Suffering For His Name

1 Peter 1:6-7 (King James Version)

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

In Bible study today we discussed suffering. This has really had an impact on me. I really can't think of anything else at this point. I just keep contemplating the fact that is my obedience to God so great, that it brings me suffering in His name? God is a giving God. What has he given to us? He gave His Son for a ransom for our sin. He gave us forgiveness. He gave us Grace. He gave us salvation. He gave us the Holy Spirit. He gave us spiritual gifts. What about this spiritual gift: SUFFERING. Let's look at a few scriptures.

Matthew 5:10-12 (King James Version)

10Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

John 15:18-23 (King James Version)

18If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
22If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.
23He that hateth me hateth my Father also.

We see here that we will be hated by the world IF we walk in righteousness. This really hit me today. Let's look first at the gift of suffering.

Philippians 1:29 (King James Version)

29For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

It is given to us the free gift of suffering. The really question is: Who wants that gift? Can I see a show of hands? This is a big OUCH for me. What about you?

Let's look at some examples of the joy the early saints had in suffering for the Lord. Acts 16:25 Paul and Silas and Foxe's Book of Martyrs.

Acts 16:20-25 (King James Version)

20And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
21And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
22And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
23And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
24Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
25And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

Here are a few accounts of true suffering from Foxe's Book of Martyrs

At the martyrdom of Faustines and Jovita, brothers and citizens of Brescia, their torments were so many, and their patience so great, that Calocerius, a pagan, beholding them, was struck with admiration, and exclaimed in a kind of ecstasy, "Great is the God of the Christians!" for which he was apprehended, and suffered a similar fate.

Germanicus, a young man, but a true Christian, being delivered to the wild beasts on account of his faith, behaved with such astonishing courage that several pagans became converts to a faith which inspired such fortitude.

Polycarp, the venerable bishop of Smyrna, hearing that persons were seeking for him, escaped, but was discovered by a child. After feasting the guards who apprehended him, he desired an hour in prayer, which being allowed, he prayed with such fervency, that his guards repented that they had been instrumental in taking him. He was, however, carried before the proconsul, condemned, and burnt in the market place.

The proconsul then urged him, saying, "Swear, and I will release thee;--reproach Christ."

Polycarp answered, "Eighty and six years have I served him, and he never once wronged me; how then shall I blaspheme my King, Who hath saved me?" At the stake to which he was only tied, but not nailed as usual, as he assured them he should stand immovable, the flames, on their kindling the fagots, encircled his body, like an arch, without touching him; and the executioner, on seeing this, was ordered to pierce him with a sword, when so great a quantity of blood flowed out as extinguished the fire. But his body, at the instigation of the enemies of the Gospel, especially Jews, was ordered to be consumed in the pile, and the request of his friends, who wished to give it Christian burial, rejected. They nevertheless collected his bones and as much of his remains as possible, and caused them to be decently interred.

Now that's lifestyle evangelism! Do you believe that people will come to Christ because of the way you live? Probably not, but, these examples show you just what to do!

You see, we are to find our joy in suffering for Christ because we follow in His commands. What commands? There are four commands in which everything else can be attributed to after salvation, baptism and the Lord's Supper. There is Love God with all your heart, mind soul and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. There there is the Great Commission and Discipleship. Every other command can be attributed to these.

This means true joy comes from strict obedience in which will cause suffering. Let's look at 2 Tim 3:12.

2 Timothy 3:12 (King James Version)

12Yea, and all that will live GODLY in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. (I added the emphasis)

Are we walking in such a way with God that we suffer persecution? Let me pose the question like this. Think of it as a test of Godliness. Are you suffering persecution for His name? Let's get serious for a moment. Are you doing, standing, protesting, vocalizing whatever it may be against ungodliness in this country? This is the way to see revival. Does your life look like that of John the Baptist, the weirdo in the wilderness, separated from the world and all you eat, drink and sleep obedience to His commands? (I'm not saying you're a weirdo if you live a separated life, this is the world's perception of truly separated believers) Are you so separated that the world knows you're a Christian? This is the problem with Western Christianity. We look, talk and act like the world so much that they can't tell us apart. When the #1 reason the world says they don't like Christians is Hypocrisy, well, that's saying something. I understand we are all hypocrites, but are we hypocrites so much that the unbeliever can't tell you apart from them? You would be surprised how much Scripture the world knows. They know what is required for Christian living, why can't we see that? Here is something else that struck me. (Thanks for the reminder Terrell) In Paul Washer's sermon on the Holiness of God, he says,

"What's sad about American Christianity is that even thirty years ago, the ungodly were more godly than we are today. If we were able to take the Church, in it's present state, back thirty years, we would be the one's seen as ungodly."

OUCH! When you live a truly Godly life, you will suffer. Again, are you suffering persecution? Maybe you're not living as Godly as you think. When your heart is right with God, suffering is a glorious, joyful thing. This is where we find the joy of the Lord. When your heart is not right, well, this is where you get the idea that Christianity is this gloomy, dismal, can't have any fun religion. How do you look at his commands? Are they burdensome or joyous? Do you stand up against sin and ungodliness? Do you protest what's on television? Do stand on the side of righteousness in all things? Is your heart prepared to at any cost, be beaten, stoned or burnt at the stake? What about sing praises to God in all of our persecutions? Here is the ultimatum that keeps running through my mind. Who do I fear more, God or man? Here you have two choices. Do you want to suffer for His name at the hands of men or do you want to deal with the Wrath of God being poured out upon you? You might say, "Wrath of God? I'm a believer!" Yes, I understand. But as God did with Judah, He can and most likely will do with the U.S. the same He did for Judah. Do you want to be found in the middle of God's Wrath being poured out on a nation and you are not found faithful, or would you rather suffer for His name at the hands of men? At the rate we are going as a nation, it won't be long! I would urge you, therefore brethren, to check your heart. I know I need to check mine! Are you ready? My prayer is that I will be, how about YOU? - Now that is the Whole Truth - Joe