Have you ever been mistaken? Has your understanding of reality ever been challenged? Did your senses ever deceive you because you misinterpreted the data your senses were sending you? This is what Peter was addressing in his letter. These Christians were beginning to undergo persecution but they misinterpreted it as punishment for not following God in the right way. Peter had to reassure them that other Christians in the world were experiencing these trials also. And he closes this by saying, “This is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!” We need to recognize that persecution is not punishment because we are doing wrong but an attempt by Satan to keep us from doing right. I want to conclude this series on persecution by noting three miscellaneous topics concerning it.
But before we discuss these final thoughts on persecution I want to quickly review what we have learned concerning the subject. Why are we covering this subject of persecution? It is a key teaching from the New Testament prospective. 23 of the 27 New Testament books contain teaching about persecution. And there are almost 540 verses on the subject.
We have to remember that persecution is to be expected for the believer and it shouldn’t be a cause to fear. Scripture portrays it as a gift from God that produces a greater work of the Spirit in our lives and results in greater reward.
But in this don’t forget that Satan is the initiator of these attacks, not God. And these attacks come in various packages. He uses individuals to accomplish these attacks but we are not to consider them our enemy. Satan has taken them captive to do his will. We ought to have compassion and pity on those who persecute us for the sake of Christ because they need to be freed from the bondage they are in. When we experience persecution, remember to love, pray for and do good to those who seek to keep us from speaking the gospel.
Finally, keep in mind that though Satan brings persecution into our lives to harm us, God can take the evil and use it for good in us. God uses persecution to show us how dependent we are on Him. We don’t see this when everything is going right. God also uses this to make us holy and conform us to the likeness of His Son.
Now let’s look at three topics concerning persecution that are important in our lives.
I. The Most Difficult Stand in Persecution
First, let’s discuss the most difficult stand in persecution. There is one factor in persecution that can make it most difficult. The most difficult stand in persecution is found in Paul’s second letter to Timothy. He mentions it in both the beginning and close of his letter. In chapter 1:15, he says, “You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.” Then in 4:16 he noted, “At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.”
He told Timothy that everyone had turned away from him. And that when he had first made his defense before Caesar no one was there to speak on his behalf. No one would declare his innocence in the cause of the gospel. Why was this? Were they afraid of being implicated with him because of his stand for the gospel? Were they willing to go only so far for Jesus’ sake? Would they agree to undergo ridicule but when they saw what happened to Paul they refused to give up their freedom or their life and so they backed away from this man. After all, Paul said frequently that he didn’t count his life dear for the cause of Jesus. From the context we will view shortly, we know it was that these believers from Asia were ashamed of his imprisonment. They were ashamed that a leader of Christianity would go and get himself jailed. How improper. After all, if he wasn’t so contentious and loud about the truth of the gospel he wouldn’t be in this position. He could have made concessions to remain free. Isn’t it better to be free and have some chance to speak the Word than to be in prison without that opportunity? Paul saw cloaking the message for the sake of temporary safety as compromise, but these other believers were ashamed of the fact that he had been imprisoned for the gospel.
There will be times when taking a stand for Jesus will not be popular. There will times that speaking up for the sake of the gospel will cause other believers to keep away or forsake you. They may not understand; they may think your stand for Christ is too extreme or costs too much in terms of personal comfort or material sacrifice. You may find that you are standing by yourself. It is hard enough when the unsaved will mock or persecute or isolate themselves from you. But it is even harder when Christians will do this to you.
John Bunyan, who wrote Pilgrim’s Progress, was imprisoned for preaching the gospel without a license. It was against his Christian principles to allow himself to take a license from a government agency to preach. He understood that it was not the government’s realm to regulate the gospel. And even though, the government would have issued him a license he did not take it on this matter of principle. And so he remained in prison for nearly 12 years. During this time, those guarding him sought to get him to back down. One of the ways in which they did this was by chiding him with the fact that his own church no longer paid attention to him in prison. They sought to provoke him with the fact that he was alone in his stand for the gospel.
This is an effective tool of Satan. Satan wants to discourage us by making us think we are the only one taking a stand for the Lord. Didn’t Elijah go through this same difficulty? He won a great victory against the pagan worshippers of Baal on their home turf. But afterward he began to feel sorry for himself. When the Lord asked him what the problem was, he replied he was the only one left who served God and now they were seeking his life. He became incapacitated because he felt he was alone and no one else was with him.
I don’t if you’ve experienced this like Elijah but I know I have. When I first became a Christian and began to take a stand for Christ I found myself alone in many occasions and it was difficult to stand that way.
But for encouragement, let me point out the rest of the context in Paul’s writing. For even in the midst of being alone for the cause of the gospel he was not alone. There are two ways in which we may find ourselves blessed by God in the midst of taking the most difficult stand.
