When Persecution Comes
Word-Of-The-Day: ‘(12) In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, (13) while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.’ (2 Timothy 3:12-13); <Jesus says to the Smyrna Church,> “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.” (Revelation 2:10)
Through the Apostles Paul and John, Jesus plainly tells us we will be persecuted. This persecution may be a simple snide remark or a revoked invite to a social event, or it may be as Jesus discussed about the Church of Smyrna – imprisonment, torture, and death. American Christianity has typically suffered the former while elsewhere the latter occurs on a regular basis. For the Christians in China, North Korea, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia, the ‘Smyrna’ treatment is a reality whenever they are found out, as it is the price one pays to worship Jesus and share His Gospel message in those countries.
The United States is evolving into a place that is described as a ‘non-permissive environment’, the people are being watched and actions scrutinized by those who may see our actions as ‘subversive’. For example, the FBI has decided agents are needed in Catholic churches to ‘keep an eye’ on both its leaders and congregation members as possible agitators. This should be of no surprise to the Christian, as the Church has been subject to such scrutiny since its inception, with many ‘punished’ for their Faith in Jesus, from the stoning of the Stephen to the deaths of the Apostles and the use of Christians as torches in Rome. Of course, our Savior Himself, Jesus, was subject to such persecution; accused of being a heretic, arrested for being subversive, and being subject to physical beatings, torture, and finally death upon a cross, for not following the line the Pharisees drew up. Praise Jesus that He conquered Death to assume His throne as the King of Kings, and provide us the Truth and Eternal Salvation!
The question all Christians must ask of themselves is when persecution comes, will we be strong enough to endure? The answer is simply, not in our own power, but in the power provided by the Holy Spirit. The life of a Christian is one of endurance, and in James 1:12, those who remain steadfast in their Faith will be blessed by God. Our persecution will not be a ‘happy’ time, but a joyous one, one of contentment and satisfaction that we are steadfast in our resolve in serving our Lord (Romans 5:3-5). We must choose to walk in Faith and not in fear.
Whether it is someone who is deriding you for being a Christian while in a restaurant, or it is an agent of a corrupt government arresting you for being a ‘Christian subversive’, know that the Lord has not forsaken you. He is with you to provide for you the strength and stamina to persevere. Let us pray these days are ‘later’ than ‘sooner’, but for many Christians these days are already upon them. Pray for those who are persecuted in His name, as one day that prayer may be for me or you.
