For some time now I have read, heard from and studied persecution against Christians. It has been remarked that over the past hundred years, more Christians have died for their faith than all other times combined. It makes a great deal of sense, since the world, increasingly thinking itself self-sufficient, has now joined the constant chorus of 'Hath God said...' down through the ages. The modern technological sense makes men feel very self-reliant, very sure of their own ability to handle any and all problems in the human dilemma, though reality contradicts that sense. In our smug complacency, at the same time, the past hundred years has seen a rise in technology to be sure, but also a rise in world wars, genocides, unresolvable climate issues, and the ruin of crops, soils and water supplies. We laugh at God as we sit upon the ruined throne of self-worship: the planet earth.
Christians who preach the gospel then, in the 21st century have come to understand, the preaching of a gospel of the love of God through his only begotten Son, is seen by an unbelieving world as fabled, ancient legends, not relevant to the modern world view. Many of us, as Christians now, were once of that mindset, and we know and understand it well: we also understand the difference in the economy of faith vs. mere human reason: while we may not be able to bear that with which the world assaults, we nevertheless understand their vagaries and reasonings behind their sometimes violent assaults.
Modern times have produced a paradox in modern Christians. We ourselves are given to the same passions and comfort in luxuries as our unbelieving counterparts. At a time when there are many more Christians than at many times in history, the depth and commitment of belief may be in some ways more fervent and free, but paradoxically, lighter weight, especially in expectations of how life will follow after receiving Christ. In this new series, we will begin to address the 'problem in expectations' and offer advice for Christians in persecution. There is an old Buddhist maxim, which I wish had been a Christian one, and sort of is, that "all problems come from expectations.". (I know the Lord will allow me that one off-ramp). Many Christians because of confusion in Christian teaching and the Gospel message start out their Christian life with only one understanding: that Christ died for them, and at the same time or shortly following, that he is sovereign. At the same time, there is an immediate ploy for their divided attention; radio sermons, televangelists, pamphlets, books, movies and other sources compete for the true Gospel: they offer varying doctrine, varying translations of the Bible, various forms of the Gospel such as the 'prosperity' Gospel in which God pays all your bills and solves all your woes just because you are so wonderful, or messages in which a different sort of Christ is encountered, whom you believe in and sign a pledge, and cash it in at the end of your life for a nebulous concept of 'salvation'. The real Christ demands our heart and lives and soul, his purchase on the Cross. Real Christians today, who stay in the Word and obey Christ as much as possible, often find themselves persecuted not only by an unbelieving world, but by a carnal church as well.
Modern Persecutions
I have found in my own experience in my walk (now going on 31 years), that when I encountered persecution for my faith, it was often unexpected, and too often from the pews. I expected to find persecution from the world: I had been a psychology professor at universities and a medical school, and I have even this many years later had to bear their abusive ridicule and disdain. I understand though what they cannot: why they do what they do. It was much more difficult to encounter disdain and ridicule for following Christ from the direction of suburbanite American churches, who found it 'amusing folly' to be concerned with whether a decision or action pleased the Lord. What a contradiction! We write books, preach sermons and hand out tracts telling people to believe and obey, 'Trust and obey, for there's no other way'(1) and then look quizzically at a believer trying to discern God's will. In some ways, the in-house persecution can be horrible and devastate the soul: we do not expect, e.g. our fellow Christians to steal from us, slander us, obstruct our work in the Lord, or cause harm to our family or finances. What we have to remember though, is that it is very likely that the worst of harm inside the church comes from religious people who have never really made a commitment to Christ, who when encountering real faith and the "cost of discipleship"(2) often react in an aggravated and sad way. In a later series, I will address the 'in-house' persecution separately, but for now, we will turn our attention to persecution from the world.
