For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him but also to suffer for His sake. Philippians 1:29
A preacher was telling an account of the efforts by the Communist government in Russia in the 1020s to rid the nation of all ideas concerning Christianity. He told of one occasion when a political speaker spoke for three hours to a large audience, telling them of the glories of Communism and ridiculing all ideas concerning Christianity and the Bible. When he had finished his speech, he invited questions. An old Russian Orthodox priest stood and said, ‘I have one thing to say. Christ is risen.’ In unison, the entire audience replied, ‘Christ is risen indeed!’ After the preacher told this moving story, an elderly couple came to speak with him, telling him, in thick Russian accents, how much they appreciated hearing the account. But, the woman told him, he left out a very important part; he left out the fact that all of those people knew that by speaking up, they were guaranteeing that they were all going to jail. There is a price to pay for believing on Christ, and some pay a higher price than others.
The persecution of Communist Russia against its Christians was widespread and horrible. But it is only one example of the price that believers have had to pay down through the centuries. Even today, Moslem and Hindu radicals torture and kill Christians on a systematic basis. And in North Korea, for example, where owning a Bible is a capital offense, more people are dying for their faith than there are hours in the day. In our text, Paul speaks of two things that God has granted to us. First, he has given to us the soul-saving privilege of believing on Christ. Secondly, He has granted to us the spirit-saving privilege of suffering for Christ’s sake. We don’t usually think of suffering as a privilege. But it is not only a privilege, but a responsibility, and one which many dear saints have discharged faithfully. Tertullian, a christian leader in the second century, declared that the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church. By this he meant that the persecution and slaughter of Christians has served only to fan the flames of the spread of the Gospel. For example, as the early Christians were forced to flee Jerusalem to save their lives, they carried the Gospel far and wide. Like pouring gasoline on a fire, persecution served only to intensify the passion with which Christians shared their faith. We who know nothing of that persecution also know little of that passion.
It is natural to not want to suffer. And it is also deeply evil to seek out persecution for persecution’s sake, like the so-called Jehovahs Witnesses do. But when we suffer for our faith in Christ, in defence of His Name and His Gospel, we are discharging our responsibilities to Him and accepting our privileges. Any temporary loss here for our faithfulness will be richly compensated eternally in the Glory.
Suffering for Christ is as much a part of our salvation as believing in Him. -Jim MacIntosh