Suffering for His Sake

 “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated” Hebrews 13:3.

In the Western world today, we know very little of what it is like to suffer for Christ. We often fail to remember that across the world, Christians are not allowed the religious freedom we take for granted. Presumably, we think that it’s normal to be a follow of Jesus, that this freedom is our right. It is not.

In over fifty counties around the globe, being a Christian is intolerable and often times dangerous. Within these nations, even owning a Bible is not permitted. Christians must commonly meet in secret to avoid arrest and harassment. In many countries in the Middle East, becoming a Christian can easily cause you to become shunned by your family.

During the days of the early church, the apostle Paul wrote: “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” The first century AD, when the church was just beginning, was the time of the Roman Empire. In that era, thousands of Christians were publicly killed for their faith. Many were burned to death, thrown to lions, or murdered by sword. Incredibly, more Christians are being martyred today than in the days of the Roman Empire. It was estimate just before the turn of the century, in 1998, nearly 156,000 believers died for their faith. All in just one year. In China alone, over a quarter million Christians have paid the ultimate price for following Jesus.

Yet the church still grows. Every day, 74,000 new believers are added to the body of Christ, and 3,500 churches are planted. Between 1990 and 2000, the amount of Christians in the world doubled. The more Satan tries to destroy the church, the faster it grows. Like trying to put out a fire with gasoline, persecution only adds fuel to the burning flame of God’s Spirit.

The early church leader Tertullian wrote (AD 197): “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Dying, we conquer. The moment we are crushed, that moment we go forth victorious.” Though from a human point of view it may seem like a useless tragedy, Heaven’s view of martyrdom is much different. The Psalmist writes: “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” Instead of praying for persecution to stop, we should ask God to strengthen those who face opposition for their faith. We must come along side these courageous men and women who are suffering for His sake, helping them in every way possible.

If you would like to help the persecuted church around the world, please take the time to go Voice of the Martyrs’ website, www.persecution.com.

-Reagan Schrock, GOA blog manager

*All Scripture quotes are from the ESV Bible, copyright, 2001. Used with permission.