Yes, and all who desire to live godly in
Christ Jesus
will suffer persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12
Living a godly life
will not insulate you from hardship. Paul said that the more blameless your
life, the more likely you will be persecuted. According to Paul, “evil men and
impostors will grow worse and worse” (2 Tim. 3:13). As the world increasingly
embraces sin, worldly people are becoming increasingly intolerant of godliness.
Darkness cannot tolerate light; the more your life illuminates the presence of
Christ, the more you should expect opposition from the forces of darkness. Your
Christlike nature will be offensive to those in rebellion against Christ’s
Lordship.
You may have recently
repented of your sin and taken a new step of obedience to God. Perhaps you
expected to experience God’s blessing immediately as He demonstrated His
approval of your obedience. Instead, you were met with opposition. The
persecution may have come even from other Christians who misunderstood your
motives. Perhaps you obeyed God, and still your actions were met with criticism
instead of praise.
If you are sincerely
following the Lord’s direction, don’t be discouraged. Paul warned that those
who seek to live godly lives will suffer persecution. Do not be surprised when
this happens to you. If the world crucified the Son of God, surely the world
will be hostile to anyone who lives by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Persecution may be the best evidence that your life is like that of Christ.
Jesus warned that the world hated Him, the Savior, and so it would certainly
misunderstand and mistreat His disciples (John 15:18).
No comments:
Post a Comment