First, God may send another believer to encourage us in a special way because of our stand for Christ. In chapter 1, after Paul mentioned all those in Asia who deserted him tells us of a unique individual, named Onesiphorus. In verses 16-18 he says, “The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains (like those from Asia); but when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me – the Lord grant to him to find mercy from the Lord on that day – and you know very well what services he rendered at Ephesus.”
God did a wonderful thing for Paul in the midst of his discomfort over the fact others had turned away from him. In the middle of this, God placed it in the heart of a faithful believer to help Paul when he was in Rome. The text seems to indicate that he hadn’t gone to Rome necessarily to seek Paul out. But while he happened to be there he took that opportunity to diligently look for Paul. God looked at Paul in his need and sent him a friend who would be a comfort to him. What a God we serve.
As I returned to college for my Junior year, I knew that I had lived very poorly, the previous year, as a new Christian in such an environment. That summer I prayed fervently that God would strengthen me to live godly for him in that place. I prayed to God that he would send someone to help me be faithful to Him. I prayed that God would allow His grace to be evident in my life. And when I got back to school, almost immediately, I met Joe Rinella. He was a new student and he was a believer. Since we were on the crew team together, I had someone with whom I could hang out, while the big after race parties raged in the hotel rooms of where we stayed. Joe and I prayed together, we spoke of the Scripture together and told others about the Lord together. God had sent Onesiphorus into my life to be a strength to me in a lonely time. May the Lord grant to him to find mercy from the Lord on that day.
But in chapter 4, Paul mentions another way in which God may bless us in taking the most difficult stand when we suffer persecution alone. Let’s read v. 16 again and go all the way to verse 18. “At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Paul says, that in the midst of being left alone, though everyone else deserted him, the Lord stood with him. It was God’s special presence by which he was strengthened to stand. Remember the Lord’s promise to us from Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Notice that the strength Paul received was not simply to be joyful in the midst of his circumstances but to fully declare the gospel before Caesar and those in his tribunal. The Lord also reminded Paul, in the midst of this lonely struggle, of the eternal home that would be his. He could endure this because one day he would be welcomed into the presence of God.
Sometimes when we endure this hardship for the sake of Christ, God’s own presence becomes very special to us. I can remember so many times early in my Christian life that it seemed God’s presence was my only comfort. When everyone at home rejected this good news it was a blessing to be able to walk with the Lord and lay out my problem before Him. Yes, the Lord will stand with you. Don’t fear the most difficult stand for Christ. You might have to walk by yourself, but you don’t have to walk alone.
II. Will You Avoid Persecution?
The second topic we need to cover is “Will you avoid persecution?” In 2 Timothy 3:10-12, Paul speaks to Timothy about persecution that he underwent. He says, “Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” What is interesting in this passage is that after Paul describes the persecution that has taken place to him, he tells us that persecution should be expected for everyone who desires to be godly. When we set our hearts on following the Lord, Satan is going to oppose us. He doesn’t need to oppose those who aren’t doing God’s will and desiring to follow Him. Those people are following the very path he wants them to take. So he opposes those who what to live for Christ.
If we know that we will experience persecution if we desire to live godly in Christ Jesus the question that arises is, “Will you avoid persecution?” Will you cease pursuing a path of godliness because it is too much trouble? Will you cease the effort of being godly because it leads you into all kinds of difficulty?
In John 12, the gospel writer describes an event by which some believers sought to bypass persecution they would have received because of their faith in Jesus. In verses 42-43, John says, “Many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.” Isn’t this a sad state of affairs for these people? In order to avoid being put out of the synagogue they refused to acknowledge their faith in Jesus as the Messiah. And why was this? They loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.
Now we run into situations like this every day. You see an opportunity to speak for the Lord. Are you going to take it or be silent? An issue is discussed at the water cooler. Are you going to give the Bible’s viewpoint on the issue or keep quiet? Are you looking for the approval of men or the approval of God? If you are looking for God’s approval, then you would be willing to speak on behalf of His Word? Will you be ridiculed for it? Probably. But whom are you trying to please? Do you want to be spoken well of by Him or by others? Do you wish people to say good things about you at the expense of your testimony for Christ? Jesus said in Luke 6:26, “Woe to you when men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.” Does it injure your pride to be spoken ill of? Remember Jesus said, “Blessed are you when men say all kinds of evil against you FALSELY, for my sake, for great is your reward in heaven.” This is the approval of God. If you desire to live godly in Christ Jesus and seek the approval of God you may very truly be persecuted.
