Honor Christ the Lord as Holy

“Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.” (1 Peter 3:13-17 ESV)

Who is there to harm us if we are zealous for Jesus Christ and for his gospel and for sharing the truth of God’s word with the people of the world? Satan definitely is, and many who are following him with their lives, knowingly or not. For many have been deceived by Satan’s lies, even many who profess faith in Jesus Christ, and so they end up opposing God and the truth of his word, some deliberately, but others more naively. And so they may end up mistreating the Lord’s true servants out of ignorance, though some willfully.

For Jesus Christ said that if we follow him with our lives that we will be hated and persecuted as he was hated and persecuted. And who persecuted him? His own people of his own race and nationality and heritage, and some from his own family, too. And it was the religious rulers and influencers in the temple of God and in the synagogues (I believe) who were jealous of him and who hated him to the point to where they arranged for his arrest and for his death on a cross in hopes to silence him and to put an end to him.

So, if we are following Jesus Christ with our lives, in walks of obedience to his commands, and if we are not compromising with the world and with sin, but we are living holy lives, pleasing to him, we will be persecuted. And if we are sharing with others the truth of the gospel, especially as opposed to the lies of the enemy, and if we are exposing the fruitless deeds of darkness for what they are, and if we are calling out the lies of the enemy, we are going to be opposed, even by the religious who are following what they believe.

And so we may end up being rejected and cast aside as unwanted and mistreated and misjudged, even by others who profess faith in Jesus Christ, and even by pastors and elders of “church” congregations who misjudge us based on their own prejudices, or by their own fleshly standards, or by themselves. Especially in our world and “church” today here in America, where the gospel is being so diluted and where they are appeasing human flesh, those who hold to the tenets of the faith may be persecuted.

But all of this is under the control and sovereignty of God. None of this can happen to us unless God allows it, and he allows it for a purpose, to make us into the people who he wants us to be. I know that the Lord has taken me through a lifetime of abuse and mistreatment and persecution for my walk of faith in the Lord Jesus and for my testimony for him and because I believed him and his word and I followed him with my life. And I am not saying that I was perfect in every way, but I was persecuted much for following Jesus.

But God allowed what he allowed in my life to make me into the person that he wanted me to be so that he can use me in the way that he is using me today in sharing with the people of the world, on the internet, what the Lord is teaching me through his word each day. And he took me through many hardships to make me strong so that I would not give up, and so that I would not run away, but so that I would stand strong on the truth of his word and keep sharing it, even if I get opposed, in return.

Anyway, I know God has allowed difficulties in your lives, too, and if you surrender your lives to him, he can use those trials and tribulations for his glory and for your good and for the good of others. Just trust in his sovereignty over your life, and yield to his control. Had I not gone through what I did, I would not be prepared to do what I am now doing, and it just wouldn’t have happened. And the lives this is touching would not have been touched by this, or at least I would not have been a participant in it.

So, whatever you are going through, please know that God is greater! And please know that he is still in charge and that what you are going through has a purpose. So, yield control of your life over to the Lord and let him work his will and purpose in your life even through your trials. Do not fear what the enemy may do against you, but take courage and trust the Lord with your life, and let him turn the evil done to you around for good. And just know that what Satan means for evil, God can use for good in our lives.

What Satan Meant for Evil, God Can Use for Good

Video Talk

October 16, 2022

https://youtu.be/MUfUwr4Lzrk

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