Chapter 1, Verse 29“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,”
Rather than lament or excuse the persecution facing the Philippians, Paul speaks of it as though it were a gift from God. Paul sees an obvious connection between being a believer in Jesus and rejection from the world. To accept one is to accept the other. Jesus promised it and Paul lived it. This verse demonstrates that Paul is not the least bit surprised that the Philippian church was facing opposition. There was and there is a cost to discipleship. In many places in the world today that opposition continues. Christians are still being persecuted and killed in modern times.
We may think that it isn’t happening in our country, in our part of the world, but we are closing our eyes to reality to do so. Where Christians strongly oppose the works of evil, the followers of evil are attacking them. No, the government is not sending believers to face lions or to be beheaded, but the soldiers of Satan are at war with believers even in what we consider the free world. The world is at enmity with God, not just in denial but in actions.
Task for Today: Thank God if you are free from persecution. At the same time, make sure it’s not because you are ashamed of the gospel. Remember the girl in Colorado who faced a bullet when asked if she believed in God? She said yes. Could you?
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