We live in a culture that is increasingly hostile to Christ and Christianity. Religious freedom and tolerance have been replaced with intolerance and, even, hatred. Are you prepared for what could very well come in our lifetimes and, indeed, is already happening?

Back during the height of the pandemic, I heard one commentator say that some pastors want to spread COVID-19 because it furthers their political agenda. And we have all heard comments claiming Christians are uncaring about others and their struggles with sexual issues and unwanted pregnancies.

In reality, many believers work tirelessly to help those who struggle with sin and heartache. But that doesn’t stop God’s enemies from making blanket statements that would have been roundly criticized in times past.

And try defending your faith in a university or high school classroom. Young people are regularly humiliated and even attacked for speaking the truth. Christian teachers and professors are often denied positions in the name of tolerance, a word that has come to mean anything but that.

Or watch your average movie or TV program. I cringe when they make it obvious a character is a minister of some kind. He will probably be made to look foolish, hypocritical, or mean-spirited before it’s over.

Yet, we have probably just begun to experience the hostility and persecution that the Bible tells us will come. So, what can we do to prepare?

Today’s Readings:

Isaiah 9 & 10
Psalm 106.1-5
Proverbs 25.1-2
2 Corinthians 1.1-24

Are You Prepared for Persecution?

2 Corinthians 1.1-24:

Epic Changes

Paul Nyquist in his book, Prepare, says the following:

Get ready. An exciting, yet terrifying era is beginning for American believers. As cultural changes sweep our country, we’ll soon be challenged to live out what the Bible says about confronting and responding to persecution. For nearly 250 years, Christians in America were able to live in relative freedom from persecution. We escaped because our society historically embraced and promoted biblical values. Our founding fathers penned a Constitution esteeming religious freedom and establishing that rights come from God, not the government.

But we’re witnessing an epic change in our culture— a spiritual climate shift threatening to reshape life as we know it. Hostility and intolerance are replacing toleration. Rejection and even hatred are pushing aside acceptance.

John S. Dickerson, in his well-researched book The Great Evangelical Recession, writes, “In the coming decades United States evangelicals will be tested as never before, by the ripping and tearing of external cultural change— a force more violent than many of us expect. Evangelicalism in the United States has stood strong through centuries of difficulties and setbacks. She has not seen anything quite like what she will see in the next fifty years.”

Nyquist, actually, wrote the book in 2015. But it’s almost impossible not to notice that his words are truer now than perhaps many thought possible then. And the speed with which it’s happening seems to be increasing.

Get Ready

The complete title of Nyquist’s book is Prepare: Living Your Faith in an Increasingly Hostile Culture. Whether we want to or not, we need to be prepared.

More and more often, Christians will be forced to choose between saying and doing what’s pleasing to God and what’s acceptable to those around us. And those opposed to biblical values are increasingly bold and vocal about their opposition and loathing.

If we’re to be ready, we need to be strong, not in our own strength but in our relationships with God. We need to know why we believe what we do and be prepared to defend the truth in biblical ways.

But why in this believe-anything-you-want-world do believers seem to face so much persecution?

Why Persecution?

First, Satan is the god of this world (2 Cor. 4.4). And he hates everything God loves and cherishes. But he is not omnipotent and is only allowed a certain amount of freedom to carry out his evil deeds. The first few chapters of Job make that very clear. In the meantime, God has a plan; while we can’t see the big picture, His plan is good, pure, and perfect. One day God’s perfect justice will be carried out against Satan and his demons.

Second, we need to understand that persecution has always been a reality for believers in Christ. It may vary in degree in different cultures and times, but Jesus warned us to expect it (Jn. 15.20). The Apostle Paul said, “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3.12).

And third, the Bible says persecution is good for us.

² Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. ³ For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ⁴ So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing (Jas. 1.2-4 NLT).

When responded to rightly, persecution develops Christian character, helps us mature in Christ, draws us closer to the Lord, and is a testimony to the world. So, how do we prepare to face it when it comes?

How to Prepare

• Eat the right things. What are you feeding on spiritually? Are you eating the Bread of Life or are you feeding on the junk food this world has to offer (Jn. 6.35, 53-58; Rom. 10.17; 2 Tim. 3.16-17)?
• Remember His promises (2 Cor. 10.13; 2 Cor. 1.3-4). Find one that speaks to you and memorize it (Ps. 119.11). You might start with Isaiah 3.10-11.
• Practice responding rightly in the little things like when you feel disrespected, unappreciated, or mistreated (Matt. 5.38-48; Heb. 5.14).
• Determine to follow Christ’s example (1 Pet. 2.19-23).
• Make it your goal to please and honor God (2 Cor. 5.9).
• Pray for God’s grace (Heb. 4.14-16).

