The hope of the Gospel is the unmerited pardon of our sins and the promise that God will not forsake those who trust in Him. Yet, there is no hope of a life void of suffering and hardship for those who receive it. In fact, the opposite is promised!
The Bible emphatically teaches that true Gospel-believers will invariably face persecution and hate for their identification with Christ. For Jesus explains, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you… 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” (John 15:18, 20).
As a result, living a life for Christ demands bold allegiance—there is no place for the halfhearted. Christ said, “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 10:38, 39).
Nevertheless, the steadfast resolve of the Christ-follower will not be in vain. For, the Word of God promises that perseverance through persecution yields a boundless harvest and imperishable eternal rewards: “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9); and “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets before you” (Matthew 5:10-12).
What’s more, Christ reassures us that we don’t have to face the trials of this world alone: “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
Bill Mellen
God’s Corner Man on Facebook
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