Praise In Persecution
We often paint the Christian life as one of utter joy and prosperity when we witness to unbelievers. Christians spend their lives trying to live up to that sales pitch. They learn to ignore the pain in their lives or accept it as punishment for their sins. They wear plastic faces to church and then run home where they cry out to God for forgiveness. They think that it is their lack of faith that has caused them such trouble, sickness, or failure.
I am hard pressed to find a place where God has promised us that we would never suffer from the normal annoyances or problems of life. He promises us blessings as we are obedient and an abundant life, but never a perfect one. All you have to do is turn to Hebrews 11, the Hall of Faith, and see that some of God’s saints will suffer loss and even what we might call premature death.
Even if He had promised us a rose garden them there roses have thorns! They will draw blood if they prick us and even the most seasoned of gardeners get a prick or two now and then. That bowl of cherries we talk about has pits and stems. Do we burn rose bushes and run from cherry trees? No, we accept the possibility of a prick and the trouble of removing the stems and pits to enjoy the scent and beauty of the rose and the sweetness of the cherry.
Yet, when it comes to God and the Christian life, we want to affirm satan’s accusation of Job (Job 1:9-11). We expect a life hedged in and protected from all adversities and problems. After all, we are the King’s Kids. Why should we not have pampered and frivolous lives? Doesn’t He owe us that? Sadly, when God does not pay up, we curse Him or at least accuse Him and abuse Him. We want to be paid lovers.
In fact, we are not only not going to miss the normal annoyances of life, but we are promised that we will suffer persecution. Whoa, wait a minute!! Not the "p" word!!! I want nothing to do with that! That is for the Chinese and Russian Christians. This here is America and we started this country to escape religious persecution.
Yes, I know and then the Puritans persecuted the Baptists and the Congregationalists wanted to institute state taxes to support their churches. The persecuted escaped to become persecutors. Born agains persecute the lost forgetting from whence they came. Some Baptists spend most of their time persecuting each other instead of pursuing the true enemy. They forget that we defeat him by the blood of the Saviour and not the blood of the brethren.
That may be why the Church thrives so well in persecution. It is so busy running to God for its life it does not have time to practice some of the frivolous activities of peace time. It needs to become a lean, clean spiritual fighting machine instead of the chubby spoiled brat having a tantrum (Deut 32:15).
People you would not have greeted in the marketplace or shook their hand you now find yourself with your arm around as you lie in a pool of blood. A much better way to enter glory than to lie in that pool shaking your fist at each other as the enemy gloats.
Before the Church Triumphant can truly walk in what Christ has bought for Her, she must shake off her bonds of pleasure seeking and quit running and hiding when the bully approaches. She must submit to suffering. Before you and I can learn to walk in His victory, we must submit to suffering because it is the promise of Jesus.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (KJV)
We often quote this verse to balm us when we lose our job or when our bunions and lumbago are acting up, but I believe Jesus was promising that there would be more than just those human problems.
In the previous verse, He was telling His disciples that they would be scattered foretelling the Garden arrest and their running away. He then spends most of chapter 17 praying for these men that the world will hate because the world hated Him and the word of truth. It was not just them He prayed for, but also those who would believe in Christ through the disciples’, soon to be apostles, word of testimony. If you were saved by reading John or any of the New Testament writers this means you. He prayed for you here.
When we think of tribulation we think of our normal troubles or of The Great Tribulation, but the Greek word means pressured and carries with it the connotation of affliction or trouble caused by persecution. The pressure we feel when we have a flat during rush hour on our way to that important meeting is not even close. I suppose on a 1 to 10 scale, the flat falls in at 1 and the tribulation spoken of here is more like 11.
In fact, thinking of it like the Great Tribulation is probably better because God is definitely pressuring the world and putting some major affliction and trouble on folks during that time. The difference is that the world and the devil cannot put anywhere near the pressure on us that God can put on the world. He has overcome the world. Therefore, while we are promised pressure we are not left to our own resources. God will be with us through it and will use it to conform us to the image of His Son and build our trust in Him as we experience the victories.
However, we must be willing to accept this as part of our life and quit grumbling and complaining like the Israelites in the wilderness when tribulation comes. We must also be willing accept that he knows how much pressure we can take. My truck’s tires say that the maximum pressure is 32 pounds per square inch. Now, if I doubt that and put too much in them I risk explosion or at least improper traction and improper wear on parts of the tire. Conversely, if I am fearful and only put 25 pounds in them I get poor mileage and again put excessive wear on parts of the tire. It is only when I keep the tires at the prescribed pressure do I get the best performance out of them.
We too often react to the normal pressures of life so poorly that we cannot respond to any persecution in any proper form. We do not want a lot of pressure so we ask the Holy Spirit to only fill us to 25 pounds. Then we wonder why we feel somewhat mushy and seem to run out of gas so quickly. We do not respond as well as we ought to and our worship life seems rather wore out while our flesh seems to bulge out in the middle.