Persecution from the World
The apostle Paul was one such person: a member of the Sanhedrin, a 'Hebrew of Hebrews', a leader in Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, he had studied the Torah since he could first read. He knew the Word of God and the commandments, but he did not know the Lord, the power or the ways of God, save for a rudimentary understanding. The book of Galatians notes that he was 14 years 'in the desert', studying and learning from the disciples, before his significant ministry began. While we can gain knowledge as unbelievers about the Word and ways of God, and our walk in him, we do not begin to gain 'wisdom' until we believe and trust as the Holy Spirit indwells and guides us. As such, new Christians, particularly in the modern era, are often still carnal and worldly, though endowed with a fervent spirit and great love, making for happy babies dancing around bumping into things!
It has been my reward in the past years, to have occasionally produced some writings and other materials that have inspired many Christians in their faith: I have always been very clear that it was the Lord who was behind the uplifting of faith, and not so much anything that I or others have done. On the other hand, one of the things that has prompted me to write this 'advice' series, is that many Christians in the world, and particularly in the West, often have suburban view of the Christian walk: we want to grow close to Christ's love, and we think we wish to obey, until it cut too greatly into our 'flesh', into our own will. We will happily go see a person upon the Lord's prompting, but don't ask us to give up our careers or a loved person in our life. We will gratefully place ten dollars in the collection plate, but do not ask for a 20% commitment. Do not ask us to do what may burden our sense of what we need or who we are.
The point is, that it takes awhile until we understand that there was an exchange at the Cross of our lives for his. We treat God as though he were our 'holy spirit comforter in the closet': we pull him out when we need his direction, comfort, or reward. We make him 'our' servant. As we grow in Christ we begin to understand that past the day of understanding when we accept his gift of salvation, we are their for HIS purposes not our own: this is the point where many try and flee unsuccessfully back into the world. I say unsuccessfully because a Christian who has made a commitment to Christ may seemingly 'flee' back into the world, but never truly can: it is always an ill fit.
Many years ago, I heard a preacher on the radio talking out signing a 'blank contract' with Christ. My children were young, and we entertained this exercise, as I explained what was meant: that because of Christ's love for us and our trust in him, we offer our lives in a blank contract, signing it at the bottom, for which he fills in the terms. He may make us wealthy and comfortable and give us a public ministry, or we may be impoverished and unknown, and die for him when least expected. That is the point of real faith. When nothing matters more than Him and his will. Most of the time, we waver from that height.
When it is our time to be taken to live in his presence, by whatever means, we will go to be with him: no more sorrow, suffering or pain, no more hatred or the unblessed mocking of this world; all in his presence will understand who we are, why we choose the things we choose, and they will share our love for him without explanation. No tears, no night, no crying. No death. No one's work will be in vain, or ruined. We ascend from imperfect joy in an imperfect world to eternal joy in his presence: that is the great hope of the Christian soul. The means of death we leave this world by is not up to us: we are not told at the moment of Salvation whether we will die in a car accident, or be beheaded or stoned, or die from shrapnel in an explosion, cancer in a hospital, or a machete blow or gunshot wound. We are not told. No deaths are completely easy, despite the sensibility of Simone deBeauvoir. All grasp for the last mouthful of air. Some die slowly and painfully and we cannot comprehend why. Some die instantly before a wedding, a birthday party or an Easter Sunday: we do not know why. Death is an uneasy doorway to the way we live life in eternity. It is only a doorway.
Given the above considerations, of the state of Christian belief in the world, and the constant confrontations with the possibility of death in a world that hates its maker, we are to try and protect our lives and that of others. There are two facts of the essence: 1) The first is that our deaths are inevitable and determined by our Lord for a purpose, and that 2) at the same time we must not act foolishly to hasten our deaths before the time. We must, like our Savior, always be ready to lay down our lives: that is the threshold of faith which changes the world. When we, as Martin Luther King remarked, find the thing that is 'worth dying for', then we find the thing that is worth living for. I would never suggest that this is an easy mental or emotional task. It is not mental or emotional at all: it is a spiritual hurdle we must transverse before we understand the depth of Christ's call.
