WHEN PERSECUTION COMES

JOHN 15:18-25

MARCH 3, 1996

           

Persecution is one of those words we do not want to think about.  So often in our minds it is something that happens in China or the Eastern Bloc countries or in primitive areas of Africa.  Indeed, persecution does take place in those areas!  But persecution in a variety of forms takes place even here. (See current issue of Christianity Today, March 6, 1996 on persecution)

 

You cannot read very long in church history without seeing constant acts of persecutions toward those who have abandoned man-made religions and bowed the knee to Christ alone as Lord.  Pick any country across the globe where there have been true believers and you will find periods of persecution; some intense, some insidious, but all very real. 

 

The much read Foxe's Book of Martyrs chronicles such persecutions from the first century through the 17th century.  I encourage you to read it (a copy is in our church library) and see the price paid by countless believers for standing firm in their faith in Jesus Christ.  Though John Foxe records incidents of persecution by Muslims, idolaters, and others, the bulk of his record involves the religious world persecuting those with a true faith in Christ.  Look at the opposition to the early believers.  Who stood against them and sought to shut them down?  It was the religious world of Judaism that had rebelled at the gospel of Jesus Christ.  At other times it was a perversion of Christianity that mounted attacks upon true believers.

 

One of the news publications I receive bi-monthly is National & International Religion Report.  It gives the latest information about what is happening in the broad realm of the Christian religion across the globe.  I do not recall even one issue in the last several years that did not give at least one article about the persecution of Christians.  Sometimes it is the attitude taken by the media in trying to discredit the Christian message and messengers.  Other times it is the imprisonment, punishment, or even killing of Christians for speaking publicly for Christ.  I still recall a couple of years ago being at Dr. Stephen Olford's when he received word that a fine Christian leader in Peru, who had just recently been with the Olford's, was abducted and killed for preaching the gospel of Christ.  He dared to carry the gospel into the thick of worldly-minded people and they took his life.  Even some of our own SBC missionaries have met with stiff political opposition, pressure, and sometime physical harm for their gospel-work.

 

But, you may wonder, is this just a problem outside of the United States?  While we may not see Christians killed very often in our country, there is a constant opposition going on by the religious world that does not understand truth.  Christians are negatively caricatured by television and movies.  Newswriters often slant their version of stories involving Christians to make us look like we are backward, ignorant, or hate-mongers.  Those who stand for the truth of God's Word are castigated, insulted, lied about, and criticized.  Christians often get mistreated in job-settings due to their faith.  Some get overlooked in promotions.  We could go on, but I think you get the picture:  the unbelieving world about us is offended by the truth of the gospel and will stop at nothing to silence the message of Christianity.

 

Our Lord warned us about persecution so that it would not surprise us nor catch us off guard.  It comes inevitably from the world, that prevailing spirit or attitude embodied by those who do not know the living God through His Son.  Don Carson calls the world, "The created moral order in active rebellion against God" (The Gospel According to John, 525).  We sometimes get the wrong impression of what is meant by the world when we consider that it is something beyond the walls of the church.  Frankly, I think the greatest persecution going on in our country comes from within the walls of the church by those who profess Christianity, but do not know Christ in a saving way.  Whether the persecution comes from within the institutional church or outside the church, we must be ready to face it.  When persecution comes we can face it even as our Lord did, without grim resignation, but by resting in the truth of God.

 

What is involved in facing persecution when it comes?

 

1.  Commands to prepare you

 

J.C. Ryle wrote, "Mere churchmanship and outward profession are a cheap religion, of course, and cost a man nothing.  But real vital Christianity will always bring with it a cross" (Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, 203).  Paul reminds Timothy, "And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (II Tim. 3:12).  Peter adds to this, "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you" (I Pet. 4:12).  Our Lord told the disciples, "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name" (Matt. 24:9).

 

Persecution, tribulation, trials, suffering are all biblical words that describe the lot of those who stand in faithfulness to Christ and in opposition to the world.  It is not something that might happen to Christians, but rather something that God's Word declares will happen to believers.  Since this is true, then we must understand how to be prepared for such times.  Some of you have been encountering varying degrees of persecution and trials for your faith.  Take heart!  Our Lord has given you some truth to stand on!

 

The Greek of our text offers two words that are commands.  It is interesting that both of them relate to our understanding of the matter of worldly opposition to Christians for Jesus' sake.