Some put more pressure on themselves then necessary. God fills them to the proper level and they think it is not enough so they grab the hose and fill themselves up to 50 pounds. They do not see that as they are filling up with pressures of their own making that the Holy Spirit is leaking out because He cannot work with the flesh. Now instead of 32 pounds of God they have fifty pounds of themselves and wonder why they cannot keep it steady in the middle of the road. They fight extreme pulls and eventually have a blow out. These folks take on more than they should or become obnoxious in the name of God and get their comeuppance. They think they are suffering for Jesus. We will speak more of them later.
Why do tires need internal pressure? That is the only way they can handle the external pressure or stresses placed on them by driving. Turning the wheel puts stresses on tires. The slant of the road and all the pot holes and debris put pressure on tires. If the internal pressure is correct the tire will counteract the external pressures and roll on. If not, it pops or wears out sooner than it should and is no longer profitable. Glory to God that he can repair us and retread us or all of us would be in the junkyard waiting to be burned!
Pressure is a part of life. Persecution is a promise of Jesus, but we must also submit to its suffering because it is the privilege of the saints.
Phil 1:29-30
29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for His sake;
30 Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me. (KJV)
Whoa!!!! Salvation is supposed to get my sins forgiven and keep me out of Hell. Is that not right? Yep, that is right. However, that was just the process that was needed to get you into the family. Now that you are a joint heir with Him you get all that goes with it (Rom 8:17).
When the Son came into the world what did He get? He got some who loved Him and some who hated Him. He got respect from some and disrespect from others. He got comfort from some and pain from others. In the end, He got some jail time and a cross.
Welcome to the family! Paul said that He was experiencing Christ by the conflict the Philippians saw and heard about him. Read II Corinthians 11 to get a picture of what his conflicts were. Paul gloried in his afflictions and sang in prison with Silas. In bonds, he told old Agrippa that he was happy in Christ. He writes from the Philipian jail a letter of joy. Paul was obviously not an American. He felt it a privilege to suffer for Christ. What do we consider it?
Whatever we may consider it now, we have to rethink. We must submit to persecution and suffering because it is proof of our discipleship.
2 Tim 3:12-13
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. (KJV)
Man, shall suffer persecution! Where’s the loopholes and mitigating circumstances? Where’s my lawyer? He is within you. The Holy Spirit is your lawyer. He was highly involved in writing those verses, and I can guarantee you there are no loopholes.
Funny, you were not looking for loopholes when you were saved. You were pretty cotton pickin’ glad that it was an iron clad contract and thrilled you had the Son as your character witness, the Blood as your alibi and the Holy Spirit as your defense attorney. You were even pretty comfortable with having God as the judge knowing He was now your Father. That old accuser and prosecuting attorney, Mr. Slewfoot, did not look quite as fearsome as he did before you accepted the plea bargain.
Why balk now? Ah, you wanted all the benefits of sonship and heirship without any of the responsibilities. You are so 21th Century. Honey, when you get His Name you get all that comes with it. God has no intention of His children just Sonning themselves on the beaches around the Glassy Sea with palm fans of His promises. He has more character than that. Your character should be more than that, but have no fear if you are lacking for He will work on it.
In addition, you forgot Mr. Slewfoot. He is a very sore loser. He is not going to just let you run rampant through the world destroying his kingdom by winning others to Christ. He does not want the testimony of your life influencing others that you do not even know. He cannot destroy your soul, but he will try to destroy your joy, your witness, and your fruitfulness. That is at least a consolation prize to him since he lost the grand prize of your soul.
If you are truly living as a disciple of the Lord Jesus and obeying His teachings you shall suffer persecution. The world will hate you. The devil will hate and fear you. Neither one will just sit on the sidelines and weep as you parade down the street on V-J Day (Victory in Jesus). They will come after you. If they do not, then how are you His disciple? The disciple is no greater than the teacher or master and they crucified Him.
If lost people, and carnal Christians are not bugged by us and we are not experiencing some sort of pressure or tribulation because of our faith and life we need to read the discipleship manual again. Wesley told his preacher boys that if people do not get saved or get mad when you preach then you are not called to preach. We must take great care to prevent people from saying, "Your sermons terrify me, but your life reassures me."
Persecution is proof of discipleship, but we must also submit to it because it is the product of Spirit fullness.
1 Pet 4:12-19
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 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.
14 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.
15 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.
16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. (KJV)
Peter ran into some folks that had the same misconceptions of the Jews and us. The Jews looked for the Messiah to kick out the Roman Empire and give the Jews all the goodies that go with the good life. Neither they nor we learned a thing from Job. The God life is not the good life as this world views it. Godliness with contentment brings great gain not goodies in our compartment. Do not get me started on the wealth and prosperity types.
The folks Peter was writing to had had some tough times. They were the strangers that were scattered. That is not a title I would covet. They had been saved and suddenly they were persecuted and scattered leaving goods and kindred go. They had to question whether or not they were really God’s children. They looked at wicked people who still had possessions and intact family units and wondered if it was profitable to be a Christian. They had the same question as the Psalmist whose feet nearly slipped when he saw the prosperity of the wicked and the persecution of the saints (Psalms 73).
