Why do unbelievers mock Christians for living piously? They don't see Christ as worthy. To them, a holy life is a wasted life. The very motto of our age is "get as much as you can, while you can."
The Gospel proclaims a different message: give all you can, while you can. Our blood-bought lives are not our own, but we joyfully call ourselves bondservants of Christ.
Even more than that. The Apostle Paul says, we are fellow heirs with Christ "if indeed we suffer with Him." We must suffer...we will suffer.
Is anyone else like me...does anyone sometimes feel guilty about their lack of suffering for the Gospel? You know, I have visions of martyrs and missionaries and persecuted Christians and I think, "Ah! That's suffering for Christ."
As Americans, we are blessed--we can worship as we please without the threat of physical violence. We often associate suffering with physical pain, don't we? But there is another kind of suffering--an intensely painful one, an internal one.
When we read about Lot in the Old Testament, we conclude that he had a pretty amazing life. He had property, money, family, political standing...everything a human could ask for. And yet, Peter gives us an internal viewpoint:
And if he rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men, (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment. 2 Peter 2:7-9Lot suffered in the same way that I believe American Christians are called to suffer. And if our souls are not being tormented by the wickedness that surrounds us on a daily (even hourly!) basis, then I believe we have hardened our hearts and become comfortable with immorality.
It hurts to see God being referenced only as the object of mockery or anger. It's hard to hear our Savior's name abused. To be thought foolish by our peers, to be the object of ridicule, to be constantly harassed and pressured to partake in worldliness...these are all ways we can suffer--joyfully suffer--with Christ. And they cannot even be counted anything because of the promise of eternal life set before us!
Though our suffering is light in comparison to what others face, we must take care to be faithful now, in these things, so that we might be prepared for greater suffering should the Lord bring it.
And as Pastor Steve said, we must fight as good soldiers. Our Commander in Chief, Jesus, has already won the war. He is our example.
For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps. And while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, for by His wounds you were healed. 1 Peter 2:20-21, 23-24The Gospel is worthy of our lives.
1 comments:
I feel like I was just having this conversation with you... except at that point we hadn't figured out yet just how we could suffer. Thanks for taking our conversation and going deeper and deeper with it. Lot's example almost feels harder to follow than those of martyrs because there aren't any scars or wounds or glorious last words to show for it... but like you said, if we aren't tormented by the wickedness around us, then we have become hardened.
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