Righteous Persecution
There was once a question about why the righteous had to suffer persecution. Could God, whom they served faithfully, not prevent suffering for His people? But the Bible is clear that every believer will suffer righteous persecution. Like a hand in a glove, righteousness and persecution go together. We wish it were not so but Jesus promised us that if we follow Him, the world will hate us.
To be forewarned is to be forearmed and Jesus took His disciples (like you and I) aside to forewarn them. That is because such suffering often tempts us to give up on Jesus. Some who do not give up on this righteous persecution often carry on under a load of suffering. They consider such suffering as the cross that Jesus says we must each bear. But by warning us, Jesus is trying to ensure we do not abandon Him or think of groaning under a cross. He wants us to follow Him with joy, regardless of the persecution.
So he says the reason the world will hate us is not because of any evil we do but because we follow Him. And since the world hates Jesus, it is bound to hate His followers and subject them to righteous persecution. This might be the height of positive problems, where you suffer for doing the right thing. He continued by saying that if you were of the world, the world would love us. In essence, Jesus is saying if the world loves you, you are not following Him.
No Righteous Persecution For The Unbeliever
You are not a Christian even if you are the one who opens the church in the morning. It may be that you are the pastor. If the world loves and hails you, you are not a Christian. Now, that sounds harsh but please read it from John 15.19. We are not the ones making that declaration. Jesus said it. Pastors will persecute you and claim they are doing God’s work even when they throw you out of the church.
Don’t forget that the conspiracy that crucified Jesus came from the temple. Who was Pontius Pilate in the death of Jesus if the high priest had not determined to murder Jesus? That poor Governor was minding his business when the religious leaders brought Jesus to him. So, your righteous persecution may include the pastor and other ministers showing you the door. That should not bother you.
Their grandfathers not only showed Jesus the door, but they also showed Him the cross. They could not rest until they had crucified Him. But glory be to God, His father did not leave Him in the grave. Because of the resurrection, He is now in Heaven praying for you and me if we trust Him. That is the grandest positive problem, which we shall revisit later in the series.
Why Some People Persecute Others
Since they persecuted Jesus, what makes us think we can escape the righteous persecution that is coming to us? The light in your life challenges the darkness of their lives. That is the reason for righteous persecution. They are trying to discourage you so you will follow them into the darkness of hell. Jesus knew that and He therefore took the trouble to warn us. We must not fall and we shall not fall, in Jesus’ name.
Since the persecutors do not know God, it means they only know the devil. Do not let their bullying and righteous persecution pull you into satan’s camp. Jesus advised us to pray for those who despitefully use us. That is another way of saying we should pray for those who give us righteous persecution. A good prayer point is that they should come to know God. Of course, you should also pray for yourself that you will not fall because of their righteous persecution.
Maranatha!