Peter told them not to think it strange, but to rejoice. Did some of them think, "Yeah right, this from old Peter deny Christ three times at the well and eat with the Gentiles when the Jews are not around." Maybe, they were as human as we are. If they did, they still should have figured that maybe Peter had learned a few things from all that and paid attention.
Hmm, those who are partakers of His suffering will also share in His joy (vs. 13). Sounds like Paul does it not? You want to believe in Him to be saved then you must also suffer with Him. You want His unspeakable joy? You must also share in His sufferings.
He says that when you are reproached because of your obedience and discipleship the Spirit is resting upon you! I do not think that just means He is sitting on your shoulder. The word conveys taking one’s ease or being refreshed. I think the Holy Spirit is at ease or is communing with us. He feels at home with us and is even refreshed like a weary traveler. When we are being reproached for Christ, we are living the Christ in us life. The Holy Spirit is refreshed by our obedience and by seeing Christ live through us. He is comfortable in that kind of relationship because that is the way it is supposed to be. He is rejoicing in the fruit of His labor. We are becoming what He was sent here to create in us.
When we are not obedient or living that kind of life the Holy Spirit indwells us still, but I do not think He is resting. He cannot be at ease. He is hard at work trying to reprove, rebuke, and restore us. That is hard work. Communing with us, comforting us and showing us Christ is the joy of His work. That only happens when we respond to Him. Want to make His work easier? Respond to Him. Do not resist or quench Him! Trust me, when His work is easier our lives are a whole lot better!
Persecution is nothing to be ashamed of but rather we should glory in it. God is using it to purify His Church and win the world to Him. Yes, the world will react to us and persecute us. We will not have to seek it. We do not have to become morbid and seek to become martyrs. Live wholly for God and persecution will come. However, God also uses it as a tool for cleaning us up. His is cleaning up His own backyard before He comes to clean up junkyard Earth.
In chapter 2, Peter tells us if we suffer for our own faults, it is no glory for us. Remember the over inflated tire types? Nails or stones easily pop the ones who pump or puff themselves up in the flesh. They think they are flat because they are suffering for Jesus. Actually, they are dumb. They attack spiritual children and brag of their prowess and victory to their peers. They attack demonic giants with water balloons rather than with the sword of the Spirit taking pride in their wounds. Yes sir, they took a stand for God. They do greatly err and know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.
Is God a faithful creator? Then submit to suffering and persecution according to His will as the product of Spirit fullness and you are on your way to the path of peace.
The first verse tonight says that our peace is in Him. The last verse confirms that though we suffer persecution it is a path to peace.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (KJV)
Politicians, financiers, and salespeople of all kinds promise that if we just buy what they say we will have peace in our time, peace of mind, and all that is rightfully mine. In the words of a song from the 60’s, "Rap on Brother! Brother Rap on!"
The world promises big and produces small. Nothing the world produces lasts. What man makes breaks. Why would I expect the world to give me lasting peace or true peace? The best they can is do is Zirconium.
The world’s concept of peace is sitting in a lawn chair under a magnolia tree sippin’ a mint julep on a sunny day with a cool breeze. That is fair weather peace.
Jesus promises true peace that lasts in middle of the tornado when the chair, the tree, and me are sucked up into the vortex. When my world appears to be ripped away from me and my life is a shambles I can have the peace that passes all understanding. He gives a peace for all seasons and all days not just the sunny summer ones. Honey, you can have the Zirconium, I need a real diamond and tornado insurance that won’t drop me if I miss a payment because the premium is paid in full! Can someone say, Glory?!!
We are called to glory and eternal life, but we are also called to a life of identification with our Saviour. It is a complete package. Will we submit to suffering and persecution in an attitude of praise counting ourselves blessed to be considered worthy to suffer with Him? May He make it so!!
May 17, 1980 A Paid Lover?
Do I praise only when the sun is not under cover?
Do alleluias come only when the waves of blessing roll?
Oh God, am I just a well paid lover
Or do I love you from the depth of my soul?
The skies often grow black and life is so cold.
No beams of love I perceive.
Does then my Christian testimony remain bold
Or do I, alone, in bitter silence grieve?
The tender words of a well paid lover,
Is this what the Master truly desires?
No, not ones who around the paymaster hover,
But those whose hearts are raging fires!
Old Job, your love was certainly tried,
Your soul sifted, and doom your only cover.
From the Bible’s pages, God hast cried,
"You’re not well paid, but truly my lover!"
Yes, God poured out gifts from above
And gave you more than you had at the start.
These were not wages. They were tokens of love
To the one who always loved God from his heart.
In my testings and trials that often abound,
When there is no sense of peace from above,
O, then in such a state let my heart be found
That when Satan screams, "Paid, Paid!" I whisper, "Love."
Copyright 1980 Ron Shultz
