What will we do with persecution?
Last week we saw the Reality of Persecution and the Reason for Persecution. This week we want to continue with points numbered 3, 4 and 5: 3) The Blessing of Persecution, 4) The Fellowship of Persecution and 5) The Reward of Persecution.
THE BLESSING OF PERSECUTION
Jesus says twice that those who are persecuted are “blessed.” Then he gives the command, “rejoice and be glad.” These are words that mean to be happy, to take joy, to celebrate. Rejoice means to be exceedingly glad, to be cheerful. Its actually the word used to begin letters to people when giving them a joyful salutation. Its almost like Jesus is saying joyfully welcome and say hello to persecution. “Be glad” means the same thing. “Blessed” is a word that simply means happy. Happy and glad is the one who is persecuted is what Jesus is saying.
The teaching to be happy through persecution and the example of being happy through persecution is all throughout the NT. Lets look at some examples together beyond Matthew 5
- Luke 6:22-23
- Acts 5:41
- Colossians 1:24
- 1 Thessalonians 1:6
- James 1:2
- 1 Peter 1:6-9
- 1 Peter 4:12-19
What we see is that there is a true and real joy that we can and are supposed to have when we suffer FOR our commitment to Jesus. We see it commanded and exemplified. If for different reasons someone fired me from my job, or confiscated my property, or called me names, or beat me up I would really struggle with that. But if it happens because people are associating me with Jesus and I won’t stop associating with Him to prevent bad things from happening I guarantee you that joy is possible and should be the most probable thing I feel in my spirit.
It’s because we see everything different now as we are new creatures in Christ. We see God different now than before, the world, sin, ourselves, our marriages and our families, our goals, our jobs and careers, our possessions, our time, other people, our hurts and setbacks and failures, our hard times, our difficult circumstances, our values, our ideas of what matters in life – all of it we see different when we see it from our new position in Christ. And we also see being persecuted for Christ different.
A very small example is in witnessing. The vast majority of people are supportive or polite or not interested. But barely ever do you get hostility. Now on the occasions when someone has been hostile, I can tell you categorically God has given peace and even love for the upset person. No fear. None. There was the one time at the GH Pride festival a couple years ago where a group of 4 young people in their 20’s stopped to talk with me. Two were inquiring about why I was there, and while skeptical of my motives they engaged genuinely. The 3rd in their group stood off waiting impatiently while the 4th was a girl who just would not stop running her mouth, calling me names, villifying me and so forth. But I didn’t hate her or feel anger towards her. I hoped the really good conversation she heard and the positive attitude towards me the first two had would affect her later. Another time there was a woman with a flag at the pride festival screaming and yelling and videoing those of us down there witnessing. Pastor Ray was super cool and composed. Another time a guy got real irate with me and wanted to argue and argue, and after awhile he got it all out and hugged me and moved on. Crazy! There was one time we went down to a festival in SL and Jaron was only 15 yrs old and handed a tract to a biker who was a giant of a man. The man took it, sneered and didn’t even look at it but immediately slammed it into the trash! Those hostile people you find that the Spirit gives you a love for, not fear. You have peace, not timidity. The anticipation of being in a situation like that creates fear and inhibition. But once you’re in it and youre led by the Spirit you have a calm, a confidence and you have the words and the attitude that honors Christ. It is possible to be led by your flesh, and you know you are if you respond with anger and put downs or trying to win arguments and so forth. Some thoughts here on what it means “the blessing of persecution”:
First, consider ourselves as blessed when we suffer for Christ (1 Peter 4:12-19). Its an attitude and perspective to adopt, not a feeling you wait around for. “Count yourselves blessed” Peter said. Jesus said, “Blessed are you…” so see yourself as blessed. He told the church of Smyrna, “Even though you are destitute and poor, rejoice! You are rich!” They were poor right then and there in their circumstances in the world but also right then and there they had unimaginable wealth in heaven waiting for them.
Second, trust the Holy Spirit will give us joy in persecution (1 Thess 1:6 and Gal 5:22). The fruit of the Spirit is love, ____?____…. Paul commended the Thessalonians in his first letter to them, saying “You became imitators of us and of the Lord, of you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” One of the ways the fruit of the Spirit is the fruit of the Spirit is that it is what the Spirit produces in us in situations where we could not produce those things in our flesh and on our own. In persecution for being a Christian who could imagine there would be joy? If we have no way of understanding that biblical truth then is it possible we are looking at it purely from our flesh, and not with spiritual eyes of faith?
Third, keep in mind the rewards God has coming for us for enduring faithfully through persecution (Mt 5:10-12; Heb 10:34). The experience of persecution is not enjoyable or pleasant – “blessed” is not necessarily meant that way. Instead, those who do suffer persecution are marked by God for great reward. That reward comes later. The bitterness of persecution is salted with the knowledge and hope (confident faith) of that future reward. It’s not the experience of persecution that is the blessing – it is the reality I am aware of that my suffering is not for nothing, but God knows it appointed it, privileged me with it, and will certainly give me a great reward for faithfully enduring it. This is faith – trusting through trials. God is faithful and God is in control and God is good and just and God loves me and He has purpose for the persecution that He is accomplishing and in the end it will mean great things for us if we endure patiently and faithfully through it.