Persecuted for Righteousness Sake

Christians have suffered persecution all throughout history. Jumping back to the Old Testament up until when Stephen was martyred in Acts, God’s children have continued to suffer, and there are no signs of it slowing down. In fact, there are more believers being persecuted today then ever.

Those of us living in the western world are not typically threatened with physical persecution. However, Bridges points out that we still suffer persecution, just not in a life-threatening way. We may be denied job promotions due to our beliefs, or perhaps we are viewed as bigots for our stance on certain social trends. Though not as serious as dealing with our lives being threatened, it is still a form of persecution. And Bridges believes it will only continue to get worse.

The courts are tending to rule more and more towards the current trends of today, ignoring the constitution. Though this can be difficult and unfair, we need to ensure we respond in the right way. We need to remember that we are called to love our enemies as we stand up against the wickedness of the world. But not just love them, we are also commanded to “do good to them, bless them, and pray for them.” We are to take action towards loving them.

As the days get darker, how will we respond to persecution? Will we doubt God? Will it bring out the worst in us? Will we make the attacks personal? Or will we remember that it is God Name being attacked, and therefore obey Him by loving others?

One thing Bridges points us to is 1 Peter 2:13-17 which shows us that we are to respect and honor our government. Peter penned this (under the influence of the Holy Spirit) when Nero was reigning in Rome. If God called believers to honor Nero then we have no excuse but to honor and respect those governing over us. We may disagree with their decisions, but we must humbly acknowledge that God is sovereign and has put them in power. Instead of murmuring and complaining we ought to pray for our leaders.

Bridges ends the chapter by reminding us of believers who are persecuted throughout the world. We ought to acknowledge our gift of not dealing with our lives being threatened every day, but we also ought to pray for those whose lives are being threatened. Remembering this will also help us show humility.

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