In America, the Gospel is being preached less and less in public. It is fading as a point of discussion in many families. It is non-existent in most workplaces. Christians are quickly becoming shunned as a reversal in tolerance has made our society see good in evil and evil in good.
Despite all this, our “oppression” is nothing compared to what millions of Christians face around the world. We might worry about being insulted on Twitter for being a Christian. In other places, their concern is that being a Christian may result in them losing their lives.
The day may come when this sort of true persecution makes it to America, but for now we are blessed to be able to avoid it. Or are we? Is it really a blessing to have very few worries about what our faith will bring to our lives? Matthew 5:11-12, may paint a different picture.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
If we are seeking blessing, perhaps we shouldn’t be seeking the easy way. That’s not to say you should quit your job and go get yourself beheaded senselessly by radical Muslim extremists or militant Hindu protectionists, but we definitely should not be seeking to avoid any conflict regarding our faith. Those who choose to hate you over your faith are not worth placating through silence or politeness.
Regardless of whether you’re sitting at home Tweeting Bible verses and debating an atheist troll or if you’re hiking through North Korea secretly handing out Bibles, stay bold and open about your faith and the tenets of the Bible that guide you. Persecution of Bible-believing Christians will only get worse. In fact, the day is coming when even those in the “church” will start persecuting true believers for their “intolerance” or “bigotry” against those who do not adhere to a strict Biblical worldview.
