So You Think You’re Facing Persecution, Do You?
Jesus tells us to expect persecution. This is something I attempted to prove in an article a couple of days ago when I showed that at both the beginning and the ending of his ministry he warned that there would be a cost to following him. Yet Jesus knows that not everything that may look like persecution is actually persecution. And so he tells us that, when we come to times of suffering, we need to evaluate it to see if we are truly being persecuted.
There are times when Christians are put in prison because they refuse to follow the unjust dictates of an unjust government; but there are also times when Christians are put in prison because they break good and necessary laws that the rightful authorities have put in place. Sometimes Christians are shunned by family members because they refuse to bow down to the family’s idols; but sometimes Christians are shunned because they fail to honor their parents, or because they treat family members badly, or because they act like sanctimonious, entitled brats.
In the opening sentences of his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says his people are blessed when they are persecuted “on my account.” And immediately before that he says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.” And so Jesus tells us that we need to evaluate our suffering to ensure it is actually persecution and not just the consequence of our own sinfulness.
Peter, a man who knew a thing or two about suffering, offers some helpful guidance here in 1 Peter 4:12. Like Jesus, he says that we should expect to face persecution. Here’s what he says: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”
It’s clear: persecution is the normal course of the Christian faith. It’s not strange and should not be unexpected.
I know many people who have suffered for their faith. Some have been disowned by their families because they have rejected the family’s religion; some have fallen out with friends because they couldn’t participate in activities they invited them to; some have had troubles at school or at work because they wouldn’t take pride in what others deem worthy of celebration; some have been imprisoned for their religious convictions. And I know the Lord is proud of these people. He told them before they came to him to count the cost. They did, and they have been willing to pay that cost. I pray that God will continue to bless them as they honor him, even at a personal cost. Peter says not to be surprised when this happens.
But then he goes on in verse 15 to say, “But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.”
He wants to be clear that not all suffering is persecution. He lays out a spectrum here that extends from very serious sins to ones we might consider minor—from murder to meddling. We can’t play the persecution card if we murder people or steal from them, and we also can’t play it if we are being meddlesome or treating people badly. In either case, we have brought suffering on ourselves for our sinful living, not for our blameless living.
Peter finishes up this way: “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.” And so Peter does what Jesus does—he distinguishes between suffering for unrighteousness’ sake and suffering for righteousness’ sake. If we are suffering what appears to be a kind of persecution, we need to honestly evaluate it to see which it is.
So what does it mean to suffer for righteousness’ sake? It’s simple really—it means to suffer for living and behaving in distinctly Christian ways. It’s interesting to me that when Jesus gave his first warning about persecution his public teaching ministry had included little more than a few sentences—the opening sentences of the Sermon on the Mount that we call The Beatitudes. This means that the persecution he is speaking about must be connected to them.
So, people who suffer for righteousness’ sake are poor in spirit—they are living with a humble awareness of their spiritual bankruptcy; they are mournful—they are repenting quickly and forgiving freely; they are meek—they are living before God and man with a gentle and quiet spirit; they are, righteous—they long to obey God’s every word and are laboring to see his justice extend throughout society; they are merciful—because they have received mercy they are gladly and deliberately extending it to others; they are pure—they are fully committed to honoring God and are submitting themselves to his purposes; and they are peacemakers—they aren’t fighters but reconcilers who long to bring reconciliation between God and man and between man and man.
This is how God is calling his people to live as faithful citizens of his kingdom. And it is these very virtues that lead to his final beatitude—that lead to persecution. It is after Jesus calls his people to live this way that he tells them they will face terrible consequences.
And so the calling on us is clear: as we face insults or slander or prison or death, we need to evaluate it. We need to ask: Am I suffering because I am exemplifying these virtues? Am I truly being persecuted for living as a citizen of the kingdom of heaven? Am I truly suffering for righteousness’ sake? Or am I suffering because I am behaving badly and out-of-step with God’s commandments?
I have one other thing I’d like to say about persecution but, once again, I’ll have to leave that for another day.
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A La Carte (July 21)
Good morning from beautiful Sydney, Australia where I’m beginning to film another episode of Worship Round the World.
Mind Your Platform
“I fear that we may have begun adopting these tools with little scrutiny. We marvel at the fact that things ‘can be done’ and skip over the question of ‘should they be done?’ How are we to think about our relationship to the platforms available to us? While our engagement with social media and platforms will vary greatly depending on our calling and our context, there are a few patterns I’ve noticed that I think we should be wary of.”
Actively waiting for Jesus
“The Bible describes the Christian life as waiting for Jesus to come back…” But this isn’t a sitting-around kind of waiting.
The Illusion of Anonymity
While social media has many benefits, it has often served as a breeding ground for divisiveness and hostility. Hidden behind our screens, we are often tempted to type things we would never say aloud. In Taming the Fingers, Jeff Johnson encourages us to use our social media Coram Deo— before the face of God. (Sponsored Link)
Is the History of the Bible Important?
“Unlike any other of the religions of the world, Christianity is uniquely and entirely dependent upon the historical veracity of its holy book, the Bible. … Sadly, secular critics have realized this fact more readily and more eagerly than many Christians, which has encouraged them for hundreds of years to seek ways to weaken the entirety of the Christian religion by casting doubt on the validity of its historical claims.”
How Many Israelites Exited Egypt?
Philip Ryken: “The Bible describes the exodus in careful detail. Nevertheless, it has often been challenged on historical grounds. One standard objection concerning information given in Exodus 12 is the size of the exodus. It deserves a response.”
