ALL WHO WILL LIVE GODLY IN CHRIST JESUS SHALL SUFFER PERSECUTIONS. 2nd Timothy, Chapter 3, Verse 12.
Persecution is the common lot of all who live godly in Christ Jesus. There are many different forms and degrees of persecution. According to the Apostle Paul, ALL godly people will suffer from some form and degree of persecution. If we live a life of true godliness, we cannot expect to be immune from the afflictions of our persecutors.
As Christians we must endure persecution for the Lord’s sake. Jesus was a target of persecution. As Christians we cannot alienate ourselves from Christ, who is the Head of the Church as well as our example. If we are to be Christ-like we can expect persecution. If we follow in the footsteps of Christ, we can expect to be treated as He was by the rest of the World. ALL who are Christ-like will suffer persecution in one form or another. True Disciples of Christ can be expected to receive the same treatment Christ received as He went about doing good and preaching the GOOD NEWS of the Gospel.
The word “persecution” come from the Greek word which means to “pursue a person because of their goodness or godliness.” As we walk the path of Holiness we can be assured we will be persecuted as Christ was. Persecution should be worn as a badge of honor. If we suffer persecution for the cause of Christ, we are proven to be Christ-like.
If we are going to be Christ-like, we are going to be persecuted just as Christ was persecuted. Some Christians may not suffer persecution as severely as others, but nevertheless, suffering persecution comes as a MARK OF THE HIGH CALLING we receive in Christ Jesus.
LIVING GODLY
If we are not experiencing or have never experienced any form or level of persecution in our life, we are probably not LIVING GODLY. To LIVE GODLY in Christ is to die to self and live a life which is pleasing to Him. If we LIVE GODLY in Christ, we will seek the will, plan and purpose of God for our life rather than our own plan for our life. Our thoughts, desires and emotions will reflect the Life of Christ rather than our own. When we love Christ wholeheartedly, He becomes our ALPHA (beginning) in the morning when we get out of bed. Christ is our OMEGA (ending) in the evening when we put our bodies to bed at night. He is our rest as we close our eyes in sleep each night.
Those who LIVE GODLY in Christ are led by the Spirit of God and not earthly desires, attitudes or motives. His children hear His voice. They know His voice. They obey His voice. All who LIVE GODLY in Christ set their hearts on things which are above rather than the deceptive promises of worldly gain and fame. They are pure in heart and filled with the Righteousness of God as they sojourned through the WILDERNESS of this present World. They are in right standing with God as they stand with Christ against the evils of this present age.
BLESSED ARE THEY WHICH ARE PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS’ SAKE: FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. Matthew, Chapter 5, Verse 10.
The first record of persecution in the Bible is found in the Book of Genesis in the story of Cain and Abel. Abel was persecuted and slain by Cain his wicked brother because of his GODLY lifestyle. Evil always pursues the GODLY to eliminate the threat of judgment and condemnation that righteousness imposes upon it. Righteousness exposes the deeds of evil men and the demonic forces which perpetuate and fuel their sins and iniquities.
Hatred is a form of persecution. The Scribes and Pharisees hated and persecuted Jesus long before they had Him nailed to the Cross because He exposed their evil hearts and evil deeds. Hatred is the root of all persecution. Jesus told His Disciples they would be hated JUST because they were His Disciples.
BLESSED ARE YOU, WHEN MEN SHALL REVILE YOU, AND PERSECUTE YOU, AND SHALL SAY ALL MANNER OF EVIL AGAINST YOU FALSELY, FOR MY NAMES SAKE. REJOICE AND BE EXCEEDING GLAD: FOR GREAT IS YOUR REWARD IN HEAVEN: FOR SO PERSECUTED THEY THE PROPHETS WHICH WERE BEFORE YOU. Matthew, Chapter 5, Verses 11-12.
All who LIVE GODLY will suffer verbal persecution. Haters of the TRUTH will always verbally abuse those who are followers and carriers of the TRUTH. Enduring verbal persecution without being offended is the mark of a true disciple. When one dies to self, they will not care what someone says about them or to them. Christians who are secure in Christ will not be phased by evil words, lies and accusations. We must all remember that it is not ourselves that offend people, but the righteousness of Christ which dwells within us.
The hatred, anger and wrath of Satan is provoked by the Righteousness of God. Righteousness is an offense to evil. Satan is the epitome of evil. The evil within Satan provokes him to eliminate the threat righteousness imposes upon him and his Kingdom. He uses evil men to eliminate the threat of righteousness whenever and wherever he can. Righteousness is an offense to sinfulness.
Jesus said we are BLESSED when we are reviled and persecuted for His Name sake. He tells us to rejoice because we are considered worthy to be persecuted and reviled as He was. If we are being persecuted, it is because we possess the righteousness of Christ in these earthen vessels.
The greatest and most severe form of persecution is when men hate the Truth so much they kill the righteous. Many of the Prophets of old were slain because they spoke the truth and exposed the wickedness of the evil hearts and deeds of men. They were men who refused to compromise, even when they were threatened with the possibility of losing their life. Their right standing with God meant more to them than life itself. They loved God more than anything this World could offer them.
