All who endeavor to follow Christ and speak His truth will suffer persecution. If all we ever experience is peace and a world free from cares, chances are that we are not counted among Christ's favorites. In fact, scripture tells us that the Lord chastises those whom He approves of.
We must live pure lives. We must also be willing to continue to be purified by frequent rebukes. The cross of Christ consists in experiencing conflict and fears. Satan will constantly attempt to entice and tempt us. We must battle against him. We must also battle those forces within the Church herself. Often we will find ourselves persecuted by the very members of our same body.
Have no fear because the Lord Jesus Himself suffered at the hands of those who were His own. He was counted among the wicked though He committed no sin. We must give thanks to the Lord as we drink His cup of suffering!
In Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
No comments:
Post a Comment