Is suffering for faith predicted and to be
anticipated from the beginning of our faith?
Jesus said,
"Blessed are you when people revile you
and persecute you and utter all kinds of
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward is great in heaven,
for in the same way they persecuted
the prophets who were before you.”
Matthew 5:11-12
Is suffering for faith predicted and to be anticipated from the beginning of our faith?
Yes.
Sorry.
It won’t happen to everyone – for sure. In fact, most of us are lucky Americans. We’ve lived in a time and a place where we haven’t had to worry about real persecution.
And that’s good.
And that’s bad.
I have a young friend who prays for persecution of the church in America. And he’s a strong Christian – not a belligerent atheist. Why would a good strong Christian pray for persecution? Because too much comfort tends to make the church lethargic (and God’s not fond of lukewarm Christians (see Rev 3:15-16). On the other hand, look at church history to find out where the church has always thrived. As the old saying goes: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”
There are more practicing Christians in Buddhist China right now than in America. Why? Because you can’t be a passive Christian, coming to church when it’s convenient. Agreeing to follow – passionately – could mean literal imprisonment … and sometimes even death. Therefore, when the Chinese encounter a Christian, they’re not encountering lukewarm church goers who say they believe and yet live like the world. When the Chinese encounter a Christian, it’s a TRUE Christian – passionate, devoted, willing to risk everything.
I’m not like my young friend. I don’t pray for persecution. I do however pray for revival.
Nevertheless, I still try to prepare my heart for persecution. It’s not always effective from my comfortable perch on my La-z-boy. But if my Savior sacrificed everything for me, how can I be authentic and be willing to do anything less for him.
In Christ’s Love,
a guy praying for authenticity
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