All twelve Disciples of Christ were persecuted and martyred, except for John, because they were followers of Christ and purveyors of Truth. Their love for Christ and the preaching of the Gospel compelled them to take the message of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ to the World without fear of persecution or death. They walked in faith, not in fear, as many Christians do today.
THE GREAT PERSECUTION
AND IT WAS GIVEN UNTO HIM (Satan) TO MAKE WAR WITH THE SAINTS, AND TO OVERCOME THEM: AND POWER WAS GIVEN HIM OVER ALL KINDREDS, AND TONGUES, AND NATIONS. AND ALL WHO DWELL UPON THE EARTH SHALL WORSHIP HIM, WHOSE NAMES ARE NOT WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE OF THE LAMB SLAIN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. Revelation, Chapter 13, Verses 7-8. AND I SAW THRONES, AND THEY SAT UPON THEM, AND JUDGEMENT WAS GIVEN UNTO THEM: AND I SAW THE SOULS OF THEM WHO WERE BEHEADED FOR THE WITNESS OF JESUS, AND FOR THE WORD OF GOD, AND WHICH HAD NOT WORSHIPPED THE BEAST, NEITHER HIS IMAGE, NEITHER HAD RECEIVED HIS MARK UPON THEIR FOREHEADS, OR IN THEIR HANDS; AND THEY LIVED AND REIGNED WITH CHRIST A THOUSAND YEARS. Revelation, Chapter 20, Verse 4.
The greatest time of persecution for the Church lies ahead of us during the Great Tribulation. Those who truly love Christ and are washed in the Blood of the Lamb will not fear for their lives even when threatened with death. They are willing to die for Christ because the Love of Christ dwells within their heart abundantly.
Many in the Church have not been persecuted to the same extent or in the same ways as others have been because of the times in which they lived or where they lived in the World. However, in these last days all who live GODLY in Christ will suffer GREAT PERSECUTION.
Persecution will be worn as a Badge of Honor for all who are deeply involved in the Great Harvest of souls during the end of days. Each Believer should be concerned about the souls of those whose lives are hanging in the balance. Many lost souls languish in the Valley of Decision and need to be encouraged to choose life in these last days. Who will lead them to the Cross of Christ where they can find life everlasting during the trials and tribulations which will encompass the whole World? Who will reach out to those who need a helping hand when all hell breaks loose in the lives of multitudes? Who will voice the call to repentance in the Wilderness of Sin? Will you?
BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE; FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. We have no right to the Kingdom of God if our righteousness is not found in Him. We have no right to the Kingdom of God if we have not lived godly enough to be persecuted for His names sake.
Jesus warned the disciples that they would be brought before Kings and Rulers, and thrown out of Synagogues because of the message of Christ. They would be scourged, humiliated and forsaken by their own people. Those who live GODLY in Christ shall not escape the persecution which comes from following in the footsteps of Christ.
The persecution of the end-time Church will be greater than it has been at any time in History. As the Church prepares herself for the coming of the Lord, she can expect greater persecution as the time of Christ’s arrival nears.
Over twenty years ago the Lord told me there was coming a time when Christians could no longer preach the Gospel in public places without being arrested and thrown in jail. Since then I have witnessed many instances where the rights of Christian’s freedom of religion being hindered and in many cases eliminated.
Governmental authorities have been slowly and precariously passing laws to stifle and inhibit the preaching of the Gospel for years. We are witnessing daily attempts to stop Christ from being preached all over this Nation, and in Nations around the World. The spirit of anti-Christ has entered into our own White House. A Spirit of Deception has taken control of the very fabric of this nation to usher in the Great Persecution during the Great Tribulation. Satan has plans to prohibit the Saints of God from preaching the Gospel by getting our leaders to pass specific laws and regulations. This World is being set up to receive the anti-Christ Spirit which will come in the form of a false religion. This false religion already has control of many leaders in this Nation.
However, this is not a time to FEAR what is happening to our Nation and the Nations of this World. ALL prophecy spoken of in the Bible will come to pass without hesitancy. The times which are ahead of us will be times of great sorrow for many, but for the Church they are times of great awaking and joy. We must be glad and rejoice that we have been chosen to live in a time such as this. There is no greater sacrifice than to lay one’s life down for a friend. “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear.” Jesus is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. To lay our life down for Him is the sacrifice each Christian must make to be followers and Disciples of Christ.
As Christians we walk on COMMON GROUND with Christ. If He was persecuted for righteousness sake, our lot is to do the same. If we are walking with Christ daily we will not be spared the persecution of Christ. In Christ we live and move and have our being.
There is coming a day when people will think they are doing God a favor by persecuting true Christians. I use the term TRUE Christians because there are so many people who claim to be Christ-like but are of the Synagogue of Satan. Many who call themselves Christians will fall prey to the same Spirit of Deception which has crept into the lives of the rest of the World. Many will receive the mark of the Beast because they will be deceived into believing the anti-Christ and his ungodly agenda is the only hope for self-preservation.
The TRUE Church will not follow the lies and hypocrisy of the false Christ. There are many false prophets who will point to the anti-Christ proclaiming he is the Messiah. Many Christians will be persecuted, imprisoned and killed because they choose to follow the TRUE Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Righteous.