“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…” (2 Timothy 3:12).

THERE ARE MANY who call themselves Christian that remain unregenerate and yet go through a form of persecution for being associated with the name Christian. We hear of countless Catholics (under the title of Christianity) who are brutally murdered by extreme propagators of Islam in various parts the world, just because they bear the name or are likened unto as Christians. The lamentable fact is that they are only associated by name, because if their trust is not wholly in Jesus Christ, as the One and only Mediator between God and man and if it is not justification by faith alone, they are lost for eternity in their sin.

There is a world of difference from being ridiculed for an association with Christianity in comparison to being persecuted for living a godly life. In fact, in our western countries, where everything is politically correct, people are learning to embrace multiculturalism. People are now more tolerant and accepting of people with different religious (non violent) beliefs, but have a Christian who is walking in the Spirit and there is going to be conflict – “…the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other…” (Galatians 5:17). The world cannot but hate those who truly belong to God. Granted that hate is manifested at different levels; some are not are as vehement as others, but it is there and the regenerate Christian is going to feel it.

The world loves the nice Christians that will not confront sin within society – and there are many of them, but it will hate those whose lifestyle run contrary to the darkness the world loves. What the world deems as light is incredibly dark to God; all that is light to the world apart from God are mere works of self righteousness.

Many churches are now embracing and endorsing blatant immorality and those who adhere to the inspiration and infallibility of God’s Word and whose walk reflects such Truth will be persecuted by the majority who call themselves Christians. Whether Islam or the apostate (liberal) church will persecute the Christian is something that time will unfold, but I will say this, persecution will come from angles we will not always expect; it may come from our brothers and sisters in the faith or from close family members we dearly love. Remember what David said, “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me” (Psalm 41:9). Has it not been the worst pain caused by those who once loved us but now hate us?

As Christians we are called to conformity to Jesus Christ and if we are regenerate then such conformity is inevitable. We are going to be very much unlike the world and that gap will rapidly increase the further on we go with God. Our desires will run contrary to the world. What we read will change; what we listen to will change; what we watch will change; how we dress and appear will change; what company we keep will change; how we think will change; how we talk will change and how we spend our leisure will change. Our values are going to be crystal-clear diametric to the world and we are going to be sorely misunderstood. When faith overrides reason and where God calls us to trust in humanly impossible situations, we are going to look like fools for Christ’s sake.

It is not by mere word or ranting from a soap box against immorality per se – there are plenty of dead and worldly churches that do that anyway. That may well be a form of godliness. What we are in debt to towards this generation is to be powerfully godly. It is a sincere Christianity that rocks the world and one of the ways in which that becomes evident is the ones who have godly character are going to feel the kick from those who are currently opposed to God’s standards. In our perseverance and loyalty to God, through His grace, may our testimony glorify Him and open the eyes of those who are yet to confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.