"In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted," 2 Tim. 3:12
I think all of us can agree that living a Christian life is tough, but most of us in America can't say that the Gospel has cost us anything apart from slight discomfort, rejection, and the occasional sacrifice of our time to go to church. As persecution is defined as the subjecting of a person or group to cruel or unfair treatment because of their beliefs, I don't think those things count as persecution.
I've heard this topic discussed plenty of times, and usually the conversation loops around to being ended by saying, "We have just been blessed to have been born in a tolerant country."
Yes, we have been blessed to live in an amazing country where we aren't hunted down for our beliefs. Yet, you have to ask the question: Where there are so many countries in which Christians ARE being hunted down, why is ours so different? I don't think it's just because all of our government is just so tolerant of everyone's beliefs.
In a big way, we as Christians in America have stopped being a threat. It's easy to be tolerant of something when it doesn't pose a threat. Just take a look at the life of Jesus, the Lion and the Lamb. If he had just been the lamb and not challenged the current ways of the day, I'm sure the Pharisees would have been plenty "tolerant." But yet, He was also the lion, who came to defend the weak and change the hearts of those who believed.
And He became a threat.
Another threat was posed after Christ Himself was put to death, and His name was Stephen, also known as the first martyr for the cause of Christ.
"Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. Opposition arose, however..." Acts 6:8-9
The Bible says that Stephen was full of God's grace and power, yet there was opposition. But why? Verse 14 clears that up for us, "For we have heard Him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us."
Although these accounts were from false witnesses, their lies tell us why they were afraid of Stephen. He told them that His Savior, Jesus, threatened to "change the customs". They didn't want to change. So in chapter 8, we see Stephen stoned for the threat that he posed in the name of Jesus.
Stephen was living in a "God-believing" nation, as well. But that didn't stop him from being seen as a threat. Wherever you are, take a stand against even the most minor injustice that you see and see how the people react.
Where there is no risk, there is no threat. Where there is no threat, there is no need for persecution.
Even Satan cares very little when we are Christians but taking no risk. We don't pose a threat to His purposes.
It is when we take risks that we become a threat to Satan and the world around us. When we finally become dangerous, then persecution will come. Christ was persecuted for OUR sake. We follow in His footsteps because we believe in His cause, no matter what it costs.
What has following Christ cost you?
In Your Word we are promised persecution and suffering,
but where is it, aside from the slight discomfort of occasional rejection?
You've called us to risk and danger
but those of us in the "Land of the Free" have become stagnant
We chalk up our lack of promised persecution to tolerance,
but that is not the whole story, not the full picture.
Tolerance exists because threat doesn't.
The Church and the world were never intended to be in a tolerant standstill,
we are called to dangerous influence, to threaten the regime of the Evil One
Our very Savior was crucified by His own people for posing a threat to "the way things were"
So GO! Be dangerous, be a threat.
