Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Mat 5:11-12
Most of the true church in the world today is persecuted. Followers of Christ in the west who accept the Bible as the inerrant Word of God are increasingly labeled politically and viewed as an obstacle to progressive agenda which is contrary to God’s ways.
Christians in China, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, Egypt, Syria, North Korea, even Canada and many other places are killed, imprisoned, tortured, harassed, their churches razed or closed down. But true believers are sustained by the Lord – they refuse to give up their faith, even to the point of imprisonment or death. They remain steadfast, committed to the Lord with their eyes fixed upon Jesus and their minds set on things above and not on the things of this world.
Those who choose the one true God will know persecution. If you follow Jesus, you will be hated. Evil has always opposed the God of Israel.
But know this: if you are persecuted for the sake of Christ, if you are despised for following the path of righteousness as defined by the Lord in the scriptures, your reward in heaven is great. It is a great honor to suffer for the Name. Not that any of us who follow Christ pursue persecution. We desire only peace and freedom to worship and serve God. But when persecution comes as a result, we don’t turn our back on the Lord. Instead we stand on faith that He will deliver us. But even if He doesn’t, we will continue to stand. So it was with the biblical prophets, the apostles, and with many people throughout history – people of whom the world is not worthy. So also shall it be with true followers of Christ today, in our time.
This has not so much been the case for western Christianity. Have we ever been tested in the cauldron of persecution? Perhaps the day is soon coming that those of us in the west standing firm in Christ and in his ways, may have to give up some of the things of this world. Home, business, income, 401k, position, perhaps even freedom and maybe our very lives. Such has happened throughout history so we should not be surprised.
Perhaps before that day comes, lets recall what Paul said:
But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ…
Philippians 3:7-8
Paul understood loss in this world. He had high position as a Pharisee and a Roman citizen and yet gave it all up, enduring the hatred and persecution that came from a solid commitment to share the gospel all around the known world. A missionary once said: “He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose”. Paul understood that. An Apostle of Christ who will have his name inscribed on one of the Holy City foundation stones understood that, and by the spirit of God, it was documented in the scripture for us.
So if you feel alone, persecuted, despised, attacked for standing for your faith in Christ and his Word, its only going to get worse. But you are blessed. Jesus told us this would happen. Great is your reward in his kingdom. You understand just as Paul and all the apostles and prophets did. Remain faithful to the end for he is with you. You are not alone in your sufferings. Many of God’s people around the world are with you.
Never give up on faith in Christ. Never stop pursuing his kingdom and his righteousnes. Never.
