No new land is gained without blood and suffering.”
–Louis L’Amour (How the West Was Won)
“For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.”
–Philippians 1:29 (NIV)
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“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” –Matthew 5:10-12 (NASB)
We need to understand, as John Stott reminds us, “Persecution is simply the clash between two irreconcilable value systems.” Light versus darkness, the kingdom of God versus the world system, Christ versus Belial. Know this, the more conformed to His image the more persecution. Since you are living right, the evil of this world despises you. “Those who hunger for righteousness will suffer for the righteousness they crave.” (Stott) The reason being is that you affect those around you; you show light upon their dark world, and the Spirit within you condemns their actions. Arthur Pinks says, “Those who perform their Christian duty condemn those who live to please self, and therefore, evoke their hatred.”
Most of us in the United States will not face the persecution of torture and death as in some countries. The attack is severe in many countries and we need to be praying for our family in the Lord. History has also shown us the persecution of the past. William Barclay tells us of Nero’s persecution: “Nero wrapped the Christians in pitch and set them alight, and used them as living torches to light his gardens. He sewed them in the skins of wild animals and set his hunting dogs upon them to tear them to death. They were tortured on the rack; they were scraped with pincers; molten lead was poured hissing upon them; red hot brass plates were affixed to the tenderest parts of their bodies; eyes were torn out; parts of their bodies were cut off and roasted before their eyes; their hands and feet were burned while cold water was poured over them to lengthen the agony. These things are not pleasant to think about, but these are the things a man had to be prepared for, if he took his stand with Christ.” Mercy….the Lord had to give them the gift of martyrdom to accept such torture in His name.
That is why we are told to “count the cost,” when we accept Christ. We are so blessed in our wonderful country, but there is a time when the whole world will wage terror against those who claim the name of Christ. I read from Acts, “Strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.'” (14:22, NIV) The early church father, Tertullian tells the story. “A man asked, ‘What can I do? I must live!’ Tertullian’s answer, ‘Must you?'” In the midst of persecution we see, “The way to heaven is by way of thorns and blood.” (Thomas Watson)
No matter the type of persecution, no matter the era in which we live the question remains–Christ or Caesar! Or, in our safe lives, it might be Christ or career. Christ or wealth. Christ or …? As a soldier of the cross we should not get comfortable in worldly comforts. There is the choice; it may not be live or die, at least physically, but it is whom or what do you live for? Arthur Pinks says, “Let not the soldier of the cross be dismayed because the fiery darts of the wicked one are hurled against him.” And I will remind you we are to pick up our cross daily. It may be one of martyrdom. We say we believe, then “put a cross in your creed.” (Watson)
Persecution means “to vex or molest.” It can come in many forms, some which I have mentioned in torture and death. However, most of what we face in our country is that of verbal abuse. Yes, in some places, and for some people it comes in the form of harassment, troubles, and actual molestation of some sort. The murder and slicing of a person’s character is often the target. Perhaps we ought to be more proactive in our witness. I recall the words of Sitting Bull when he went into battle, “Today is a good day to die.” Spiritually we have already died to the old life, so expect to face new battles, new foes, new enemies. Today, you may die, so I would ask, are you ready?