Will The Future Of America Lead To Increased Christian Persecution?

Does the future of America include an increased amount of persecution? Is it going to grow worse over time?

Prosperity and Persecution

Pastor Samuel Lamb of Guangzhou, China, spent twenty years in a Communist prison for refusing to stop preaching the gospel and he said that in America the church has experience prosperity but has grown weaker but in China, the church has experienced poverty and persecution but the church has grown larger and stronger. His conclusion is that persecution is much better than prosperity. Not everyone can handle prosperity because prosperity handles them. Do they own much property or does the property own them? To be sure, followers of a persecuted Master will themselves be persecuted as Jesus said in John 15:18-20a “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” Every Christians should expect persecution even though it may come in different ways but all persecution will come for the same reason; uncompromising devotion to Jesus Christ.

Increasing Persecution

More and more, Christians around the world are seen as traitors to humanity and now relativistic tolerance has become America’s religion. The dogma is tolerance for anything except Christianity but no matter how light or heavy the persecution is it must be persecution provoked by the Christian’s devotion to Jesus and obedience to Him. We can’t call every trial and affliction a result of persecution. This designation comes only from those who hate us because of our association with Jesus Christ. Paul wrote “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2nd Tim 3:12) and it will grow worse as Paul writes “that in the last days there will come times of difficulty” (2nd Tim 3:1) and people will be lovers of money, self, and pleasure but not God (2nd Tim 3:2, 4). The good thing about persecution is that, as Tertullian wrote, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church” as in China. In fact, persecution and martyrdom may be the highest calling and greatest honor of the believer. Jesus Himself said “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” and “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt 5:10-12). How many of us would voluntarily miss out on a blessing but when we live as secret agent, underground Christians, we miss out on the blessing of persecution. If you are not being persecuted, you might want to examine yourself to see if you’re in the faith because Paul clearly says that “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2nd Tim 3:12) and not just a majority or most…but all!

Loving our Enemies

One of the most radical differences between Christianity and other religions is that we love our enemies and pray for them. We don’t seek them harm but we bless them and do good to them who hate us. Jesus reminds us “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt 5:44-45) and even “if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matt 5:39). I have had many who verbally slap me in the face but I turn the cheek and realize that it is really God that they hate and not so much me. They hate the message more than the messenger. Turning the other cheek doesn’t mean we don’t defend ourselves but in this context, Jesus is saying that when you’re insulted for His sake, don’t respond in kind but pray for them and love them.

Increasing American Persecution

According to the Voice of the Martyrs, more Christians have been killed for their faith in the last century than in all other ages combined! In fact, in the first decade and a half of this century, we’ve seen the greatest increase of worldwide persecution than at any time in history but ironically, persecution is seen as the single most significant indicator of the health of the church. Where there is no persecution, there is no church growth. All faithful Christians will experience persecution. Those who might be false converts will receive little or no persecution. In America, it has never been more unpopular to be a Christian. They are seen as narrow-minded bigots even though what we teach and believe is not of human origin but comes from the Word of God. The persecution in America is coming mainly from the laws that are being passed and from trying to kick God out of the public square, schools, businesses, governments, or any other place where the message of the cross causes irritation. The increased hatred for anything Christian is driven by increasing secularism and world-views that are hostile to biblical ideals and now expressions of faith in public are often banned by legal discourse. Persecution will grow worse and worse in America as the time of Christ’s return approaches.

Conclusion

We should not be surprised by persecution but actually rejoice that we are accounted worthy to bear shame and suffer for Jesus sake (Acts 5:41). Our Master has told us to respond to persecution in a loving, kind matter and to pray for those who hate us and call us all sorts of evil names. In America, our greatest persecution may come in the form of laws that harass the freedom that we have to worship and trying to muzzle any preaching about sin. We expect this to get worse, so yes, the future of America, as has already been happening in the world, will see an increase in Christian persecution. They hated Jesus without a cause (John 15:25); should we expect anything less from the world?

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.