The Consequences of Faith
John 15:20 “No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also”.
2 Timothy 3:12 “In fact, anyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,”
There’s been an alarming and disturbing story in the headlines this week, and this snippet from the New York Times tells it all:
It was a particularly brutal massacre in a region in which thousands have died in the last decade in clashes between Muslims and Christians. On Tuesday, a day after hundreds were buried in mass graves here, groups of villagers in this Christian farming community a few miles south of the central Nigerian metropolis of Jos sat mutely among their mud-brick homes, remembering Sunday’s horror.
Some of the small houses had been burned in the attack: tin roofs were caved in and twisted, facades were charred and carbonized hulks of vehicles littered the dirt streets. Traces of blood were evident in the sandy soil.
Estimates by officials and human rights groups of the number of dead have ranged from 300 to more than 500 in the attack here and in two nearby villages, Zot and Ratsat.
It’s an incredibly sad story, and one that the NY Times is following closely—the latest update being an article titled, “Nigerians Recount Night of Their Bloody Revenge” here.
What is persecution?
Persecution, quite frankly, is a term that encompasses massacre, rape, torture, mutilation, family division, harassment, imprisonment, slavery, discrimination in education and employment, and even death.
Believers in Christ are persecuted all across the globe simply for their beliefs. Dan Woodard, Founder of ASSIST Ministries, published this report in 2007:
Wednesday, June 27, 2007 By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries
LONDON, UK (ANS) — The British Secret Service, MI6, has published an alarming report in the Sunday Express magazine revealing that some 200 million Christians in 60 countries around the world are at risk of or suffering persecution, according to a report carried by the Catholic News Agency (CNA).
The report reveals that in the Sudan, for example, “thousands of Christians have been massacred and the fundamentalist government has done little to protect them.” In Iraq, “the situation is grave: Christians do not have their own militia to defend them, and Sunni and Shiite factions accuse them of collaborating with the American ‘crusaders’ and among the hundreds of victims of kidnappings this year there are a growing number of Christians.”“The study also reveals that during the last year, at least seventy Christians were killed in Pakistan. In Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, Christians who belong to the Russian Orthodox Church are often looked down upon: in these three republics of the former Soviet Union, Muslim preachers, ‘under the influence of Al Qaeda,’ present Christians as followers of a religion closely associated with the despised Western colonialism and they call for their expulsion,” the report states.
The CAN story concluded by saying, “North Korea, China, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Uganda are other countries where Christians are persecuted. North Korea has sent some 50 thousand Christians to concentration camps, while in China some 40 thousand have suffered the same fate. The report also notes the increasing difficulties facing Palestinian Christians due to the progressive radicalization of the Islamic masses in the Middle East.”
You may republish this story with proper attribution: By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries
Paul Marshall, speaking about persecution in his book “Their Blood Cries Out
What does the Bible say about persecution?
- All followers of Christ should expect persecution, and that persecution leads to church growth (2 Timothy 3:12).
- Christians are clearly called to seek justice and to engage in acts of compassion (Zechariah 7:9, Luke 11:42, Matthew 25).
- In following Christ’s example, we are to show mercy to those who are suffering, especially to the household of faith (1 Corinthians 12:26-27).
- “No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” (John 15:20)
Don’t forget, Christ himself was the very first martyr of Christianity.
Here in America…
No doubt, we Christians here in America live a very sheltered life when it comes to stories as brutal as the Nigerian one. However, what is this verse saying?
Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
Hebrews 13:3
Not to minimize the serious issues we’re dealing with in our country—the relationship between church and state comes to mind—as there are times when believers are certainly restricted in the full expression of their faith. But as serious as these incidents might be, we have to distinguish between them and the horrors facing our Christian brothers and sisters in other lands who are suffering arrest, torture, rape, imprisonment, enslavement, and death because of their faith. We happen to live in a nation that offers freedom of religion, and we should certainly celebrate that and be grateful for the blessings we enjoy as U.S. citizens. But we must become fully aware of Satan’s work abroad, and pray for the safety of those we’ll someday celebrate with in heaven.
“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” (Hebrews 13:7)
quality!