Persecution, Peacemaking and the Church
One of the problems that many people who would be engaged in peacemaking through Christ is persecution and possible injury or death. When parties engage in violence against each other, they usually don't like it when somebody tells them to "turn the other cheek." So the person who says that often gets his cheek slapped too, or worse. What does this mean for Christian peacemaking?
Jesus makes it abundantly clear that those who follow Him on His way to the cross will receive far more than anything they could earn for themselves on this earth. "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Rejoice and be glad, Jesus says!! When you get the snot kicked out of you because of Jesus, because of standing on His Word that tells us to love our enemies, because of His kingdom that is not of this world, should you cry and feel sorry for yourself? Should you decide, "Well, that didn't 'work,' maybe I should be less bold next time?" NO! "Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven!!"
Not only should we not consider it a terrible thing if we suffer for Jesus' sake, the Bible tells us we should expect it. "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted," Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:12. And this coming from a man who knew what he was talking about--beaten, flogged, imprisoned and eventually executed for his proclamation of the gospel and the resurrection of Jesus. So if we face troubles in this world, remember that our Master faced worse: "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also...in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God" (John 15:18-20; 16:2). Remember that Jesus warned us, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (16:33).
If you want to be a servant of Christ, you should expect to be hated, you should expect to be persecuted. But you should "consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds" (James 1:2--and this from a man who was eventually beheaded for his faith in Jesus). How can we possibly consider it "pure joy" to be persecuted, mocked, beaten or even killed? For the same reason that Jesus faced the same thing and worse--"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart" (Hebrews 12:2-3). What was that joy set before Him? To be granted access into the eternal presence of the Father, the source of all joy, pleasure, comfort and love! King David prophesied about Jesus' resurrection with these words:
This promise was not only for Jesus and for David, but for all of those who trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation, die to ourselves, take up our crosses and follow Him, trusting in His grace to bring us safely home. So if we offer ourselves to His grace to bring us through the trials of persecution--in the case of the Middle East, of hatred from Israelis, hatred from Palestinians, hatred from Americans; hatred from Muslims, from Jews, from Christians; hatred from police, from soldiers, from politicians, from "church leaders" even--if we, for Jesus' sake and by His power, resist the temptation to destroy our enemies but instead reach out to them in love with the same love that the Son of God reached out to us, His enemies, then we can be sure that God will guard us and keep us, and that we will experience the reality as David said of being filled with joy, of eternal pleasures in the very presence of God. "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete" (John 15:11).
Oh, that God might open our eyes to see the power of these words! Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:24-26).
To all those who live in Israel/Palestine, and to all those who find themselves in the midst of conflict wherever they may be, I want to say:
You must repent. You must turn to the God of awesome, terrible love and power revealed to us in Jesus Christ. Awesome love, that He would take our sins upon Himself that we might have life. Terrible power, that He created the world, even our very souls, and He has the power to cut us off from His life-giving presence eternally. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God--we have all failed to love God will all our hearts, minds and strength, and we have all failed to love our neighbors as ourselves-- certainly we have all failed to love our enemies, as the Author of Life has commanded us. We have no hope but the grace of God offered us in Christ. And as we trust in Him and follow Him on the way of self-sacrificial love, losing our lives for His sake (figuratively or literally), we know that eternal and abundant joy await us. We know that the same God who loves us with such an awesome love awaits us, to love us eternally and give us the amazing privilege of worshiping Him forever.
May God give the Church strength to live out the gospel, that the world might know that we are His disciples.
Marana tha!
Jesus makes it abundantly clear that those who follow Him on His way to the cross will receive far more than anything they could earn for themselves on this earth. "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Rejoice and be glad, Jesus says!! When you get the snot kicked out of you because of Jesus, because of standing on His Word that tells us to love our enemies, because of His kingdom that is not of this world, should you cry and feel sorry for yourself? Should you decide, "Well, that didn't 'work,' maybe I should be less bold next time?" NO! "Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven!!"
Not only should we not consider it a terrible thing if we suffer for Jesus' sake, the Bible tells us we should expect it. "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted," Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:12. And this coming from a man who knew what he was talking about--beaten, flogged, imprisoned and eventually executed for his proclamation of the gospel and the resurrection of Jesus. So if we face troubles in this world, remember that our Master faced worse: "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also...in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God" (John 15:18-20; 16:2). Remember that Jesus warned us, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (16:33).
If you want to be a servant of Christ, you should expect to be hated, you should expect to be persecuted. But you should "consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds" (James 1:2--and this from a man who was eventually beheaded for his faith in Jesus). How can we possibly consider it "pure joy" to be persecuted, mocked, beaten or even killed? For the same reason that Jesus faced the same thing and worse--"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart" (Hebrews 12:2-3). What was that joy set before Him? To be granted access into the eternal presence of the Father, the source of all joy, pleasure, comfort and love! King David prophesied about Jesus' resurrection with these words:
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalm 16:9-11)
This promise was not only for Jesus and for David, but for all of those who trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation, die to ourselves, take up our crosses and follow Him, trusting in His grace to bring us safely home. So if we offer ourselves to His grace to bring us through the trials of persecution--in the case of the Middle East, of hatred from Israelis, hatred from Palestinians, hatred from Americans; hatred from Muslims, from Jews, from Christians; hatred from police, from soldiers, from politicians, from "church leaders" even--if we, for Jesus' sake and by His power, resist the temptation to destroy our enemies but instead reach out to them in love with the same love that the Son of God reached out to us, His enemies, then we can be sure that God will guard us and keep us, and that we will experience the reality as David said of being filled with joy, of eternal pleasures in the very presence of God. "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete" (John 15:11).
Oh, that God might open our eyes to see the power of these words! Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:24-26).
To all those who live in Israel/Palestine, and to all those who find themselves in the midst of conflict wherever they may be, I want to say:
You must repent. You must turn to the God of awesome, terrible love and power revealed to us in Jesus Christ. Awesome love, that He would take our sins upon Himself that we might have life. Terrible power, that He created the world, even our very souls, and He has the power to cut us off from His life-giving presence eternally. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God--we have all failed to love God will all our hearts, minds and strength, and we have all failed to love our neighbors as ourselves-- certainly we have all failed to love our enemies, as the Author of Life has commanded us. We have no hope but the grace of God offered us in Christ. And as we trust in Him and follow Him on the way of self-sacrificial love, losing our lives for His sake (figuratively or literally), we know that eternal and abundant joy await us. We know that the same God who loves us with such an awesome love awaits us, to love us eternally and give us the amazing privilege of worshiping Him forever.
May God give the Church strength to live out the gospel, that the world might know that we are His disciples.
Marana tha!
posted by Seth | 8:35 PM
1 Comments:
Amen. Let us not shrink, and justify our fears, from preaching the Gospel publicly
Acts 4
[18] And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
[19] But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
[29] And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
[31] And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness
They didnt pray for security. They prayed for rekindled boldness!
Acts5
[17] Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation,
[18] And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.
[19] But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
[20] Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
That's an order!
[21] And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught
Which they obeyed quickly!
[25] Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.
Repeatedly!
[26] Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.
[27] And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
[28] Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
[29] Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
[32] And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
[33] When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.
[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.
[41] And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
[42] And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1
[29] For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
it's a gift
Matthew10
[27] What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
[28] And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
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