Destined for persecution
By[display_podcast]I need to lay my cards on the table right at the outset. As far as I know I have never been persecuted for being a Christian. Certainly there have been occasions where ‘friends’ have made fun of me. Undoubtedly there have been times when my Christian faith has caused me to be excluded from some activity or opportunity. But persecuted? Not yet.
And that, frankly, is quite remarkable. The Christian heritage that we have enjoyed in Britain for centuries has kept the vast majority of us shielded from the truth which most of the rest of the world knows all too well. The persecution of Christians is a normal state of affairs.
I say all this because there is an increasingly realisation that the privileges that we have enjoyed for so long are beginning to come to an end. Even in this country there have been recent occasions where Christians have lost their jobs simply for living out their Christian convictions. There have even been those arrested and prosecuted for doing what you and I believe the Bible commands us to do.
We know this because the Christian newspapers – and occasionally even secular ones – have reported those stories. So remember this: here, now, persecution makes the news. That’s worth repeating: here, now, persecution makes the news. But in most of history, in most parts of the world, persecution is a normal, everyday occurrence that is no more newsworthy than a minor parking accident or a mild illness.
The Church and the World
It is remarkable that most of us are indignant when a little opposition comes our way. We mutter about our civil liberties and our human rights. We talk about living in a Christian country, and claim that we shouldn’t be treated like this. But brothers and sisters in Christ, persecution is normal! Persecution is to be expected! It is lack of persecution that should shock us, not the reverse.
But if persecution is normal, why have the majority of us never really suffered persecution at all? Of course, it is partly down to the grace of God. We should be extremely thankful to God that the world around us is as tolerant as it currently is. But for many of us, it is probably also down to our weakness and failure to live up to the standards that the Bible sets for us.
American pastor Kent Hughes has said this:
By far the greatest reason there is so little persecution is that the church has become like the world. If you want to get along, the formula is simple. Approve of the world’s morals and ethics—at least outwardly. Live like the world lives. Laugh at its humor. Immerse yourself in its entertainment. Smile benignly when God is mocked. Act as if all religions converge on the same road. Don’t mention hell. Draw no moral judgments. Take no stand on the moral/political issues. Above all, do not share your faith. Follow this formula and it will be smooth sailing. But the fact is, the church must be persecuted or it is no church at all.
For years we’ve been shielded from the truth because the world has persuaded us – or perhaps we have persuaded ourselves – that there is not that much difference between a Christian and a non-Christian. And, while most of our neighbours and friends were relatively moral, believed in God, came to church at Christmas and admired some of the truths in the Bible, we allowed that myth to persist.
Yet the simple truth is that regardless of behaviour, there is a great gulf that separates the church from the world. There are differences between men and women, between young and old, between black and white, and between rich and poor. But there is no greater difference than that between the Christian and the non-Christian.
Respectable Sins
Now, as our nation moves ever further from its Christian heritage and Victorian morality, we’re starting to see the chasm between the church and the world. For several generations we have been allowed the luxury of quietly tolerating ‘respectable sins’. But under God, it appears that our nation is beginning to remove that sinful luxury from us. It seems as though God is reminding us that we have tolerated too much for too long. It seems as though God is saying that it’s time we took a stand.
And if, for God’s sake, we take a stand, we must do all that lies within us to avoid hypocrisy. It is easy to decry the sin in others, it is far harder to deal with the sin in ourselves. We should remember that our persecuted brothers and sisters all around the world are persecuted not because they condemn others, but because they live out the gospel themselves.
Biblically, taking a stand for the Gospel does not simply mean marching, waving banners and shouting slogans. It does not just mean writing to the newspaper or to your MP. But it does mean living holy lives. As Peter puts it (1 Peter 2:12), “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
And just as importantly, it does mean preaching the gospel. Preaching the gospel will always expose sin. But it will never only expose sin. Preaching the gospel means not only bringing men down, but lifting Christ up.
It is this, perhaps, that will awaken us to the realities of persecution.
This is is the first part of an article which will be published in the January 2008 edition of the Evangelical Magazine.
Articles in this series:
- Destined for persecution <-- This article
- Destined for persecution (part 2)
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Darc Binegar
I know what to expect when someone begins with ‘I mean no offence…’
‘Now get this wigrd’ You really do know how to charm! No ‘Dearly beloveds’ here!
You thank Robert for clarifying things. This explains a lot! ‘Spot on’ I think you said. Well I suppose there is a first time for everything. Robert I’m sure is good person. He frequently defends people but clarification is not his strongest suit. Rather the opposite I find. This judgement may of course depend on the clarity of your own thinking.
