Today the battle for truth is raging. Truth itself has become relative and God’s Word carries no authority for the majority of people in our nation and much of the Western World. Some Christians find it difficult to work in their chosen fields without compromising their religious convictions. In many arenas, those who speak up for what is morally right are called bigoted, intolerant, or worse.
But we need to be careful about putting our hope in the government to change and protect us. While there might be a temporary slowing of the process, I believe in the long run these trends will continue, perhaps faster than we think possible. So, how can we prepare ourselves for the continuing battle?
Things in our culture are changing rapidly. Many believe the attacks on biblical principles, the marginalization of our beliefs, the loss of our freedoms, and the persecution toward us as believers will continue to increase. How will we respond to the challenges? Will we stay true to what we say we believe? Will we continue to stand up for biblical truth when it’s unpopular? What if it were outlawed? What can we do to prepare ourselves for what could happen?
We’re working our way through the book of Colossians in these weekly posts. In this lesson, we’ll talk about how Paul could rejoice in suffering, what he meant when he said he was “filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions,” how persecution can be like murder when it’s a crime of passion, the unfolding plan of God, and the mystery that had been hidden from earlier generations.
John Foxe was a 16th-century English historian best known for writing the book, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. It gives a detailed account of Christian martyrs throughout Western history. His book is about courageous men, women, and children who have been...
