Last week we discussed how persecution is part of the faithful Christian life, and that we should be more concerned if we are not being persecuted in some way, because “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (II Timothy 3:12). Even though we are sure to be persecuted if we are living godly lives, we do not want to be the persecutors, which is why we must resolve to obey Ephesians 4:29-32:
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
Persecution is allowed by God to drive us into His kingdom. It helps to separate us from the desire to please men rather than God. It also helps us to set our hearts on things above, which are eternal rather than on the things that are earthly and temporary. It gives us an opportunity to grow in love as we learn to love those who do not love us, but rather persecute us. Persecution is one of the greatest opportunities we will have on this earth to grow into the Lord’s image. He was persecuted by the very ones He came to save, just as we will be by the very ones that we seek to lead to salvation. As we are told in Philippians 1:28-29 we should:
For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”
Paul wrote that this had been “granted” to the believers. Have you thought of persecution as a blessing and gift? It is actually one of the greatest blessings that we can have in this life! That may be hard for some to accept, especially when they are going through the persecution, but it is a profound truth. Few things can so quickly separate us from the things in our life that are not profitable, and lead us to the things that are, than persecution. There are few things in this life that can bring a greater honor to the Lord, which is the highest purpose to which we can attain in this earthly life.
As we have discussed previously, since the Fall, Satan has been boasting before the throne of God. His boast is that man, the crown of God’s creation, the one that God specifically created for His own fellowship and pleasure, chose to rebel against God and serve the devil, loving evil more than righteousness. Man did this even when God had placed him in a perfect environment. So Satan’s contention is that if even God’s crowning creation will not serve Him, but chose evil over good, why shouldn’t the rest of creation do the same?
Before the end of this age the Lord will have a people, who in the worst environment, even in the darkest of times, will chose righteousness over evil. Through them good will prevail over evil, and stand for a witness for all time that the goodness of God will always prevail. This is our calling, and it is a primary reason why we are on the earth at this time. The more difficult it becomes to live a righteous life, the more blessed we are when we do, and the more we are becoming a part of the eternal witness for the truth and righteousness of the ways of God. This is why it was said of the apostles after the Council had flogged them:
And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ (Acts 5:41-42).
This too must be our resolve. Whatever persecution or shame we are called to suffer for the sake of the name of the Lord, we will consider it as one of the greatest honors that we can receive here on this earth. We also must not allow it to keep us for one moment from preaching and teaching in the name of Jesus.
That we suffer opposition and persecution is one of the most basic evidences that we are threatening the kingdom of darkness. Satan does not attack those who are not doing anything. So we take this as “a sign of salvation” as Paul called it. The stripes of persecution that we receive here on earth will be our badges of honor for eternity. Do not waste your great opportunity to take up your cross and to suffer shame for His name’s sake when it is required. Rejoice that you have been counted worthy of the greatest of honors.
As we proceed toward the end of this age, persecution will increase. The time will come when there will be no place to run from persecution on earth. It may look like for a time that Christianity is being defeated and wiped from the earth, when in fact this will be our greatest opportunity, our finest hour, and the testimony that will help bring the kingdom to this earth.
It may seem that I am dwelling too long on this one subject, but to make it through the times before us, we will need to have a vision for enduring persecution. We need to set our minds and hearts right now toward the Lord and resolve that we will never compromise our convictions. To be prepared, we need to learn now to seize every opportunity to stand for the truth of the gospel, and count it an honor to suffer shame for His name’s sake.
If we have built our lives on a firm hope in Him, and not the things of this world, we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and a joy that can never be taken. These things are coming to reveal anything in us that is not built on His kingdom, His truth, and more solidly establish us on that which is. Do not waste these great opportunities.