Be Steadfast

by Skip Heitzig | January 19, 2024

Can I just say that life is not fair? But there are some people who think life should be fair, and they don't outgrow that idea. They believe if you do good things, then good things should happen to you. Even among the church, there is a misconception that following Jesus will make life easier. But if you read the New Testament, you'll find that the early church had it anything but easy.

The apostle Paul put it this way, "All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12). For us believers, there are some things we can count on, and one of them is persecution. We are not going to get through this life without some wounds and battle scars. We're a part of the kingdom of light, and there will always be opposition from the kingdom of darkness.

Now, we love the promises of Jesus, but there are some promises we tend to skip over. Look at Matthew 10. Jesus told His followers, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (v. 16).

Jesus said His followers could expect persecution from the religious establishment: "Beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues" (v. 17). Organized religion has always been one of the chief antagonists of the gospel. Jesus' enemies were the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees—all religious people.

So, you may be persecuted by carnal Christians, who see your devotion to Jesus and say things like, "Ooh, look who got so spiritual all of a sudden." They might say, "Well, I'm a Christian too; I'm just not a fanatic." Somebody once said, "A fanatic is just somebody who loves Jesus more than you do."

You'll also be persecuted by the secular world. "You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake" (v. 18). You see, a steadfast believer is sort of like a 500-watt light bulb in a pitch-black room: though it dispels the darkness, it also irritates people. Jesus said you'll even be persecuted by your own family. "Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death" (v. 21).

For all the persecution you'll face, trust in God is essential. Deliverance may happen, or it may not: Daniel was delivered from the lions' den. The apostle Paul, in the end, was not delivered from the headsman's ax. In the New Testament when Peter and James were arrested, Herod had James killed, but Peter was delivered by an angel.

And even with all the trials Job faced—losing his estate, his children, his health, and more—he said, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15). That is steadfastness. David prayed, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10).

Daniel, just one guy, impacted two empires: the Babylonian Empire and the Medo-Persian Empire. It doesn't take a lot of people—just the right ones. One or a few steadfast in their God can influence a family, a neighborhood, a city, a nation. Never underestimate the power of a godly life.

I pray that you, like the godly man David wrote about, "will not be afraid of evil tidings; [that your] heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord" (Psalm 112:7).

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