The Roots of Legalism
Stephen Nichols writes about the roots of legalism. “One of Martin Luther’s many contributions concerns the Latin word incurvitas. This sounds like something a dentist might say to you as he pokes and prods in the molars. But it’s not.”
8 Reasons We Should Evangelize
Perhaps you could use a little refresher on why we should evangelize the lost.
Flashback: Have You Tasted Heaven?
I have seen the most hardened of men become the most gentle, the most cruel of women become kind, the most wayward of children follow their Father. This all has the savor of a place that must be entirely unlike this one.Whether our lot seems humble or exalted, let us work with all our heart, for the Lord knows and rewards all faithful labor. —Daniel Doriani
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Free Stuff Fridays (Christian Focus Publications)
This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Christian Focus Publications. They are offering copies of A New Exposition of the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 to five winners.
What People Have Said About the Book:
Joel R. Beeke: This is an important resource for Baptists to understand their historic doctrines that were rooted in the Reformation. While I would disagree with the appendix that argues for credobaptism, many of the chapters are superb in their biblical, theological, and experiential understanding and application of the great truths of Scripture.
Tom J. Nettles: This commentary on the 1689 contains all the riches needed in this peculiarly relevant undertaking. It is set in its rich historical context without destroying its ongoing contemporary relevance. The authors are committed to the confession’s theological position in the context of rigorous biblical exposition. Both the content of the confession and the outlay of its exposition contains all the strengths of doctrinal catholicity, orthodoxy, evangelicalism, and Baptist thought. Each author has a deep grasp of the rich heritage of historical theology and the issues involved in canonical biblical interpretation and brings these to bear on the specific article under discussion. This volume will add richness to the weekly study of a pastor and give an invaluable book for church groups for enriching their biblical knowledge and the contextual consistency and doctrinal coherence of the inspired Scriptures.Conrad Mbewe: I am grateful that there is a growing interest in doctrinal Christianity here in Africa and all over the world. Whereas there are many books dealing with one or two aspects of theology, it is good to have one book that gives those coming to Reformed Baptist convictions a comprehensive view of what we believe. The New exposition of the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689, written by proven men in ministry, is such a resource. Let us make it available to many. The fruit will be evident for all to see for generations to come!
Ian Hamilton: It may seem odd that a convinced Presbyterian should write a warm commendation to this volume expounding the 1689 Baptist Confession. However, I do so with pleasure and seriousness. Throughout church history, confessions of faith have served the church admirably, helping to guard the church’s biblical identity and gospel calling. You do not need to agree with every sentence in this 1689 Confession to benefit greatly from its exposition by men of theological orthodoxy and pastoral integrity. Martin Bucer’s maxim, ‘True theology is not theoretical but pastoral; the end of it is to live a godly life’, is richly expounded throughout this fine volume. Read and sink your mind and heart into the rich truths as expressed in this new work.
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A La Carte (April 9)
May the Lord be with you and bless you today.
Westminster Books is having a big Spring Clearance Sale—reducing their inventory of books that are great, but that they have too many of. Also, if you let them know of a current or future pastor, they’ll send them a free copy of a brand new book by John Currie.
There are a few new Kindle deals this morning.
(Yesterday on the blog: The Sins That Plague Our Souls)“We need a gospel awakening in Africa. Those of us who labor across Africa must not sacrifice biblical principles for short-term results. Over the past 50 years, this approach has resulted in African churches filled with nominal Christians who believe in a different gospel. We must do the long work of biblical preaching that convicts men of sin and calls men to repentance and faith. We must labor in prayer until Christ is formed in the hearts of men and women who are dead in their trespasses and sin. We must long, pray, and work for the conversion of men and then diligently disciple each one who believes in Jesus into maturity.”
This is a good question to wrestle through. “Don’t be more guarded in your language than the apostles. When you’re more careful than Scripture, it can justify others’ concerns about Calvinism killing evangelism. Peter and Paul may not have told unbelievers ‘Jesus died for you,’ but they did make similar appeals in their evangelism…”
Andrew pleads with wavering Christians not to abandon their faith. “As you consider deconstruction, deconversion or even the moral dereliction of the truth at is in Jesus, may I offer you four facts that might anchor the home of your heart and might help you to stand firm when drifting back or away feel like a foregone conclusion…”
Trevin Wax: “It doesn’t matter how kind or winsome our approach may be. There will be times when our polite refusal to go along will be seen as a threat to societal cohesion. When we refuse to name good evil and evil good, or be complicit in certain forms of injustice, or deny the nature of bodily givenness, or go along with a lie simply because it’s socially acceptable, or say the lesser of two evils is somehow good, or sacrifice key principles as we engage in public and political life, or deny the core teachings of Christianity when they’re unpopular, our quiet ‘no’ will be scandalous.”
Elyse Fitzpatrick imagines some of what we will experience in the new heavens and new earth. “If you believe that this present world is all there is, then you will war and plunder and seek to get rather than give. If, on the other hand, you believe that what you’re seeing now is merely a shadow of what is to come (1 Cor 13:12), then you can live freely, generously, and joyously in this present age.”
“Christians are a Last Days people and will continue to be, until Christ’s return. Let’s not get caught up in the Speculation Industry that promotes confusion, distorts biblical texts, and deceives people far and wide. The Lord Jesus will return in great glory and splendor. But his return isn’t prompted by or connected to a total solar eclipse.”
We all sin in different ways. Some sin loudly and some sin quietly. Some sin in their actions and some in their imaginations. But it’s all sin.
If I could write as I would about the goodness of God to me, the ink would boil in my pen!
—Frances Ridley Havergal
