It Costs to be a Christian
"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."
It Costs to be a Christian
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. - 2 Timothy 3: 12.
FROM that day when seraphic Stephen the protomartyr fell beneath the stones, crying, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge , the story of the Christian Church has corroborated this Pauline prophecy.
Our Lord Himself foresaw what was coming, when He said, Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Let us settle it in mind that if we are really living godly in Christ Jesus , if we are living the out-and-out Christian life, we shall be in the world's bad books!
A young man came to D. L. Moody and said, Mr. Moody, I want to be a Christian; but must I give up the world? Moody characteristically replied, Young man, if you live the out-and-out Christian life, the world will soon give you up.
If we are popular with the crowd of worldlings, or if we are not penalised in some way for our attachment to Christ, we have good cause to inspect our discipleship.
We would say to all young Christians: Do not provoke needless hostility; but, on the other hand, do not expect to be popular with the world now that you have become Christ's.
Do not shun persecution; and do not fear it when it comes. Be like the early Christians of whom we read: They departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.
The world varies its ways of persecuting us. Sometimes it uses the sword, and sometimes the lip of scorn. Most of us can stand the sword far better than derision or sarcasm.
Henry Martyn, that prince among missionaries, was exposed both to peril and insult among Mohammedans in Persia; but he said that he found sneers were more difficult to bear than brickbats .
Let us be ready, and take the world's sneer with cheerful heart; for the Lord is ever at our hand to give grace; and one day He will return in glory to confess us before all men.
Let us remember, also, that there is another side to this being penalised for Christian godliness. It is equally true that all who live ungodly, and persecute God's people, shall suffer punishment.
Old Testament incidents, as Paul tells us, were recorded for our admonition, as warnings and examples to us. Under the old dispensation God frequently visited punishment upon persons immediately after their committing of wrongs, so that the connection between the sin and the punishment might be clearly seen.
In this present age, the judgment of the ungodly may be deferred; but it is none the less certain, and will be awful when at last it falls. This present age is distinctively the age of divine grace, in which a patient God forbears with human sin; but let not boastful worldlings presume. If such heavy penalties are threatened in God's Word against those who flout the moral Law, what penalties are in store for those who do despite to the Spirit of grace!
Take heart, fellow Christian. It must needs be that offence come; but ere long the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout. . . the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
SOURCE: Β©J. Sidlow Baxter ~ Awake My Heart