So let me encourage you, set your mind and heart to please the Lord. Look to Him for His praise instead of to people for their praise. And don’t be discouraged if you don’t win the popularity contest. If you are seeking popularity you will not be able to effectively serve Jesus Christ. You will be like a politician who is always trying to win the favor of the greatest number of people. In this mode we think about being likeable not useable. But when we submit ourselves to follow Christ, God can then use us to serve Him. So make your decision. Be steadfast in the midst of persecution and understand that this life is ultimately about pleasing only one person.
III. Ministry Opportunities in Persecution
The final topic we need to cover is ministry opportunities in persecution. In 1 Corinthians 16:5-9, Paul outlines his travel plans to the church in Corinth so they might know when to expect him. He says, “But I will come to you after I go through Macedonia, for I am going through Macedonia; and perhaps I will stay with you, or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way wherever I may go. For I do not wish to see you now just in passing; for I hope to remain with you for some time, if the Lord permits. But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost; for a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”
In Paul’s itinerary we notice an amazing thing. He says that he is going to remain in Ephesus for some time because a wide open door for effective service has been opened to him. He recognized that the Lord had given him an opportunity for the Gospel. And from Acts 19:10, we see just how great a door of opportunity this was. Luke notes there, “This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.” All in Asia were able to hear the Word of God because of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus. It was an astounding work of God. But notice what else Paul said in 1 Corinthians 16:9. “A wide door for effective service has opened to me, and THERE ARE MANY ADVERSARIES.” From the passage in Acts we note that Paul received opposition from both Jews and Greeks. As a matter of fact, it was the Jewish hardening and persecution in Ephesus that allowed Paul to have a greater ministry. In Acts 19:8-9, we read, “He entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.” The opposition that forced Paul to leave the synagogue and rent another public facility allowed greater opportunity in presenting the gospel. But these were not the only adversaries. At the end of Acts 19, the silversmiths who made idols for Diana’s temple and others were enraged for they began to experience a loss of their income because of the people who were turning to the Lord. They caused a public uproar that almost cost the city a fine. Yet we note that Paul had a great ministry there for more than two years. He was well known in the city. He was the personal friend of some of the leaders of the city (perhaps they had become converts, or were at least listening to the gospel).
But I say all of this because Paul notes that the open door available was in the presence of opposition. What this says to us is just because we are experiencing difficulty or opposition for what we are trying to do does not mean God is not in it. How many people do you know base their decision to continue to do something for the Lord on whether or not there is difficulty in it. But Paul says in spite of difficulty there remained an open door in Ephesus. He didn’t rely on indicators of opposition but on the ability to effectively spread the gospel. Paul faced opposition every day but he knew that Ephesus was a key location from which to spread the gospel. So he continued.
I don’t know how many times I have heard people leave off doing something for the Lord that had a great potential only because of the difficulties that went with it. They had to work too hard. Too many people thought they were doing it the wrong way. It would mean that would have to rearrange their schedule. People at work were giving them a hard time about the Bible study they started at lunchtime. If what you are seeking to do is effective in reaching people for the gospel, if it has the potential for reaching people then expect opposition. Expect many adversaries. Satan does not want you to succeed. It is a spiritual battle. He will do what he can to cause you to get out of Dodge.
Before Paul learned this lesson in Ephesus that opposition and ministry opportunity may go hand in hand, Luke says that he had to be taught this principle in Corinth. In Acts 18, just before he went to Ephesus, he ministered in Corinth. And Luke details for us that Paul had experienced some fear about difficulty he endured in Corinth. But in Acts 18:9-10, Luke tells us that after Paul had been in Corinth for some time, “The Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, ‘Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” There was a great need in the city of Corinth. There were many people who would turn to the Lord because of Paul’s preaching of the gospel and so he stayed for a year and a half. The Jewish leaders brought Paul into court to try to get him to stop preaching but God protected Paul and gave him the freedom to do so.
Don’t be discouraged by opposition. If the truth of the gospel is going out you can expect opposition. It is the same today as back then. The gospel is not PC. And, as in Paul’s day, people are still using the courts to silence the gospel. Don’t fear opposition; don’t run from it. There can be great open doors of service in the midst of it.
This has been a difficult series in the making of it. But persecution is an important doctrine and teaching of the Christian life. I have already heard reports from some of you about persecution that you are experiencing. I think for this reason it was well worth the effort of doing this. As Paul left Ephesus, he declared to the believers, “I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable.”
Persecution, in whatever form, ridicule, mocking, physical harm is very real in the lives of believers. Do not turn away from Christ because you may experience these things now. They are only temporary and light afflictions that cannot remove that greater weight of glory that is to be revealed, for nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. So press on because, in the words of the apostle Paul, as he sought to encourage the believers, said, “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”