Steadfast in Trials and Persecutions

“Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;

    protect me from those who rise up against me;

deliver me from those who work evil,

    and save me from bloodthirsty men.

For behold, they lie in wait for my life;

    fierce men stir up strife against me.

For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord,

    for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.

Awake, come to meet me, and see!” (Psalms 59:1-4 ESV)

For we who are followers of Jesus Christ, who are our enemies? They should be the same as those who are enemies of God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit – in truth. And if truth be told, God’s enemies are all who are still walking in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord and who are not walking in his holiness and righteousness, in obedience to his commands. And they are all who alter his character and his gospel message to make them more acceptable to human flesh and to the ungodly of this world.

And among his enemies are many who profess faith in Jesus Christ, some of whom are preachers and teachers of the word and who serve as pastors and elders in what are called “churches,” but which are really businesses of men being marketed to the people of the world, incorporated under the state. One with the world, they are following the business models for how to “grow their churches” and for how to “draw in large crowds of people from the world” into their gatherings (their businesses). The Holy Spirit is pushed out.

So, because they are followers of man and of marketing schemes and of diluted gospel messages which appeal to human flesh, because their goal is to attract the world to their gatherings, and/or because they want to continue in deliberate and habitual sin while claiming Jesus as Savior and heaven as their eternal destiny, many are those who are wolves in sheep’s clothing whose purpose is to deceive and to trick and to manipulate. They willfully deceive, make false promises, and betray others routinely.

“Each evening they come back,

    howling like dogs

    and prowling about the city.

There they are, bellowing with their mouths

    with swords in their lips—

    for ‘Who,’ they think, ‘will hear us?’

But you, O Lord, laugh at them;

    you hold all the nations in derision.” (Psalms 59:6-8 ESV)

Now, God does not promise to keep us from being mistreated, hated, rejected, and falsely accused by our (and his) enemies. In fact, in the New Testament, he and his NT apostles told us that if we follow Jesus Christ with our lives that we will be hated and persecuted as he was. Those who are enemies of God will not like (approve of) us if we are following Jesus Christ in obedience to his commands. And so they may look for ways to try to trip us up so that they will have cause to accuse us, as Jesus’ enemies did him.

But the Lord will deliver us through our times of mistreatment and persecution and rejection. Sometimes it may be physical removal from such as this, while other times it will be the strength and endurance and wisdom and grace that we need to walk through these difficult situations in the power of God. For our God is completely sovereign and in control over everything that he has made, and nothing can thwart his purposes, and evil people are only able to do evil if God allows it to happen, for a time.

But we need never to fear what evil other humans might do to us, or attempt to do to us, for if God allows it, he will see us through it. God will accomplish his purposes in and through our lives for his glory if we remain steadfast in trials and persecutions, and if we keep trusting in him to work all things for good for us who love (obey) him, who have been called according to his purpose. We have to just keep believing that he has all things under his control and that it is all going to work out for our ultimate good.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 12:49-53; Luke 21:12-19; John 15:1-21; John 16:33; John 17:14; Acts 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Eph 6:10-20; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

“O my Strength, I will watch for you,

    for you, O God, are my fortress.

My God in his steadfast love will meet me;

    God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.”

“But I will sing of your strength;

    I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.

For you have been to me a fortress

    and a refuge in the day of my distress.” (Psalms 59:9-10,16)

Now, under the New Covenant, we are taught that we are to love our enemies. We are to pray for them, and do good to them, and say to them what will be of benefit to them in the eyes of God. And we are to forgive them and to not retaliate, and not get even, no matter what they do to us or how often they do it. But forgiveness is never permission to keep on in deliberate and habitual sin. Forgiveness says, “Go and sin no more.” So forgiveness of sin is never free license to keep on in deliberate sin.

And God will give us that (agape) love for our enemies. And he will give us the power and the desire to forgive. For Jesus loved us while we were still his enemies, and he gave his life up for us on that cross to forgive us and to deliver us out of our slavery (addiction) to sin, for those who are repentant and who obey his commands. So if God (the Son of God), who is perfect and without sin, can love and forgive us our sins, how can we who are sinners by nature not forgive others their sins? And how can we not show them love?

In Harmony  

An Original Work / September 2, 2012

Based off Romans 12:9-21; 1 Peter 3:8-17

Love each other truly. 

Cling to what is good.

Hate all that is evil. 

Never lack in zeal.

Serve the Lord with fervor. 

Joyful in hope be;

Patient in affliction; 

Praying faithfully.

Honor one another. 

Live in harmony.

Share with all God’s people

Who are found in need.

Do not be conceited.

Sympathetic be.

Love, and show compassion

In humility.

Keep your tongue from evil.

Peaceful you must be.

Honor one another.

Live in harmony.

God sees who are righteous;

Listens to their prayers.

But He’s against evil – 

Is His to avenge.

Do not fear what they fear.

Suffer patiently.

In your hearts, make Christ Lord.

Serve Him faithfully.

Honor one another.

Live in harmony.

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