 

(1) A command to "know"

 

"If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you" (v. 18).  The marginal reading in the NASB points out that this can be translated as an imperative or command.  I believe that is the best rendering.  It would change the sentence from a mere statement to a solid command:  "If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it has hated you."  The word used for "know" implies a growth in understanding rather than a full or complete understanding.  It is the idea that as you develop in the Christian life and disciplines, you are to grow in understanding the world's hatred of Christ and consequently, its hatred of you as a disciple.

 

Why would anyone hate Jesus Christ?  That is a fair question.  We have grown up being taught by parents and Sunday School teachers of the greatness, kindness, and love of Christ.  We have read of the incredible way He treated others, the ways He often showed mercy, the multitude of ways that He relieved human misery.  How can anyone hate this kind of person?

 

We must see Jesus Christ against the backdrop of the world.  He is unique as the only human Who is at the same time the Almighty and Eternal God.  Yes, He understands all the needs of humanity, but He also comprehends all of the majesty of deity.  Most of the world disbelieves this reality.

 

The very nature of the world leads it to resist Jesus Christ.  When God created the world out of nothing, it had order, symmetry, beauty, and a radiance of divine holiness.  But when sin marred the world, it affected everything in the creation.  The Fall infused a spirit of animosity toward God into every human.  It is the case of all the human creatures rebelling against their Creator due to the problem of man's fallen nature. 

 

The Psalmist describes this so graphically in the second Psalm:

Why are the nations in an uproar, and the peoples devising a vain thing?  The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed:  "Let us tear their fetters apart, and cast away their cords from us!"


The world considers its responsibility to obey the living God and His holy Law as "fetters" or chains.  It rebels at the idea that 'anyone' might rule over it.  So the attitude of the world since man's fall is to oppose the Almighty and His rule.

 

This opposition was clearly seen in the way the religious world responded to Jesus Christ.  They seethed in their hatred toward the One who came to redeem them from their sin.  Over and over in the Gospels we see the religious leaders secretly gathering to plot against our Lord, only to be frustrated until the time of His being delivered for crucifixion was at hand.

 

This is not just a 1st century phenomenon!  The world still hates Jesus Christ, that is, the true Christ that is revealed in Scripture.  Now, you can be sure that it tolerates and even admires the watered-down versions of who Christ is.  But it is repulsed at the idea of Christ being the Savior and Lord and all that entails.  So, Jesus tells us to realize this worldly hatred and opposition toward Him that is now passed along to us as His followers.

 

(2) A command to "remember"

 

A second command is found in verse 20, "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also."  The word "remember" carriers with it the 'exercise of understanding'.  It shows that we are to mull truths around in our minds, to let these truths sink in, to recall them for constant use.  Now Jesus is telling the disciples to remember a simple principle which He said will hold true:  'A slave is not greater than his master.'  This leads to the explanation of what He spoke concerning persecution.

Essentially, our Lord tells us that there are no exceptions to the rule of persecutions. It is true that Jesus Christ bore our reproach before the Father, but it is equally true that He allows us to share in His sufferings.  If our Master, the Lord Jesus, Who is infinitely greater than us suffered for the cause of righteousness and His kingdom, then we need not think that we are exempt.  This is why Jesus told those who proposed to follow Him that to follow meant a cross.  It is not a life of ease.  It is not a popular thing to do.  To follow Jesus will engender hatred from the world, opposition at times from our own families, and suffering for the cause of Christ.

 

Kevin Millard, our missionary in Albania, has told me often about a young man sixteen years old named Erion.  Erion came to Christ under Kevin's ministry and continues to walk faithfully for the Lord.  He is the one who has initiated a Christian club in his high school, the first of its kind in this formerly atheistic country.  But Erion's walk has not been easy.  He meets with opposition from his mother who scrutinizes everything he does related to Christianity.  He meets opposition at school, even from some of the administrators.  He has even met opposition from other professing Christians for his stand on God's Word and the truth of the gospel.  Our Lord said in essence, 'That's what you can expect if you are truly following Me as your Master.'

 

There is a simple explanation to the principle our Lord has laid down for us:  "If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also."  None of us would deny that the world vigorously persecuted Christ.  Now He tells us that the same will happen to us.  But we also recognize that some few in the world 'kept' the word of Christ.  Even so, there will be a few along the way who will respond to our gospel witness rather than opposing it.  It is a case of Christians remaining the minority in the world, while opposition and persecution remain the standard fare of true believers.  There will be those times that a worldling will hear the Word of God and obey, finding deliverance from their bondage.  All believers today are excellent examples of this!  But the gospel never finds appeal among the masses; instead, it is for the few who will enter the small gate and the narrow way of the crucified, risen Jesus Christ.

