February 20
Should We Suffer for the Gospel?
by Tim Chaffey, AiG–U.S.
Today’s big question: should we
suffer for the gospel?
God told a man named Ananias that
Saul, the church’s greatest persecutor at that time, had converted to
Christianity and was on his way to stay with him. Then the Lord said to Ananias
that Saul (soon to be called Paul) would suffer “for My name’s sake.”
Paul deserved to suffer because he had greatly persecuted
the church, right? Yes and no. He did deserve to suffer, as do we all, but he
had also been forgiven of his sins. Christ bore his punishment, so Paul’s
impending suffering was not a result of the sins of his past. Instead, Paul
faced persecution because he would proclaim God’s message in a dark world.
Many Christians in the Western world today have little to no
concept of what it means to be persecuted. The worst trial most of us have
faced is being mocked in the media, although we have definitely witnessed an
increase in the mistreatment of Christians. For many, what started out as
mockery has turned into bigotry against Christianity. Revisionist historians
and Marxist professors have painted Christians as the enemy, so many young
people carry a bitter animosity against believers. It may not be long before
this vitriol turns into violence.
However, many believers around the world regularly face
persecution, even to the point of death. This has been the case from the start
of church history as recorded in Acts. Stephen was stoned to death, James was
killed with the sword, and other apostles were arrested and beaten. Paul was
stoned, flogged, and beaten, and tradition tells us he was eventually beheaded.
Christians have suffered because we live in a world that
loves darkness rather than light. When we shine the light of the gospel into
this darkness, people are either attracted by it or repelled by it. They are
repelled because they love their sin too much and would rather continue in
their rebellion, so they lash out against godly people whose very existence
calls attention to their rebellion and impending judgment.
It has often been said regarding the persecution of
Christians that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Persecution
purifies the church by filtering out those who are not truly committed to the
Lord. When that occurs, true believers are powerfully used by God to shine the
light of truth.
Paul could not have been clearer when wrote, “All who desire
to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2
Timothy 3:12). When that promised persecution
occurs, we must face it like the apostles who rejoiced because “they were
counted worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts
5:41).
Today’s big idea: rejoice if you are persecuted for the sake
of the gospel.What to pray: thank God for the opportunity to serve Him,
and ask for the strength to endure persecution.
Source: http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2011/09/06/suffer-for-the-gospel
