Suffering for the Sake of Christ

We all suffer—it is a part of life since the Fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden. Some suffer because of their testimony to their belief in Christ. As long as Christians are silent, there are few repercussions. A holy life may give away your secret, but if you are a silent Christian you may be able to escape rejection and hostility, if that is your goal. If you articulate that Jesus is Lord and not people (even yourself) then the likelihood of rejection is exponentially increased.

In the Western world, we think that because we have individual freedom (which is our highest priority as a culture), any attempt (even by God) to restrain evil is an infringement on freedom. In a culture of political correctness, anyone who deviates from mainstream political or moral positions is not well tolerated. The language of disdain becomes hostile.

For governments who insist on total and ultimate loyalty, Christians who can’t say “Caesar is Lord” are deemed rebellious and insubordinate because they know that their ultimate loyalty is to Jesus Christ as Lord. So they lash out at Christians, seeking to silence them through whatever means are necessary. Dead Christians, these governments think, are no longer a problem.

We will have to choose whether we believe in Jesus as the Lord and we will have to testify to that. Or, we can try to remain safe by being silent and be free from rejection, suffering, and, in some places, death. This is not to disregard that Christians must use discretion in when, where, and how they testify. Even Jesus escaped from hostile crowds and Paul made a swift and careful escape from a hostile city. We do not go looking for suffering or martyrdom but if the occasion arises and a choice has to be made, we will make the hard choice. We may experience beatings, harassment, or legal proceedings for our testimony but we have already decided that if that is the necessary consequence of loyalty to Christ, then we accept that.

In a culture of convenience, like the USA, the idea of suffering for anything is not part of our normal expectations. We go to great ends to end suffering, especially our own. To embrace suffering for Christ is almost a novel idea, but a necessary step to be God’s true servant in our culture.

[For further discussion on this topic see the class on Theology of Persecution and Suffering  found at www.vomclassroom.com.]

Your Turn: Do you struggle to embrace the idea that you may have to suffer for your Christian witness and testimony? What helps you to overcome that struggle?

Roy Stults, PhD, is the Online Workshop Coordinator and Educational Services Coordinator for The Voice of the Martyrs. He graduated from Olivet Nazarene University (BA and MA), Nazarene Theological Seminary (M.Div.), Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Doctor of Missiology), and The University of Manchester (England) with a PhD (theology). A Vietnam veteran, Dr. Stults served as a missionary for 19 years and pastored U.S. churches for eight years. Prior to joining VOM, he was a Professor of Religion at Oklahoma Wesleyan University.