You should check out Mark’s piece ‘Why Charismatics are not New-Testament Christians’ He may tell you what he means, he won’t tell me.
What you said was;
‘They wandered from the Truth right from the start …. they are Children of the Devil’
Seems pretty plain to me chum! It is what I took exception to. Although for 2000 years it has been said of Jews not Catholics. If you didn’t mean it you shouldn’t have said it. I’m surprised you even thought it! How could you?
I’m sure an apology would be in order. It would certainly be welcome.
Why do you hate so much?
Along with Richard Dawkins, Ayatollah Khomeini, Pat Robertson and the Pope,(a right bunch – hardly one to mend another!) why are you so sure you are right?
It just will not do to trot out the same threadbare evangelical arguments (I use the term loosely) on the basis that if you don’t believe them it is because you don’t understand, or have never heard them in the first place. There are other reasons.
What do you think the nature of belief is? What I mean here is, how do you think we come to believe?
Why do we believe what we do and not something else?
Where do Muslims fit in to all this? Hindus? Are they better or worse than Roman Catholics? Are they better than Welsh Jumpers?
I would love to hear you on Orthrodox Judaism. Anglo-Catholicism
and liberal Christianity. Indeed, is there such a thing? Is it an oxymoron? I really am interested in what you think.
Plenty here to get your teeth into. The high spot though would be to hear what you think of Non-Trinitarianism. I have in mind among others Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin.
Jefferson certainly knew his Bible, was sincere and serious about his faith yet rejected the Trinity and the whole evangelical enterprise. Have you any thoughts on this.
Oh no! Don’t tell me! He wasn’t ..Was he….?
wigrd,
I have peace that I have not in any way offended you but maybe your beliefs. I see what Robert means by your not being able to keep the focus on the conversation at hand. You are refuted by and with Truth and yet you feel it best somehow to only deflect onto any other subject and try to spin the comments left by other posters and you even go to the extent of slandering their persons with accusations and assertions. I have little respect for people that want nothing but to try and stir up fleshly arguements and dissention. Either you keep on subject with me wigrd or this will be my last post on this thread to you. If you want control of the conversation you will have it alone. The fact of the matter friend is that you are unable to understand things of Spiritual matter because you reject Truth. This is your reality and until you surrender to God’s Truth in Christ Jesus you’ll be in constant torment. My heart goes out to you. You choose.
Darc Binegar,
I notice you do not address one single question of the 10 I asked. I was genuinely interested to read your responses.
Instead, in your reply you make five rather unpleasant statements. Cheap shots really. And yes, I had gathered you are short on respect. At least that much was clear from the start! It was after all what prompted my second reply.
Initially YOU responded to ME! Now you say that unless YOU set the agenda you will take your ball home!
Incidentally could you explain ‘fleshly arguements’? (with or without an ‘e’)
Are there sorts of arguments which are more acceptable to you?
Who is it you think I have slandered?
Not Roman Catholics, I think that was you wasn’t it?
With precisely which ‘accusations and assertions’ do you think I have slandered them?
Did I call some people ‘children of the …’
No, I think that was also you wasn’t it?!
Are you perhaps thinking I insulted the Taliban? No no no; just my little joke.
wigrd
now everything’s simply a joke when you’re cornered? I forgive you but I will not respond to you any further past this. you’ve destroyed any semblance of a civil conversation regarding the topic of the lack of Christian Persecution and it being tied to the luke warm state of the Church while it slumbers in bed with the world. I fail to see that most of what you write has anything to do with this topic. Start your own thread and name it “whatever pops in your head” and run with it wigrd.
I believe it’s Mark’s desire to converse about how we as Christians are Destined for Persecution and not head down some rabbit trail of strawman arguements. I’ll give an example. In responding to Mark’s orginal article you make statements tying the Catholic religion to Christianity. Because this was an error that clouds the point Mark was making I point out the error to you and those that read the article. You then respond by bringing in everything religious that has nothing to do with the topic and load me down with 10 – 15 questions. You have derailed the conversation wigrd. please get this!
wigrd,
you can have the last comment… I will say nothing in return to you.
darc
Yes I think you are right Darc. There probably is little we can say to each other. That is such a pity as I’m sure we both seek truth.
I’m sorry you find my questions frivolous and irrelevant. I assure you they were sincerely asked. I certainly don’t have the answers to most of them.
Some things are very hard for thought and maybe the best questions are indeed quite unanswerable. Somehow however they are more interesting than any answers we might give.