1 Peter 4:12-16 — Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.”
No original thoughts, today. Just something that was reinforced for me today as we thought about the pressure the young church of Ephesus faced, and the persecution of Christians by some of the Roman Emperors.
We are starting to see signs of American Christians coming under pressure. Bakers forced out of business, clerks of court losing their jobs … all because their Christian faith would not allow them to support same sex “marriage”. Prayers and Bibles driven out of schools, Christian monuments banned from official buildings, threats to churches charitable status … the list of pressure points is growing daily. So how should Christians in America react?
Let’s start with a little context.
In the Middle East ISIS is beheading Christians — and their fellow Islamic militants are massacring Christians in Kenya and Nigeria and Pakistan.
In India, Hindus are murdering Christians.
In China, the government is destroying churches and tearing down crosses.
When set against the global context, American (and European) pressure on Christians doesn’t seem so terrible does it? But make no mistake … it’s going to get worse.
So how should we feel?
It might seem odd of me, but I can’t help thinking that persecution is a good sign for Western Christians. I have two reasons for my cheerfulness.
The first reason that I am encouraged is my belief that the persecution is a sign that the devil is getting desperate. We don’t know the calendar for the end but I think satan might. For more than one hundred years Western Christianity was not persecuted. And the plan of neglect worked wonderfully well — Christianity was steadily declining. So why change a plan that was working so well? The plan was working well … but too slowly. There isn’t enough time for a natural death!
The second reason that I am encouraged by the rising tide of persecution is that I don’t think there’s a reaction without an actio … The enemy is pushing back because the activities of Christians are moving the kingdom forward! For a long time Christianity was an ineffective inactive religion. But in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s a revival, “The Jesus movement”, began on the West Coast of America and spread through the rest of North America and into Europe. Although that was forty years ago the reverberations continue, and hell is pushing back.
So, if you are distressed at the persecution rising, don’t be. If any of you suffers as a Christian, don’t be ashamed; but glorify God on this behalf!