1 July 2018
There is a
truism in that Christians who are passionate about the Gospel will be
persecuted. The Bible tells us that the dark cannot abide the light, yet the
Church in the West, particularly, has its luminescence dimmed which indicates why
there is a reluctance in spreading the good news of Jesus.
One of the
reasons that Jesus riled the religious authorities was because of His passion
for people to be released from religiosity and into a real relationship with
their Heavenly Father. If He had sat back and waited for people to come to Him,
His impact would have been minimal. Indeed, He stated that His mission was an
active one: ‘For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.’ (Luke 19: 10)
The opposite to love is not anger but is apathy – the lack of any emotion –
which is what we are seeing as the result of our inactivity and lack of concern
as people continue their path of a lost eternity.
In contrast, where
people are roused by the determination that all shall hear, there is opposition
because people’s consciences are affected, and the kingdom of darkness is
threatened. Where people’s lives were comfortable and untroubled, they are now
confronted by the impact on their lifestyles and mindsets that bowing their
knees to King Jesus would mean.
If we are
standing out for the kingdom of God, there is the inevitability that people
will react harshly, aggressively, and even violently against us. The New
Testament tells us: ‘do not be surprised at the painful trial you are
suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.’ (1 Peter 4:12)
Increasingly,
the evidence demonstrates that world religions of belief and unbelief are
acting against the claims of the Gospel. An example of the former is that, in
2017, the Hindu-led government in Nepal issued a decree that ‘No one should
involve or encourage in conversion of religion.’ We can see other examples of
hostile nations, whose religiosity (such as militant Islam or worship of an
ideology) is challenged by the truth of the Gospel.
Christians in the
Western world rarely know what true persecution is – they read about in the
media and see the quotations in the Bible and try to wrap its definition to
meet their situations. It is not being bullied or sniggered at, and, most of
all, it is not a reaction to a conservative social agenda. We can get so caught
up with issues rather than centring on the Gospel, which is dynamite in an intolerant
world that claims to be tolerant. We can concentrate on rules, regulations and
laws rather than yearn for revival – a change in people’s hearts is far more
effective than any change in legislation. In the book of Acts, the early Church
prayed for boldness to preach the Gospel, not to change the laws of the Roman
Empire (Acts 4: 23 – 31). As someone who believes in the inerrant Word of God
and that it has implications in aspects of our lives (so I believe in the
sanctity of marriage and the worth of human life at all stages), I would not
classify any negation of what I hold true to be persecution as society can cope
with or deride the social implications of the Bible, but the strong claims of
Jesus as the only Saviour is beyond their boundaries of acceptance.
In the lap of
luxury, the reality is that western Christians have become chameleons –
indistinguishable from the society around them, even letting the ‘little sins’
(like gossip and gluttony) pervade our churches.
It is the
Church that lacks persecution that has the indulgence of diverging from the
truth, such as promoting the prosperity ‘gospel’ or having an incorrect and
unbiblical view on sexuality. Where persecution exists, the Church’s principle
concern is to share the good news that Jesus came and died so that we can be
with Him for ever.
It is true that
‘if one member suffers, all suffer together’ (1 Corinthians 12: 26), yet we
tend to compartmentalise their experience into our Sunday morning prayers
rather than seek to share in their ferventness in service for Jesus. We
theorise about how we would react in times of persecution instead of seeking to
stand out in the work of the Gospel.
There is the
danger of sitting idly by as the fires of persecution are being stoked around
us. There is the story that priests in the Russian Orthodox Church were
discussing the niceties of whether, if a fly fell into a communion cup, the fly
would be sanctified, or the cup would be contaminated. During this discussion,
there was the Communist revolution taking place in Russia that would seek to
abolish religion (unsuccessfully) in the coming years.
James knew of
the importance of facing persecution as a tool of sanctification. He wrote:
‘Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance
must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking
anything.’ (James 1: 2 – 3) It is only after this entry into the crucible that
he goes on to deal with teaching in the Church for doctrine must be refined in
the harshest heat. There is an expectation that we will share with the Master
in His sufferings (Philippians 3: 10, see also 2 Corinthians 1: 5; 4: 10 – 11;
13: 4), we will know the blessings of His resurrection.
In the Sermon
on the Mount, Jesus states that those who are persecuted will be blessed or
made happy because they suffer for Him (Matthew 5: 11 – 12). It is not some
kind of masochistic joy, but getting the reality that this world is not all
there is and more will be happening in the grand scheme of eternity. Incidentally,
we often treat the passage about salt and light as another section (due, in
part, to Bible publishers unhelpfully putting a title between the words), but
the words about persecution lead directly onto those about salt and light. It
is important as we show Christian distinctiveness in the Gospel that Satan and
the demonic powers will do all in their capabilities to try and stop us, even
in the limited earthly realm as they have none in the heavenly.
The writer to
the Hebrews reminds us, in the hall of fame, that there were men and women of
faith who ‘were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a
better resurrection.’ (11: 35) Later in the chapter, the author tells us what
that ‘better resurrection’ was: ‘God had planned something better for us so
that only together with us would they be made perfect.’ (verse 40) That is,
persecution is momentary, even to the point of losing one’s life, but being
with God will be forever.
It must be
drummed into the newest Christian in the faith that living in the lap of luxury
is abnormal in God’s perspective. If we want to be effective, we must be
prepared to give up for Him. When Saul/Paul was converted, he was set aside to
work for the Lord Jesus, but he was also told of the consequences: ‘I will show
him how much he must suffer for my name.’ (Acts 9: 16) We cannot expect to be
highly effective for the kingdom of God without losing more of ourselves,
including experiencing deep loathing and hatred.
