternal consequence.

We will face sadness, and feel distanced and lonely when we try to keep the friends of the world while maintaining a standard of purity in this vile world. This world is not our home.