Why We Get Persecuted Pt1
Eternity Online: John Edmiston (Editor)
Eternity-Inspiration for Friday 9th November 1997
Why We Get Persecuted Pt1
With the International Day Of Prayer For The Persecuted Church coming
up this Sunday 16th I thought I would share some of the biblical
perspective on why Christians get persecuted. There are 20 reasons
that I found and we shall do 5 each day for 4 days.
1. Because the works of the persecutors are evil and ours are
righteous. (1 John 3:12-13 NKJV) not as Cain who was of the wicked
one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his
works were evil and his brother's righteous. {13} Do not marvel, my
brethren, if the world hates you.
2. Its programmed to happen as part of the lead up to the imminent
return of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 24:9-14 NKJV) "Then they will
deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by
all nations for My name's sake. {10} "And then many will be offended,
will betray one another, and will hate one another. {11} "Then many
false prophets will rise up and deceive many. {12} "And because
lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. {13} "But
he who endures to the end shall be saved. {14} "And this gospel of
the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the
nations, and then the end will come.
3. Because hatred, malice and envy are natural to the old nature.
(Titus 3:3 NKJV) For we ourselves were also once foolish,
disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in
malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.
4. Because persecutors have no knowledge of God and even hate Him.
(John 15:21-23 NKJV) "But all these things they will do to you for My
name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. {22} "If I had
not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they
have no excuse for their sin. {23} "He who hates Me hates My Father
also.
5. Because those who hate are in spiritual darkness and have been
blinded. (1 John 2:11 NKJV) But he who hates his brother is in
darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going,
because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
We only need to look at the news to see that irrational hatred and
blind anger are very much part of the world we live in. The above
verses explain to some extent why it is there and why it is so often
focussed against Christians. Satan sometimes succeeds in building
entire sustems and organisations that hate Christians eg Communism
and militant Islam. Some of these systems control nations and the
Christian is completely out of place in the structures of that
country. There they are hated and often killed.
Prayer:
Lord give us endurance and strength when we are persecuted. Help us
not to be surprised or shocked by it when it happens to us. You were
persecuted first. Fill our hearts with resolute love for You. Amen.
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John Edmiston ([email protected])
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