A SERIES OF THOUGHTS | 14 | On Persecution

“What a weird way to start the year.” This may be your gut reaction to reading the title of this piece.

Persecution is a divisive subject and for this reason, many Christians choose to avoid or ignore it completely. For those that are totally new to the subject, persecution in a biblical context can be described as suffering hostility or ill-treatment because of the Christian faith.

Today, we are going to explore some of my thoughts on this subject, using the words of Jesus Christ in John 15:18–27 as our primary text.

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’

26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. — John 15:18–27 (English Standard Version)

A Changed Nature

The first thing to note is the primary reason for persecution. Verses 18–20 show us clearly that the reason for persecution is our allegiance with Christ. Accepting Christ in our hearts in accordance with beautiful scriptures like Romans 10:9–10 (believing and confessing Christ as Saviour and Lord) and 2 Corinthians 5:17 (becoming new creatures in Christ Jesus) comes with some side effects.

Christ has taken us from the Kingdom of darkness which rules this present world, to the Kingdom of God. This means is that we do not belong to this world anymore. As a result, the world and those that belong to the world (its systems, creeds and spirits) can never love us.

It’s really that simple. Let’s assume that you worked in a company for a while and you were a valuable asset. Then someone comes along a takes you to a different company that is in direct opposition and competition with the one you just left. I would like to believe that your former friends, colleagues and bosses in the old company would not be particularly pleased with the decision you made.

The above example doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of the magnitude of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and what our salvation has given to us, but at least it can convey on an emotional and logical level the reason why persecution exists.

It Is a “when” And Not an “If”

The next thing that we see in verse 20 is that persecution is an assurance for believers and not something that may happen. Although Jesus uses the words, “if” they are used as a means of drawing parallels between His life and the life of His followers. Essentially, we will suffer persecutions because He also suffered them.

It may be a tough pill to swallow, but any Christian who hasn’t suffered persecution needs to check the health of their Christian life and the authenticity of their Christian experience.

Jesus also makes this clear in Matthew 5:10–12.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. — Matthew 5:10–12 (King James Version)

It Can Be An Opportunity

It is no coincidence that Jesus added the words, “If they kept my word, they will also keep yours”, in verse 20b. We should never rule out the possibility of Christ reaching out to people as a result of our persecution. A typical example can be seen in Acts 16:25–40. In this passage, Paul and Silas’ arrest and subsequent supernatural rescue by God led to the conversion of the Philippian jailer.

Throughout church history, there are various testimonies of persecutors of Christians — jailers, lawyers, government officials and the likes — who ended up coming into the faith that they once despised, sometimes even after the death of those they persecuted.

It is important to note that some people kept the words of Jesus and that is an assurance that some will also keep yours as His follower.

It Is A Fulfillment Of Scripture

In verse 25, Jesus is quoting from Psalm 69:4, saying that both the things He had suffered and the things He was about to suffer shortly were a fulfilment of the law.

In the same vein, the words of Jesus in the scriptures we have examined and the words of the apostles in their letters (James 1:12; 1 Peter 3:14; 2 Corinthians 12:10) will be fulfilled in the lives of all those who belong to Christ Jesus.

We Have Been Given Help

This passage concludes starting in verse 26 with the promise of the Holy Spirit as a helper. The Holy Spirit has many descriptions and functions in the Bible because of His multiple roles in the believer’s life.

It is no coincidence that His function as a ‘helper’ is the one highlighted in the conversation relating to persecution. Christ Jesus realizes that we will need strength and grace to bear the things that we will suffer.

He would never leave us helpless and hopeless because He loves us and wants the best for us.

If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. — 1 Peter 4:14 (Berean Study Bible)

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. — Romans 5:3–5 (English Standard Version)

It Is Not “The Believer Hating The People of the World”

After examining all that it is, I believe we need to pay attention to what it is not. Persecution is not about believers setting themselves against the people of the world. Some Christians have greatly misunderstood this subject and have adopted an “us versus them” mentality against their colleagues, co-workers and members of their social circle who are not Christians.

As we have already examined, persecution is not something we can work for or avoid if we are living the Christian life. It is simply a by-product of the life that we have chosen to live and the Saviour we have chosen to love. For these reasons, our response to the world should be one of love and not hate.

Christ went to great lengths to make us understand that it is not the fault of the persecutor, they simply do not “know the Father” because they have rejected the Son. If Jesus Christ could pray for the forgiveness of those responsible for putting Him on the cross (see Luke 23:34); then we should follow in His example.

I bring this piece to a close with the simple words of Christ in Matthew 5:44.

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; — Matthew 5:44 (King James Version)

Until next time.

Keep living for Christ!