Not Always Easy

That doesn’t mean persecution is easy to handle. That’s why it’s so important to pray for God’s grace. We, also, need the help and support of other believers in Christ. Verses 3-4 of today’s reading say this:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

When we need comfort, God can provide someone else to encourage us. Then as we find comfort, we can comfort others. That’s why it’s so important to be part of a solid, New Testament church.

So, the questions we must ask ourselves are: “Will we be prepared for persecution when it comes?” “Will we respond well?” “Will we grow as a result?”

You can read more on this subject in these posts:

“Excited about Persecution?”

“Can Anything Good Come from Persecution?”

“Could My Response to Someone’s Sin Cause Me More Suffering?”

“Are Our Spiritual Battles a Fair Fight?”

Today’s Other Readings:

Isaiah 9 & 10:

His Promise in Judgment

Once again we see that even in the midst of judgment, God offers hope. Here in Isaiah 9, He reminds them (and us) of His promise to send a Savior. Chapter 9.1-2, 6-7:

Those who were truly His were to keep an eternal perspective, looking forward to the coming of their Savior and the time when all wrongs will be set right.

Fear God Not Our Enemies

And in chapter 10, God told the people not to fear their enemies (vv. 24-25). Even though the nation, as a whole, was going to be defeated and taken into captivity, His people should continue to have faith in Him. In the New Testament Jesus said it this way:

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt. 10.28).

This passage is talking about the fear of God, as opposed to the fear of man. The fear of God is not cowering fear, but reverential respect. It means being more concerned about pleasing and honoring Him than worrying about what people may think or do.

Divine Supports & Comforts

Fearing God and not man is vitally important when we face persecution. It’s also important as we face any kind of hardship. As I said yesterday, our nations could very well come under, even be under, God’s judgment. So, it’s more important than ever that we, too, keep an eternal perspective. This world is temporal. We are to keep our eyes on the rewards we will receive in heaven and not expect everything to be “heavenly” here on earth.

But we also need to remember that God offers great comfort for the righteous as we saw in our September 6th reading. He will always be with His faithful remnant, just as He was in the past, and as Matthew Henry said about Isaiah 3, the righteous shall have “divine supports and comforts, which shall abound as afflictions abound.”

Do you have those divine supports and comforts?

You cannot have peace and trust in God if you don’t first have peace with God. And peace with God only comes from knowing our sins have been forgiven.

There is nothing we can do to earn that forgiveness. No amount of good deeds. No amount of church attendance. Sacraments won’t do it. Nothing.

Instead, God offers it as a free gift to those who will believe it and receive it (Rom. 6.23).

Psalm 106.1-5:

Relying on His Grace

4 Remember me, O LORD, with the favor You have toward Your people.
Oh, visit me with Your salvation,
5 That I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones,
That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation,
That I may glory with Your inheritance.

The benefits and blessings of God do not come as a result of any inherent goodness in us, only because of His salvation. He extended His grace to us “while we were yet sinners” (Rom. 5.8) and He continues to show us His grace by walking with us, forgiving us when we fall (1 Jn. 1.9), picking us up, and helping us to grow and change.

Proverbs 25.1-2:

Nothing is Hidden from Him

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter (v. 2).

God does not need to search things out. Nothing is hidden from Him. Yet, when we come to Him in humble repentance, He graciously forgives and covers our sins. But men and women, whether kings or others, cannot know another person’s heart fully. When seeking to provide justice or counsel, we must carefully and prayerfully gather the facts (“search out a matter”) and pray for God’s grace to work through us.

What Do You Think?

Have you faced persecution? How did you respond? What are you doing to get ready for life in our fallen world and any persecution it could bring?

And how are you doing in the area of fearing God versus the fear of man?

Coming Up:

In the coming days, we will talk more about why the world hates us, how we justify not obeying God’s Word, the importance of good doctrine, presumptuous sins, how our whining keeps us from shining God’s light into a dark world, and how delayed obedience = disobedience.

I hope you’ll sign up so you don’t miss any of them. You might also like to check out our YouTube channel.

If this post spoke to you, I would love it if you would share it on your favorite social media platform.

And if you don’t already have a copy, you might want to purchase a copy of my eBook, 10 Benefits of Keeping a Spiritual Journal. It’s available on Kindle or in paperback (the paperback has 31 days of blank journaling pages with prompts to help you get started).

Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥

Note about this post:

I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer. 

A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”

I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.

Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)

I sometimes LINKUP with these blogs.