 

Know that the world hates Christ before it hates you.  Remember that if they persecuted Christ, they will persecute you; and thankfully, if they kept His Word, they will respond to your witness as well.

 

2.  Conditions to distinguish you

 

Our Lord shows us in simple fashion what a true believer is as opposed to a person of the world.  The reason for persecution is not necessarily due to church membership.  Multitudes who do not know Christ in truth belong to churches!  And interestingly enough, some of the ones doing the persecuting are members of the institutional church, though not regenerate.  I believe this is a significant reason why are Lord gave us some clarifications on what is true Christianity at this point.

 

Christians are distinguished by...

 

(1) What you are not

 

Christ says, "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world," and in that phrase He tells us what we are not as believers.  You are not of the world.  Later, in I John 2:15-17, we find the Apostle John clarifying this statement:

Do not love the world, nor the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.  And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.       


In light of this, we must ask, 'To whom do you belong?'  Look at your lifestyle and actions, they will unveil who your master really is.  Check out the use of your time, the way you spend your money, the things that interest you.  All of these are clear indicators of whether or not you belong to Jesus Christ.  Do you see the distinct marks of His saving work on all these areas of your life?  Can you honestly say that Christ is first and foremost in all the areas  of your life?

 

Too much of what is passed off as Christianity is simply the world wearing the cloak of religious talk, superficial professions, and meaningless religious activity.  Real Christianity strips from you a love of this worldly system and way of life.  You find yourself ill-at-ease with embracing the world or dallying in its offerings.  You are uncomfortable following a pattern of rebellion against the Lord and His holy Law.

 

The Scriptures are very clear that there are some things that do not belong in Christians' lives.  This is not to say that if a person has a very clean lifestyle he is automatically a Christian.  Please don't misunderstand this and get the idea that your works offer you merit before our Righteous Judge.  But it is clear that when Christ does His saving work in us that we become new creatures so that the things that we once loved that were of the world now have no affection for us.  Let me read a few biblical examples.

 

Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God (I Cor. 6:9-11).

 

But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thank.  For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience (Eph. 5:3-6).


The world cannot understand this kind of lifestyle that is devoid of the pleasures, lusts, and deceptions the world prizes.  Consequently, the world reacts to you as Christians in the same way they reacted to our Lord!  Suffice it to say, watching only one evening of television will reveal the kinds of things the world prizes.  When we take a stand against such unholy living, we are ridiculed, laughed at, scorned, and opposed. 

 

(2) Whose you are

 

Our Lord added in verse 19, that a second condition that distinguishes us is 'whose you are'.  "But I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."  We must see that we were in the same mess as the rest of the world until the Lord showed His amazing grace to us.  The Psalmist describes this beautifully in Psalm 40.

He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.  And He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear, and will trust in the Lord.


We have already seen how our Lord taught us about His Sovereign work of election in our lives.  He tells us this for our security, our comfort, our solace.  When we realize that the living God Himself chose us out of the world so that we might know Him and enjoy all the glories of being in relationship to Him, it gives us courage to go on in the face of opposition.

 

As we have tried to show, the idea of election does not exclude the human responsibility of repentance and faith in Christ.  Both of these are absolutely true.  Yet the emphasis at this point of reminding us of being chosen is to help us see that no matter what we face in this life, we belong to Jesus Christ and we will live with Him forever. 

 

This is why Paul could face life with all of its hardships, persecutions, and in his case, imprisonments, and declare, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Phil. 1:21).  'Even in prison, Paul?'  'Yes, in prison, too!'  'Even when you are being beaten for your faith Paul?'  'Yes, thank God, He has counted me worthy to suffer for His name' sake!'

 

Oh brethren, we must go back to these truths and find rest for our souls in the midst of whatever opposition or persecution we face.  If you are Christ's own, then go on through this time for an eternity of the glories of Christ lies before you!  Consider the Apostle Paul for a moment.  Here was a man who had persecuted Christians with a raging passion.  But when He was mightily saved by the grace of God, the persecution was leveled at him.  He faced threats, opposition, stonings, beatings, imprisonments, ridicule, and so much more that it would make our heads swim to even try to fathom it!  Yet, what did he have to say about it all?

