(Matthew
10:22-23 NKJV) "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who
endures to the end will be saved. {23} "When they persecute you in this city,
flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through
the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
(2 Timothy 3:12 NKJV) Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus
will suffer persecution.
For details on persecution today CLICK HERE
Persecution of Christians is becoming increasingly common with 146,000 known martyrs to the Christian faith last year (1996). Churches are being burned, pastors imprisoned and beaten and missionaries shot to death. Most of this persecution is occurring in Islamic and Communist countries.
One of the apostles who
suffered persecution was the apostle John who was exiled on the isle of Patmos.
He gives us a great example to follow:
(Revelation 1:9-11 NKJV) I, John, both your brother and
companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on
the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of
Jesus Christ. {10} I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind
me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, {11} saying, "I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the First and the Last," and, "What you see, write in a book and send it to
the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to
Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."
God comes in with a crash! Here the aged exiled apostle is having a very nice
worship session in the Spirit on the Lord's day and suddenly it gets loud, noisy
and visionary! "A loud voice as of a trumpet" interrupts his island reverie.
Then there is work to do and a book to write. The aged exiled apostle is not
allowed to be pensioned off in peace! The original name given to the apostle
John and his brother James was "Boanerges" meaning 'Sons of Thunder'. (Mark
3:17 ) Perhaps he was comfortable with loud noise! That is almost beside the
point. What is the point is that no human being or government or even old age
can make us of no use to God. In human terms he was out of the race, isolated
on an island and aged. Some perhaps would have written the apostle off. But
the apostle did not give in and was finally used by God in a marvellous way.
How do we know that he did not give up...lets find out!
John expected the Christian
life to have its share of difficulties. "
I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and
patience of Jesus Christ, "
John saw the church as a fellowship of those who were brothers and companions
in the tough times as well as the wonderful times. Not only was there peace
and love and joy in Jesus but there was "tribulation" as well. Tribulation
well endured brought about the "kingdom" but we had to wait for its arrival
hence the "patience". The three (tribulation, kingdom, patience) go together
in Jesus Christ. John was a realist and saw the tough times as being just as
much "in Jesus" as the wonderful times.
John knew why he was there. He was there " for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." Even his exile had a purpose! He had dignity in his exile because he was not there as a thief or a murderer but as a Christian. In the sovereignty of God he was on Patmos for Jesus. He did not say "on Patmos because I have been unjustly treated by those barbaric pagan Romans..." there was no whingeing just glorying in God.
John kept on being a good Christian and a worshipper of Jesus. "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, ".
John just kept on doing what he had always done. Exile changed nothing. The aged Daniel did the same when the prefects and satraps devised a law that no-one could pray to anyone besides the King. He just kept on praying. He was around 80 when he was put in the lions den! John was a similar age on Patmos. Habit was stronger than fear. He just kept on doing what he had always done and let God take care of the rest.
How then can we tackle suffering as Christians? We can follow John's examples and a couple of other exhortations that Jesus gives us.
Firstly expect the
Christian life to be tough. This was also Paul's expectation:
"(2 Timothy 3:12 NKJV) Yes, and all who desire to live
godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."
Secondly know what you are about. John knew he was on Patmos "for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus". That puts iron in your bones. Clear, strong worthwhile purposes are of enormous value in withstanding suffering. Viktor Frankl the Jewish psychiatrist was interred in four Nazi concentration camps and observed of those that survived that they had a clear specific and often very concrete purpose that kept them living. A man who can find a purpose to hang on to in the midst of suffering can overcome anything. Keep on doing the right thing even though you are being punished for it. Jesus did and Daniel did and Paul did and John did.
Just keep on doing the
good you have always done even though they do not like it. Make righteousness
an unbreakable habit and you will survive suffering. A missionary in Central
America called Queno was falsely imprisoned recently. While in jail he quietly
humbly led three hundred people to Jesus. He didn't let injustice and pain and
prison stop him doing good for Jesus. If the Devil can stop you then he wins.
If you simply refuse to stop no matter what - then you win. Pray for those who
persecute you.
(Matthew 5:44-45 NKJV) "But I say to you, love your enemies,
bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those
who spitefully use you and persecute you, {45} "that you may be sons of your
Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and
sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
We are to control our tempers and our fleshly reactions and spend time in prayer
for those who would harm us. Move out from under the persecution especially
if it is life threatening. (Matthew 10:23 NKJV) "When
they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you,
you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
Jesus Himself often avoided his persecutors and there is no shame in this. People
full of religious bigotry are "blinded". If people are too angry to listen you
will do them no good by staying and just harm yourself and your family. Move
away until things calm down. We need to be astute. We need to be wary and cautious
in such times.
(Matthew 10:16-17 NKJV) "Behold, I send you out as sheep
in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
{17} "But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge
you in their synagogues.
If you are reading this on your PC then you are probably not dead or in jail! You are probably not in a re-education camp in China or being buried alive upside down in hot sand in Saudi Arabia. But you well may be facing trials and tribulations because of your faith. You may not get the promotion you want, you may be ridiculed, your family may oppose your convictions. Because of the stand this magazine takes on certain issues I fairly regularly get abusive e-mail and even death threats (about 4 death threats a year, its not an everyday thing).
This at first irrational hostility can be very perplexing and frustrating and it can hurt to be misunderstood and hated for something as good as the gospel. It helps to know why you are being hated. The Bible lists at least 20 reasons why people will persecute you:
So we can see that the persecution of Christians is absolutely inevitable. It is due to the very warp and woof of the moral Universe we live in (or rather the immoral universe - Paul calls it "this present evil age").
This means we will never stop persecution of Christians though we should certainly exert pressure to have it stopped. When we do have access to government we should use it on behalf of God's Kingdom. There is no need to be persecuted more than is absolutely necessary.
© Copyright Asian Internet Bible Institute 1997 This article may be freely reproduced by e-mail or photocopying for non-profit ministry purposes. Just e-mail us at johnedmiston@yahoo.com
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