Godliness and Persecution

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

Being a Christ follower is not a “get-out-of-jail-free-card.” Stated another way, being a Christ follower doesn’t exempt you from persecution and hardship. Many church leaders point out that as we move more toward the “end times,” the ungodly will be less tolerant of the godly, especially as they embrace more and more sin. Jesus said that light and dark don’t mix and that darkness cannot tolerate light, hence the offense toward those who claim Jesus as Lord.

Perhaps you were told, or expected, immediate and endless blessing when you began to follow Christ. You may even have expected uninterrupted approval for your obedience. Then, you experienced your first bout with opposition, which took the wind from your sails. Jesus told us to expect times like that. He said, “…in this world you will have tribulation…” (John 16:33a).

Don’t be surprised or discouraged when you experience tribulation. Not only Jesus but also Paul warned us about it. Paul said, Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution (2nd Timothy 3:12). If the world hated Jesus, they will hate you (John 15:18). They will be hostile to anyone who operates in the power of the living God.

The reason a Christ follower shouldn’t live in despair is the rest of Jesus’ statement in John 16:33, “…in this world you will have tribulation, but BE OF GOOD CHEER, for I have overcome the world.” He overcame the world and we can as well. Paul said, “…we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).

As it is written: For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:36-37)