FREE TO SUFFER

Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence. You need to persevere so that, when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised (Heb. 10: 32-36).

For the readers of this letter, this was their very real experience – persecution, insult, suffering, loss of property, and imprisonment – and all because they confessed that Jesus is Lord and faithfully followed Him. What was so criminal about that?

Once again we are faced with the reality as well that we are locked in a cosmic conflict between the forces of darkness and the God who created the universe and requires us to honour and obey Him. Strange, isn’t it, that believers in Jesus have to defend and die for the right to live honest and upright lives by being loyal to the one who set them free from the powers of darkness!

Jesus had something to say about this in the early days of training His disciples.

Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matt. 5: 8-11).

Jesus made peace between God and man, and between Jew and Gentile by reconciling these alienated parties through His blood. He has entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to us.

All this is from God who reconciled us to Him though Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5: 18-19).

But in a world under the dominion of the devil, righteousness is not to be tolerated. People are not just indifferent to God; they are enemies, God-haters, no matter what religious persuasion they subscribe to. Yes, Jesus exposed and overcame the devil at the cross, but Satan still deceives those who refuse to believe in Jesus, that he is in charge of this world. He fights back to retain his hold on those who prefer to live in darkness because their hearts are wicked.

Jesus taught His disciples that persecution is a cause for celebration because it sets God’s people apart as truly being His sons and daughters. Why? Because they are evidencing the same passion for righteousness that brought persecution and suffering to the prophets. Persecution should not be a cause for apostasy. ‘Don’t run away from it,’ he urged his readers. ‘Embrace it because you are in good company. There is a reward at the end of the road far in excess of the persecution you are suffering now.’

This writer also urged his readers to take the long look at life. They were called to be imitators of their Master who did not shrink from the cross because the reward far outweighed the cost. Life is much more than the few years we spend on this present, corrupted earth and its corrupted society. How we live now is our apprenticeship for the life to come. Jesus lived every moment with His eye on the prize.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Heb. 12: 1b-3).

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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