Across the Centuries
“The early church was married to poverty, prisons and persecutions. Today the church is married to prosperity, personality and popularity.” (Leonard Ravenhill)
Obviously, Ravenhill spoke this rebuke mainly to the churches in America.
All over the world, Christians are being beaten, tortured, imprisoned and killed because of their love for their Savior. The true cost of following Christ is starkly clear.
In contrast, despite some mean words and dirty looks, the American church isn’t experiencing true suffering. So we often focus on minor things, like building a new church or growing our ministries.
Yet Jesus spoke about facing persecution at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:10-12 NIV)
Standing Strong
Only one type of Christian gets persecuted; those who don’t give in to the pressure applied by their enemies to quit following Jesus. If a believer caves in and renounces Christ, the persecution stops.
I believe that’s why Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted…” They are the believers who stand strong for Him, no matter what. Throughout history, the fires of persecution have done one thing well; they burn away the church’s dross and purify the gold. Some of the strongest believers on the planet have come out of that refining fire.
In the U.S. today, we may face mockery or ridicule, and it infuriates us. There’s been legal battles in the U.S. too. But compared to so many other suffering believers, we’ve just “skinned our knee.”
I believe the refining fires of persecution will come here too, sooner than we think.
And when persecution comes, Christ will walk with us through the flames.
This beautiful fantasy image came from Pixabay.com.