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.  For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal (II Cor. 4:16-18).


There is the source of your comfort:  what you are not, by the grace of God and Whose you are, by the grace of God.  Rest in the firm security you have in the eternal relationship with Jesus Christ!

 

3.  Comprehensions to assist you

 

Why does the world act as it does?

 

Perhaps a good way to end this study on facing persecution is to be reminded of the pitiful condition of the world without Christ.  The world can try to put its best foot forward, but even that best foot is hopelessly depraved and lost.  It cannot go far without exposing the wretchedness of its sinful, rebellious nature. 

 

Christ shows us that the world is...

 

(1) Without the knowledge of God

 

"But all these things they will do to you for My names sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me."  Keep in mind that Jesus was speaking about the most religious people of the first century.  They loudly claimed their belief in Jehovah!  Yet, the sad thing is that with all of their knowledge and loud pronouncements, they did not know God.  Claims mean nothing without evidence.

 

We must have pity rather than anger at this point.  The horrible fact of lostness is that a man does not know God.  He may know some things about God, but he is separated from any kind of relationship with God until he comes to repentance.  And until he does repent, he will persist in rebelling against the Almighty and all those who follow Him.

 

The problem concerning knowledge of God is not simply communication.  Jesus communicated as no man has ever done.  But the hearts and minds of the world are shut tight to the light of God.  Until that light breaks in, darkened minds will oppose anyone who represents the light.

 

(2) Reject the words of Christ

 

"If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin."  The words of Jesus Christ spoken to the religious crowds overturned their traditions and exposed the vanity of their religious exercises.  His words shattered all of the self-justification the Jews had practiced and wrecked their confidence as spiritual men.  His word was indeed a sharp, two-edged sword that exposed, cut, and laid bare the reality of their spiritual condition (Heb. 4:12).  Sadly, they rejected the words of Christ.

 

Now, realize for a moment that we are ambassadors for Christ, as verse 16 shows us.  We are now the ones carrying the message of the light of truth.  We are the heralds of the gospel.  We represent Christ to the world.  When we live distinctly as Christians and proclaim the distinctives of the Christian message, the world becomes extremely uncomfortable and often lashes out.  This is the very motivation of persecution:  having sin exposed for all its darkness against the backdrop of the glorious Light, Jesus Christ.  There is always a reaction by sinful man when his wicked heart is seen.  He will fight against such exposure.  He will condemn it.  He will turn it off.  He will oppose it.  And I remind you,...you did the same thing until you were brought to the cross and faith in Christ!

 

(3) Reject the works of Christ

 

Our Lord adds that not only were His words rejected, but also His works of righteousness (v. 24).  Jesus did 'all things well', so that the world hated it.  Darkness cannot approve of light, for the presence of light dispels darkness!  Every miraculous work of mercy, every declaration of forgiveness, every sin conquered by Christ met with rejection by those whose hearts were full of rebellion against God.  It is not surprising, knowing the condition of rebellious hearts, that a Pharisee could watch Jesus heal a man's withered hand or give sight to a blind man, right before their own eyes, then turn around and try to find a way to stop Christ.  It is no surprise because that is how sad our spiritual plight is apart from God's grace!

 

There are some in our day who would acknowledge some of the miracles of Christ, though it is popular to attribute such miracles as being superstition.  But the prime work of Christ, His redemptive work at the cross, is rejected by the hardened hearts of the world.  Get into a crowd of worldly-minded people and vocally express your belief in Christ and His atoning death.  Watch their dismay!  Listen to their laughter!  Hear their insults!  "The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God!" (Rom. 8:7)

 

Conclusion

 

My brethren, persecution, in many shapes, sizes, and forms, is the reality for all who are truly in relationship to Jesus Christ.  Do not think that something strange has happened to you when you are opposed for being a Christian.  Instead, find fresh courage in knowing that you are taking part in the sufferings of Christ!  Find new strength in knowing that you belong to Jesus Christ and that any degree of suffering is light and momentary when compared with the glories that will be revealed to you for all eternity!

 

Take heart, my brethren!  Press on in living openly, boldly, and courageously for Jesus Christ!  Proclaim His gospel to this sin-hardened world!  Face whatever ridicule or threat that is cast your way for the good cause of the kingdom of God!  Rest in the arms of Him who suffered on your behalf so that you might have life with Him for all eternity!

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