On Desiring Persecution

This topic came to my mind while I was at work, and I had to be honest with myself:  I want to be persecuted for my faith.  In my mind, if I am persecuted for my faith, I know that I'm on the right track.  If I'm never persecuted at all, it is evidence that I don't even want to live godly in Christ Jesus, thus, I am not saved.

It is written:

2Ti 3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 

If you want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus, persecution is guaranteed.  You don't have to wait for it, it will just come.  Persecution is promised to you.

 

A Reward In Heaven

Plus, if you are persecuted for the Truth, Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is yours, and your reward in Heaven is great:

Mat 5:10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Mat 5:12  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. 

 

Longing For Persecution Is Good

To desire persecution, actually, is to be in good company, for Paul says:

Php 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

In other words, Paul longed for this, which includes suffering.  And when Scripture says suffering, they mean ACTUAL, LITERAL SUFFERING.  In the early days of the Church, Peter and the other apostles knew this well:

Act 5:40  And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.  

 

Persecution Is A Mark Of Worthiness

In fact, they considered persecution a mark of being worthy:

Act 5:41  And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

If you are persecuted for your faith in the Word of God, it is in part because you are counted worthy to be so.

 

What Persecution Really Means, and Paul's Example

But back to what persecution really means.  

Firstly, in order to even be in Christ, you must forsake all.  Not just be willing to forsake all, but ACTUALLY FORSAKE ALL.  Jesus never said "be willing", He simply said:

Luk 14:33  So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 

If you don't forsake all that you have, you are not going to Heaven.  Saving faith and discipleship go hand in hand.  Nowhere in Scripture are there differences between "believers" and "disciples".  If you believe, you will learn from (be a disciple of) Him.

Paul is a textbook example of enduring persecution:

Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
(2Co 11:24-27)

Look at that: Whippings, beatings, stonings, shipwrecks, lost at sea, many perils, tiredness, pain, insomnia (watchings), hunger, thirst, fasting, cold, nakedness.  Today we would equate that to a homeless man.  No job, no car, no shelter, sometimes no food and no clothing.  All in the name of Christ.

We must all renounce everything for Christ, which could include all of the above, being a complete persona non grata in this world.

Yet, what was Paul's response to this?

Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 

Everything means EVERYTHING.  Yet, he has Christ, and because of that, having nothing in this world was worth it.

Now, will every believer suffer in the same way as Paul?  I highly doubt it.  Besides, even if you don't suffer as badly as Paul, even something as simple as:

Luk 6:22  Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. 

is enough to be counted as persecution, still worth a great reward in Heaven (v. 23).  Still, we must be open to Paul's gauntlet of sufferings.

So, with the examination of the Scriptures, my desire is biblically sound.  Correct me if I'm wrong (Proverbs 6:23).

All I simply need to do is live for Christ, which means doing the radical (even Luke 12:33 is on the table!).  I hope and pray I am given the will and the action. (Philippians 2:13)  I don't need to worry (Philippians 4:6) about whether or not persecution will come.  If I'm living for Christ and following His Word, IT WILL COME.