I read an article today about a Pastor in Somalia who was martyred for Christ just last October.  The Bible tells us to expect persecution (1 Peter 4:12) and to suffer with Him so that we may be glorified with Him (Romans 8:17).  In fact, Roman’s 8:17 is even more emphatic about persecution saying, “…and if children, then heirs… if indeed we suffer with Him…”  It can therefore be deduced quite simply that persecution is evidence of true faith (as a result of true regeneration).  George Whitefield explained that Persecution is Every Christian’s Lot (read the full article, it’s wonderful).

So my question is, how is your faith persecuted?  Perhaps it is worth saying (though obvious at this point) that if your faith is not persecuted, you have much to fear.  But that is not the context of my question.  I mean this to be taken more in consideration of the first article mentioned above, about the Pastor in Somalia.  The founding fathers of our faith, our Protestant brethren from years past,  paid for their convictions with their blood.  Burned at the stake, crucified, boiled, drawn-and-quartered, etc.  They suffered greatly (read Foxe’s Book of Martyrs).

In America, if a door is slammed in our face, or a person mocks us while preaching, we consider ourselves persecuted.  While this is true, it is also quite weak.  I am greatly blessed that my family does not have to suffer the life threatening agony Pastor Weheliye’s family now does.  However, I can’t help but wonder how much our freedom has weakened the fervor of American Christianity as it was in Whitefield’s day.  If you count the inability to speak freely about Christ at your local coffee shop as some of the greatest persecutions you have endured, you have much to fear.  Perhaps a more intellectual and fruitful question would be presented something like this, “Are your views so mainstream that nobody disputes them?”

Let us not forget that Christ will always be the stench of death to some (2 Corinthians 2:15-16).  Let us also consider that the majority of persecution comes from the popular church (Luke 4:21-30 and Acts 17:2-7).  Therefor, if we are following the path of least resistance in a comfortable, seeker friendly, God is only love church (the popular church of today), and we are not being persecuted at some cost (accusation, betrayal, excommunication, fabrication, etc.), we can be assured that our views are as mainstream as theirs.  I’m not saying that we should endeavor schism, but I am saying that we should be faithful witnesses.  A hard thing to do in and of itself, but all the more difficult in our comfortable “Christianity”.  We should not seek schism, but unification through reformation because we love them, and I would argue that this is at the heart of truth-in-love.

I’ll end this post with a powerful hymn that says it all (emphasis added).  Consider your witness, consider your doctrine, consider the persecutions you endure or not.  Make much of Christ!

Am I A Soldier of the Cross?

Written by Isaac Watts

Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follower of the Lamb,
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His Name?

Must I be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight if I would reign;
Increase my courage, Lord.
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word.

Thy saints in all this glorious war
Shall conquer, though they die;
They see the triumph from afar,
By faith’s discerning eye.

When that illustrious day shall rise,
And all Thy armies shine
In robes of victory through the skies,
The glory shall be Thine.

Tags: george whitefield, martyrs, persecution