The reason why Christians are persecuted
I can't say it any better than Mr. Jacobson did~~so rather than trying, here is his own brilliant reasoning along with the Biblical references supporting it. I have inserted two comments {surrounded by parentheses} below.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Why are Christians Persecuted?
by Jim Jacobson
FRONT ROYAL, VIRGINIA, July 27 (CFI~~ Christian Freedom.org )
Why are Bible-believing Christians so despised by the world? This is a question people frequently ask.
Do practicing Christians rob their neighbors, lie, cheat, fail to pay their taxes, or engage in other illegal activities?
Of course not.
Perhaps the best answer is found in a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night seeking answers to profound questions.
As Jesus said to Nicodemus, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”
Jesus then proceeds to answer the question about why His followers are so despised by the world: “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”
Jesus finishes His conversation with Nicodemus with this important point, “But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
The fact of the matter is this, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ you will be hated by those who do evil. Like rats in a sewer, they despise the light. Evildoers reject God’s son.
Jesus gives us more insight on this issue in a sermon he gave to a crowd on a mountainside. He said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Continuing, He said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Jesus goes on to talk about the “light” again by telling His followers, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let you light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Here is the amazing paradox for followers of Jesus Christ. If we have trusted in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we must let our light shine before men. In fact it cannot be hidden.
But by doing so, we will be hated and despised by the world. Paradoxically, the more the world hates us, the more we should rejoice and be glad.
This is what drives godless dictators in countries like Burma, Vietnam, North Korea, and Laos crazy so that they tear down churches and put Christians in prison, And this is what causes anti-Christian rulers in Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, and elsewhere to persecute, arrest and even martyr Christians.
{Add Iraq, Iran, Turkey, India, gee, name a middle eastern country~~with the exception of Israel}
Here at home, this is also what prevents many from receiving a promotion or losing their job. It is the daily grind of going-it-alone at the office or school and being the subject of cruel gossip at the water cooler or school cafeteria. {We have it so much easier~~at least, America has not started to put us to death......yet}
As Jesus said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I have spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.”
The promise we have is that we are not alone—they persecuted the prophets before us—and even more, our reward will be great in heaven.
What an incredible and wonderful opportunity for all Christians!
Keep the faith.
Sources:
Matthew 5:10-12 and 14-16
John 3:19-21
John 15:18-20
Top of Page
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Why are Christians Persecuted?
by Jim Jacobson
FRONT ROYAL, VIRGINIA, July 27 (CFI~~ Christian Freedom.org )
Why are Bible-believing Christians so despised by the world? This is a question people frequently ask.
Do practicing Christians rob their neighbors, lie, cheat, fail to pay their taxes, or engage in other illegal activities?
Of course not.
Perhaps the best answer is found in a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night seeking answers to profound questions.
As Jesus said to Nicodemus, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”
Jesus then proceeds to answer the question about why His followers are so despised by the world: “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”
Jesus finishes His conversation with Nicodemus with this important point, “But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
The fact of the matter is this, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ you will be hated by those who do evil. Like rats in a sewer, they despise the light. Evildoers reject God’s son.
Jesus gives us more insight on this issue in a sermon he gave to a crowd on a mountainside. He said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Continuing, He said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Jesus goes on to talk about the “light” again by telling His followers, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let you light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Here is the amazing paradox for followers of Jesus Christ. If we have trusted in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we must let our light shine before men. In fact it cannot be hidden.
But by doing so, we will be hated and despised by the world. Paradoxically, the more the world hates us, the more we should rejoice and be glad.
This is what drives godless dictators in countries like Burma, Vietnam, North Korea, and Laos crazy so that they tear down churches and put Christians in prison, And this is what causes anti-Christian rulers in Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, and elsewhere to persecute, arrest and even martyr Christians.
{Add Iraq, Iran, Turkey, India, gee, name a middle eastern country~~with the exception of Israel}
Here at home, this is also what prevents many from receiving a promotion or losing their job. It is the daily grind of going-it-alone at the office or school and being the subject of cruel gossip at the water cooler or school cafeteria. {We have it so much easier~~at least, America has not started to put us to death......yet}
As Jesus said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I have spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.”
The promise we have is that we are not alone—they persecuted the prophets before us—and even more, our reward will be great in heaven.
What an incredible and wonderful opportunity for all Christians!
Keep the faith.
Sources:
Matthew 5:10-12 and 14-16
John 3:19-21
John 15:18-20
Top of Page
posted by conservative~by~nature | 1:40 AM
1 Comments:
"freedom of speech, does NOT give us the right to be hateful, intolerant, disrespectful, sarcastic, or bigoted"
Hate to burst your bubble, but freedom of speech gives us the right to be all of those things so as long as the medium is words. Perhaps you didn't know this because you were too busy being persecuted, which is a common occurence in this day and age. If I had a dime for every time I saw a Christian get persecuted, I would be a millionaire, but only for a few short minutes because I would have to give away all of my earthly possessions in the name of our Lord. This means that this money (made up entirely of dimes) will have to go to a family that needs it more than I.
By the way, sarcasm REALLY shouldn't be in between disrespectful and bigoted. At the very worst, sarcasm can be a nuisance when in the wrong hands. I have never gotten as mad at someone for being sarcastic as I did for someone being hateful, intolerant, or bigoted. Maybe you should rethink your priorities.
Post a Comment
<< Home