Suffer For Christ

“For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully” (1 Peter 2:19). The writer, more than likely Peter, is writing to encourage believers that are sojourners being persecuted for their faith; brothers and sisters in Christ in need of encouragement. As American believers, we have truly (except on very rare occasion) even the slightest ability to understand the persecution believers in other parts of the world are suffering today. Are we facing death, or are our families facing persecution, possibly unto death, as the result of our beliefs? The answer, of course, by and large, is no. There are those who are, and they truly have a greater understanding of what this passage means. I imagine they would tell us all it is not as easy as it sounds; there is nothing romantic about it. The reality is we American Christians focus far more of our energy attempting to justify behaviors or actions and far too little time defending our faith. We have our priorities messed up. When defending your faith becomes a matter of suffering or life and death, it is my opinion that your focus truly would become narrowed. Imagine someone with a gun to your head or that you are facing horrendous torture, and you know that the wrong answer will put you face-to-face with your maker. How do you answer? Remember that the enemy of your soul, the one who hates Jesus, he is the spirit behind your persecutor. He has no rules; you will suffer painfully. Again, how do you answer? If they ask if you believe in Jesus, do you say yes? If they ask if you are willing to die, will you answer yes? Would you truly be able to overcome your fear of man enough to die for Jesus? No matter your answer, I believe a quick test will bring out truth and cause reflection; therefore, let’s look at a few questions together. 1. Are you willing to die because you believe Jesus is the Son of God? 2. Are you willing to die because you believe your Bible is the Word of God? 3. Are you willing to see your family suffer while you turn the other cheek and stay true to your faith? 4. Are you ready, right now, at this moment, to stand before God and defend your beliefs regarding His Word? 5. Do you know what the Bible says, or are you confident in what man has told you through messages, books, etc.? 6. Are you sure about your answers, and are you being honest with yourself? 7. Final question: Do the people at your place of employment, where you recreate, the gym, know you’re a believer? Would they answer the questions for you in the same way you have? Ask yourself again, are you truly ready, or are you fooling yourself? What if your spouse, child, or grandchild were going to suffer for your sake? Still the same answer? I’ll leave it up to you to decide, but I must tell you, it has caused this man to think. Pastor Gene Burroughs, Missio Dei Ministries, Navarre, FL