Tony Reinke (in
his blog ‘Does Christianity Make Life Harder?’ on the Desiring God site)
develops the idea by stating: ‘So yes, our union sanctifies our inevitable
suffering in the world. And yes, our union with Christ also brings with it a
greater sting in our suffering, as we live contrary to the world and as we see
the ravages of sin in this world and among those we love.’
It means
stepping out of our cosy Christian subculture and into the fires of those who
will hate what Jesus stands for. There are many of the teachings of Jordan
Peterson, the high priest and prophet of the ‘nones,’ that I would take issue
with; however, I strongly agree with his assertion that Christians do not apply
the teachings of Jesus. Whatever he may mean by that assertion (and I suspect
that he would not be comfortable in the least should they do so), we are meant
to turn the world upside down with the Messiah’s radical good news that He is
the way, the truth and the life and there is no other way to come to the
Father.
There is a
closeness to God through suffering for Him that cannot be obtained in any other
way. ‘But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you
may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the
name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on
you.’ (1 Peter 4: 13 – 14)
Tim Keller has
commented: ‘Christianity teaches that, contra fatalism, suffering is
overwhelming; contra Buddhism, suffering is real; contra karma, suffering is
often unfair; but contra secularism, suffering is meaningful. There is a
purpose to it, and if faced rightly, it can drive us like a nail deep into the
love of God and into more stability and spiritual power than you can imagine.’
(Walking with God through Pain and
Suffering, p. 30)
It is not in
the easy life that maturity comes about, but in those times where it is
difficult to nail your flag to the mast. Dietrich Bonhoeffer (a man who know
what it was to die for his Saviour) explained that many of us experience ‘cheap
grace,’ where our Christianity costs us nothing.
In a paraphrase
of the great writer, A W Tozer, ‘One thing you know about a man walking out of
town with a cross on his back: he wasn’t coming back.’ There was that
commitment to Jesus Christ that we die to ourselves so that He would be
glorified. Indeed, it is only in dying to ourselves that we find life in all
its fullness. It is that injunction that we find coming from the lips of Jesus:
‘Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.’
(Luke 14: 27) It is an active thing that we have and not a call to passivity.
I remember
going on holiday and attending a small chapel in the evening. There was a
session before the service started properly, filled with hymns that I had never
come across before. One man stood up and announced that if we carried on
singing in the way that we were, people would stop in the street outside and
walk into the building. In that moment, I had a feeling that the emphasis was
all wrong: we should be like the Master in seeking them, not them seeking us.
Church is not
supposed to be a cosy social club, but the body of Christ that we should be
prepared to lay down our lives for. Paul reminds us: ‘Now I rejoice in what I
suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to
Christ’s affliction, for the sake of his body, which is the church.’
(Colossians 1: 24) It is something that we need to remind ourselves when we
disagree about trivial matters with our brothers and sisters in Christ. For
when we suffer for the body of believers, we suffer for the One who is head
over all.
You only have
to look at the life of Jesus on earth to know what is expected of us. It was
not in the early years of Christ’s ministry (when people clamoured to Him in
admiration) that the fruit was borne, but in the later times of opposition
which culminated in His death and subsequent resurrection.
The difficulty
in many Christian circles is that they are often falling into the trap of
fighting battles on the periphery (many, I am sure, are worthy of attention)
and, if the State or other organisations are countering their tenets with
legislation or other means, then it is termed ‘persecution.’
Not only is the
term being missed applied, it also cheapens what is really happening. I am sure
that wearing a cross at work or expressing that same-sex relationships are
wrong (for example) are good causes, but is not what the Bible describes as
persecution, for the issues are far greater than the working out of a Christian
belief. Persecution is not merely about what we believe but Who we know.
The regimes and
organisations that persecute Christians (for it is rarely individuals acting on
their own) do so because they have no argument that counters the persuasiveness
of the Good News. The act of aggression (whether physical, mental, emotionally
or otherwise) comes about as they must face the fact that Christianity is a
torrent force of love and truth – things that they cannot handle. If Christ and
His followers are proclaiming this eternal reality then their hearts, minds and
lifestyles will have to change radically, which is an anathema to them as their
self-fulfilment is the object of their existence.
It will a
matter of development as we walk on the narrow way in following Jesus. C S
Lewis stated that hardship often prepares an ordinary person for an
extraordinary destiny.
The impression
that Christians living out for Jesus has is that ‘your faith in God has become
known everywhere.’ (1 Thessalonians 1: 8) Instead of being seasoning that is
considered irrelevant or lights being hidden under bowls (Matthew 5: 13 – 16),
the people of God should be turning the world upside down.
There is
cowardice in trusting in God in manty Western churches, lapping up the luxuries
of a consumer society rather than depending on the durability of the eternal
God. We state that we own our eternity to Jesus, but forget His promises about
being with us. The Lord has promised: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I
have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I
will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep
over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames
will not set you ablaze.’ (Isaiah 43: 1 – 2)
Our sure
foundation is the One who walks with His people. The surety of the situation
was expressed by Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, when they faced what seemed
like certain death for standing up for the Lord God: ‘,,,we do not need to
defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing
furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us
from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king,
that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.’
(Daniel 3: 16a – 18) These words are so opportune as people who oppose God
today have sought to promote their gods of personality cult and materialistic
lifestyles.
We can forget
that this world is a transitory thing as the Bible urges us to live as aliens
and strangers whilst we are here (1 Peter 2: 11). Paul also wrote: ‘But our citizenship is in
heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.’
(Philippians 3: 20)
If the cry of
the loving God on the cross is too close to affect them, their only means of
combatting it is to lash out against His disciples. We are not only to be the
recipients of Christ’s grace but are to be proclaimers of it also – whatever the
cost of it to ourselves – because we are to have the greater perspective that
to share in Christ’s sufferings now will be worth the living with Him
eternally.
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