We must always live in a way that protects our own lives an that of others and yet at the same time, we must always live as though our deaths had already occurred: as Paul said, "I die daily". This is the separating line between Christians who find their calling, who 'apprehend that for which they were apprehended for'. At the same time, it must be stressed that this is a mature stance, and we all struggle at first to get there, save for a very few. Too many challenges to faith come when a person of lesser or little faith, beginning faith, is confronted with a challenge that would make mature believers shudder: these can be faith breakers.
What are some of those faith breakers that destroy a person's confidence in Christ or their own faith? There are many: e.g. a Christian woman raped on her way to church, a stillborn baby, born with no malformation or defect, the death of a spouse after 50 years, or the sodomizing of a child. Am I insensitive to use such language and examples: no-this is what much of the world, including in the West is facing or soon to face: abominable horrors because they will not lay down their faith in God.
We have experienced faith challenging incidents, though I will not belabor them out of civility. So have many thousands throughout the world. What I have learned though, is that these incidents are machete blows to the Spirit from the enemy of the soul; they are meant to devour your faith and keep you from your only comfort and aid, which is Christ. These horrible incidents are not Christ inflicting trials of faith per se: they are the hatred of Satan for Christ, fought in a divine battle, intended to devour your faith. There are always casualties in a war: when a soldier steps on a mine, and suffers the indignation of the loss of a limb or life, he does not blame the General: he blames the war, or the enemy.
This post is not to take on the meaning of suffering and loss, nor why bad things happen to 'good people'. What I hope to repair in my own conscience though, is this understanding: that one must be prepared for battle before entering into it. Spiritual warfare is brutal and real: it can and regularly does cost life and limb. One has to go willingly and with preparation. One cannot go into battle half-heartedly, or with uncertainly or doubt. As our lives are encompassed with more material ease, we sometimes think we have faith we do not always have: I would not say this without 'three fingers pointing back': the truth is we sometimes walk in certain faith, and sometimes we waver.
All that being said, though, we will begin to consider some practical advice to confront persecution, and stop to consider events in the world. Our first advice is:
1. Stay in Groups
It is good to witness the Gospel. No ifs,ands , or buts: that is what we are to do: Jesus has commissioned each of us to carry out this great purpose of the salvation and healing of souls. Jesus though sent out his disciples two by two: he never sent them out alone. Why? because two people together (or more) can bolster each other's faith, and not be susceptible to arguments and hardships which might confront only one. Two people are more likely to be safe together, or if suffering occurs the suffering is more bearable shared. When one person goes into the 'agora' or marketplace to share the Gospel, he or she becomes a target of unbelief. Down at the University of Florida and on other campuses, street preachers are allowed to speak because it is a land grant college: it belongs not to a few but to all. They may not cause a riot or other disturbances, but they may speak as students or faculty may speak. However, they are now being confronted not with smirks or sideways glances as in days of old, but with bottle throwing, audacious and lewd mockery, and outright blockading of free speech by those who do not agree. One man dressed up like a Star Wars stormtrooper and copycatted everything the preacher did. One at another U dressed like Hitler, and gay organizations regularly try to shut down those preaching or passing out tracts. Some have resorted to violence: this is less likely to result in injury if there are 2 or more people sharing the Gospel (always in dignity and love).
Groups of Christians will not escape the hatred of a bomb blast. One has to settle that in their hearts and minds. One has to determine when an open meeting or event is going to do good: whether the risk is necessary or unnecessary. There was a time when Paul and another were warned not to go into Macedonia, and a time when they were called there. "Obedience is better than Sacrifice' remains our principle.
2. Always Pray. Pray Without Ceasing
When an event is determined, make sure it is God's will. While we are to be instant in season and out, we are also to be obedient. If you are going out to witness in addition to not going out alone, (and staying always in public view), have the others in your group pray the whole time. Pray for peace, pray for understanding, pray for the willing reception of the Gospel, for the preacher to be given the exact words in love, and for protection. A preacher in India where some pastors have been beaten to death, will prepare in prayer, first. Even in America though, in these days and times, people are afraid of religious speech: prayer changes things and keeps people safe.
More to follow.....
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