Fearlessly CourageousDesk of Dennis Piller5 24 2023
Click for Audio VersionPersecution for Christ's Sake… What does that mean today?
Persecution is only trouble that occurs for righteousness' sake. Matthew 5:10 Sometimes our own stress, sin, or bad choices bring difficulties into our lives 1 Peter 4:15 says: "If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs". To be persecuted, for righteousness' sake, means that we are opposed or suffer solely for following Christ.David Jeremiah in The Book of Signs talks about the stages of Christian persecution. He said Christians today are often stereotyped as ignorant, uneducated, inhibited, homophobic, and intolerant. There is no doubt that some professing Christians represent their faith poorly, but that stereotype does not reflect the reality of authentic Christianity. Our duty is to live out our convictions in a way that shows the slanderous depiction of these gross distortions of the truth.Stage II: Christians are being marginalized and displaced from the center of American life. Former MSNBC, Chris Matthews, tweeted, "If you’re a politician, and believe in God first, that’s all good. Just don’t run for government office, run for church office".Stage III: ThreateningBanning religious expression within academic, institutional, corporate, or public arenas is not enough for many secularists. They are determined to make Christians pay the price, even when privately performing actions that conflict with the progressive agenda. For example, A manager for an international insurance firm was fired for expressing his opposition to gay marriage in a post, he wrote online from his home computer. There are so many examples like this.Stage IV: IntimidatingThe ACLU sued Mercy Health Catholic Hospital because it did not offer abortion services to a client experiencing a difficult pregnancy. “The issue is not whether those who wish to avail themselves of certain services will be able to, but that those who object to them must be forced to participate.”Stage five: LitigatingA growing number of Christians are being taken to court for refusing to compromise on their Christian convictions. You remember the story of the Oregon bakery that declined to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. They were fined $135,000. Many Christians have paid heavily for standing by their convictions. And I promise you this will continue to increase. In America, we have been spared in many ways and so have been naive or just don't pay attention. But Jesus himself what plotted against, arrested, convicted in a rigged trial, and scourged and Crucified. And inMatthew 10 verses 16 22 says: “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless[a] as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you".Why does the gift of salvation encounter such persistent opposition? It’s because along with salvation comes submission to God. But since humanity's fall, people have resisted submission to any power outside of self. They demand the freedom to define right and wrong for themselves.Christian behavior angers non-Christians because it makes them feel judged. It resurrects the moral accountability that God planted in every human heart. Look at Romans 1:20. "For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God".The persecution of Christians from the early days is well documented. But I think the truth of it waxs cold to many of our hearts. Today we remember in Matthew 2: King Herod killed all the male babies born within a prophetic timeframe.All the apostles died violent deaths.Soon after Pentecost, many Christians were forced to leave their homes and faced imprisonment or death. Does this make them bitter, unhappy, or regretful? Hardly. Instead of bemoaning their faith, Luke tells us that they formed a flourishing, supportive community. look at Acts 4: 32-33 "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own". That seems pretty extreme because the cry today is: I worked hard for my money honestly…I can't give it all away to the community. How should we react today? Our first response might naturally be anger at this persecution. But our forefathers give us a more constructive response. They found positive benefits in suffering.
Phil 1:29 "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him",
Paul made suffering sound like a gift. Really? The natural response is to return the gift.But to reject suffering for Christ,.. to reject standing up for his principle of love and forgiveness…To miss the sacrifice he gave for us all is to miss out on enormous blessings now and to come.
How thankful should we truly be…for His Gift …of suffering for him?
The article is condensed from David Jeremiah's book: The Book of Signs
