Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

persecution

One Life

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Don’t waste the one life God has given you to bring glory to His holy name (1 Corinthians 10:31). Life is brief. It is not something that you can grasp, but vanishes like a mist (James 4:14). Like grass that withers after a short time or a flower that wilts soon after reaching the height of its beauty, so is your one life (1 Peter 1:24). It is here today and gone tomorrow.

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In his first epistle to the churches, Peter goes to great lengths to instruct us how we should live our lives in a manner pleasing to God and worthy of His glorious name. We have only one life and will do well to heed the wisdom in this letter.

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Living a Holy Life

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That persecution is coming is a certainty (2 Timothy 3:12). For many, it will be the first time you experience it, so there is an urgent need to be prepared. In studying the topic, I’ve come to understand that preparation isn’t so much in learning how to deal with what may come, but how to order your life now. Living a holy life is the ultimate preparation for withstanding persecution.

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Unless we have a foundation of holiness, each of us will crumble like houses made of sand (Matthew 7:26-27). If you want to stand strong in the fire, you must fireproof yourself before the flames arrive. The closer we are to Christ before persecution comes, the better we will withstand whatever form it takes.

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Isn’t That Fascinating?

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One of my most influential mentors had a unique way of looking at the inevitable challenges and obstacles life brings our way. While my reaction might be one of discouragement or despair, he would look at the situation and say, “Isn’t that fascinating?” He didn’t fret or get upset, but would sit marveling in fascination. While a little cliché to say, he always saw opportunity within the dilemma. I admit to never mastering this mindset, which in some ways resembles the Apostle Paul’s admonition to rejoice in all things (Philippians 4:4).

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Just as joy can be difficult to find amid tragedy, fascination is often the furthest thing from my mind when looking at the chaos of our world. But these times are fascinating in both their level of depravity and departure from the perfect life God intends for us to live. We all will do well to shift our perspective as we look toward the future.

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Outsiders

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If you follow Jesus with any consistency in this life, you’re going to find yourself as a cultural outsider. There’s no way around it. Our values are different. Our morals are different. Even our goals in life are different. We are not of this world, and we do not live like we are of this world (John 17:14-16). The very act of following Jesus Christ puts you on the outside, looking in on the rest of the world. You’ll be weird.

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The people of this world will hate, despise, and maybe even kill you. For certain, they will never understand you. Jesus lived on the outside too and he promised we would face trouble (John 16:33). He told us in advance that the world would hate us because it hated him (John 15:18-19). Authentic followers of Jesus will never be on the inside of the coolest and most popular circles. They will always be outsiders.

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Persecuted for the Sake of Jesus

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Vineet is a follower of Christ in India. When he was younger, Hindu militants forced to him leave his parents and home because of his faith. Since then, he has twice more been kicked out of towns and had his property seized. All because of his faith in Christ (Matthew 5:10-12). This isn’t unusual in India, a nation that is growing ever more hostile to Christianity. What struck me about Vineet was his courage and faithfulness.

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Older now, he leads a Bible study deep in the jungle away from the eyes of forces who wish to silence him. After years of suffering and injustice, Vineet simply says, “I have dedicated my life to serve and be persecuted for the sake of Jesus. I will do this until my last breath. Nothing can separate me from the love of God” (2 Timothy 3:12; Romans 8:38-39). This man’s life is inspiring and should encourage each of us to examine our commitment to Christ.

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