Present Persecution

In the book of Acts we read about the persecution the early church faced. Stephen, one of the men appointed to serve the church, was killed (Acts 6:8-7:60). Later on in Acts we read about James, one of the twelve, being killed during the persecution led by King Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:1-2).

Sometimes we may think persecution is a thing of the past. But it’s still happening right now!

According to opendoorsusa.org, last year 5,898 Christians around the world were “killed for faith-related reasons.” There were thousands of Christians physically persecuted for their faith in the last year.

In many places, there is also significant social persecution. Some people live in countries where Christianity is illegal. Some live in cultures and religions where people who believe in Jesus are kicked out of their families.

But whether you’ve experienced significant persecution for your faith or not, we all need to recognize that at some point in our journey of following Jesus, it will not be easy. We may face pressure from friends or family who don’t understand why we don’t engage in the same lifestyle choices as they do. We may face teachers or college professors who don’t believe in God and don’t want us to either. We may face moments where our faith is challenged or attacked in ways we didn’t expect.

We shouldn’t be surprised by these things. Jesus promised persecution. Persecution is present.

But God’s Word offers us hope. When we face persecution, we are reminded that God has made us part of His family. We have the hope of spending forever with Him, where persecution is no more. We have the comfort of knowing we are not alone in our suffering because we have brothers and sisters in Christ who have experienced moments like this too.