...and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me. [Philippians 1:28-30 NKJV]
Paul faced opposition and persecution during his first visit to Philippi. There was a slave girl in town who was demon-possessed and made her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. She followed Paul saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” [Acts 16:17 NKJV]
Although her words were true, their source was demonic, so Paul cast the demon out of her. That meant she could no longer tell fortunes and earn money for her owners. They became enraged and had Paul and Silas arrested. We are given this account;
Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. [Acts 16:22-26 NKJV]
Paul and Silas were delivered from their chains, but the Philippian church continued to face opposition; and it is this opposition that Paul is addressing.
Having just encouraged them to continue striving for the work of the gospel, he now acknowledges that doing so will likely increase their persecution. But he tells them not to fear their oppressors. To be without fear denies the world of their power. It is a token of their ultimate destruction, and of our ultimate salvation. By inference, the opposite is also true; our fear gives them power.
We see this on school campuses where the bully attacks the weak and fearful, but will leave alone anyone who can stand up to him. It is fear that give the bully his power.
For believers, it is more complicated that facing down a bully on the playground. Jesus offers this blessing for those who sacrifice to follow Him;
So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, “who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. [Mark 10:29-30 NKJV]
He adds persecution as part of the blessing. He said,
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. [Matthew 5:10-12 NKJV]
It is not just persecution that matters to the Christian, but our attitude when facing persecution. Christians are not the only people in the world who face persecution. But see how they respond; by fighting back if they can. If they see no hope in fighting, then they wail and mourn their fate to be so put upon. When we hear in the news about a Serbian or a Hindu or any other group that feels oppressed, it is always with an expression of outrage that the world would treat them thus.
That is not how it should be with Christians. It is pride that gets our hackles up and makes us want to fight back. It is pride that says, "You can't do that to ME!" "Do you know who I am?" But as believers, we are to humble ourselves in the face of persecution. We are to count it an honor to share the sufferings of Christ.
When we walk with Christ, and face opposition, that should make us joyful. Like Paul and Silas in jail, we should want to sing songs of celebration and worship. Even more, we should do good to those who would oppress us, and pray for them. Even more, we should welcome persecution as a blessing from God.
This is not a natural attitude. It is not something we can "work up" in ourselves. It comes from the Spirit of God, and our close, daily relationship with Him. it is an act of His grace.
Lord, help my attitude to be right when I am opposed for Your sake. If my suffering will help advance the kingdom of God, then I welcome it.
No comments:
Post a Comment