Facing Persecution

How many of you can finish this lyric from Billy Ocean “when the going gets tough”… (the tough get going).

Global Christian Relief states: “An estimated 388 million Christians now face high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith, up 8 million from the previous year.”

In January 2025, Baptist Press noted that Nigeria led the world in verified killings and abductions related to persecution.

Christians in North Korea face imprisonment in labor camps, torture and even execution. Owning a Bible or gathering for worship can result in death.

Christian communities in India are increasingly under attack from Hindu nationalist groups. These groups target Protestant churches, harass Christians and push for laws that make it harder to practice Christianity. Some states have introduced anti-conversion laws that make it dangerous for believers to share their faith.

In China, the government’s “Sinicization” policy aims to bring all religions under strict state control. Amnesty International reports that Christian persecution in China includes church closures, surveillance of religious gatherings and the removal of crosses and Christian symbols. Protestant churches are especially targeted, with many pastors being detained for their faith.

In Pakistan, Christians face severe discrimination and persecution. The country’s strict blasphemy laws are often used to target religious minorities, including Christians. The U.S. Department of State’s Report on International Religious Freedom highlights cases where Christians have been falsely accused of blasphemy, leading to imprisonment or even mob violence.

Yet, even with this level of persecution, listen to the rest of the story:

Despite the danger, the Christian faith remains strong. Even in the face of relentless violence, Nigerian Christians continue to hold onto their faith and trust in God’s protection.

The faith of North Korean Christians is a powerful testimony of courage and commitment. The underground Christian church continues to survive. Believers secretly pass down scripture and meet in hidden places to worship Jesus Christ.

Despite the hostility, Indian Christians continue to stand firm. They are living examples of 2 Timothy 3:12, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Their faith and perseverance remind us to pray for religious freedom and justice for all believers in India.

We must continue to stand with our persecuted brothers and sisters in China and pray for their protection. Despite the restrictions, Christianity continues to grow. The underground church remains strong, and believers gather in secret to worship.

Even in the face of injustice, Pakistani Christians continue to trust in God’s plan. As Jesus said in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Their strength in adversity is an inspiration to believers everywhere.

This is happening today, all across the world and yet the land known for its foundational principle of religious freedom now faces a complex reality where expressions of faith are occasionally met with opposition, legal challenges, or social pressures. We, too, in the United States are beginning to face persecution for our faith. Christian businesses are being sued for upholding the basic tenets and principles of their faith. Open opposition and hostility towards Christianity seems to be occurring more frequently. Social pressures and even current laws are leaning towards the infringement of Christians rights under the First Amendment which protects religious freedoms.

While the persecution mentioned here does not even start to equal persecution across the globe, it is a shift, and change in both the culture and social norms that have been enjoyed by Christians in the United States. I believe we will see an increasing level of persecution within the near future, and hope and pray we do not rise to the level of nations we read about earlier.

Interestingly enough, we are not alone, and these persecutions have been occurring since the beginning of Christianity. If we look in 1 Peter, a letter is written from Rome. Peter is nearing his death, and he gives comfort to Christians who were suffering in northern Asia Minor. Even through all the persecution, he encourages them to stand firm, to focus on the priority - the lie they will receive in heaven. One theme presents itself here - remain faithful under oppression.

While we may not be able to fully understand the level of persecutions others have and are feeling, Peter puts into writing a plan for how we, as Christians, should handle times of oppression and persecution.

Preparing Oneself

1 Peter 1:13 ESV

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Peter is writing to believers who have lost their homes, property, money, possessions, and friends. They have been forces to run for their lives and with only what they could carry. They were being persecuted because of Christ. At first the Romans merely saw the Christians as a subset of Judaism and therefore they were not persecuted by the Romans. After the dispersion of Jews from Israel and at the conclusion of the Roman-Jewish War (AD 66-74), Christians no longer enjoyed this legal protection and they became a target of the state. Their refusal to offer worship to Caesar earned them the title of “Atheists” since they would not acknowledge that Caesar was “Lord.”

As a result of this Roman persecution, believers had fled into other countries trying to escape the fury of the persecution. They were naturally disappointed and experiencing the dread of fear. They needed to be encouraged and strengthened to continue on for Christ.

There was only one message that could encourage and strengthen them: the glorious message of the gospel of salvation. They needed to keep their eyes upon the grace and salvation of God. This is what Peter had preached. Up until now he had proclaimed the wonder and greatness of salvation. Now something else was needed. When we are facing the trials and temptations of life, it is not enough to keep our eyes upon salvation. We must also act; we must do some things. When we undergo the trials of life, whether persecution and suffering or temptation and sin, we must act. We must dedicate our lives to God, and we must get our minds ready to focus on the coming grace, and salvation of God through obedience and holiness. Remember: grace is the favor of God showered upon us. We do not deserve His favor, for we have not believed God, not perfectly. We have disobeyed, transgressed, cursed, neglected, ignored, and rebelled against God. Nevertheless God has favored us. He loves us; therefore He has provided a way for us to be saved. He has sent His Son into the world to take all of our transgressions upon Himself and to bear the judgment for us. This is what is meant when Scripture says that Jesus Christ died for us. He took the guilt of our transgressions against God upon Himself, and He bore the judgment and punishment for us.

Obedience and Holiness

1 Peter 1:14–16 ESV

14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Believers are to be so obedient to God that obedience becomes the basic trait of their lives. Obedience is to be so characteristic of our lives that we can be called children of obedience. However, in contrast to being children of obedience is the phrase “conformed to the passions of your former ignorance”. As stated this is a sharp contrast. It pictures us as children of disobedience. That is, we used to be so given over to our own desires, to doing our own thing, that we could be called children of disobedience.

Holy means to be righteous, pure, sinless, and godly; to be perfect, complete, and fulfilled in every possible sense; to be separated and entirely different from all other beings and things.

There are three reasons why believers are to live holy lives.

a. God is holy. He is the very embodiment and perfection of absolute holiness. And if we are to called to conform to the likeness of Christ, then shouldn’t we be striving to be holy?

b. God has called believers to be holy in all of life. God’s very purpose in saving us is to have a people who will be just like Him and who can live with Him eternally. God does not want us corruptible and dying with the world. God wants us holy; He wants us set apart to be just like Him. God wants us to live with Him eternally. But to live with Him eternally, we must be like Him: we must be holy. Therefore, we must pursue, seek, and go after holiness. We must live holy, pure, righteous, and godly lives. We must seek and go after God; we must seek to be like God while on this earth. If we do, then God gives us the most glorious of hopes: the hope of eternal salvation.

c. Scripture demands holiness. It is written in Scripture: “You shall therefore be holy; for I am holy”. We have no choice: this is the command of Scripture itself. If we wish to be God’s, then we must live like God. We must live lives that are holy.

Fear and Reverence

1 Peter 1:17–21 ESV

17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Believers are to reverence God because God shall judge the world. Every person is going to be judged. No one shall escape. Every person will come to the day when he will stand all alone in a private interview with God. In that moment he shall stand face to face with God for one purpose and one purpose alone: to be judged.

We must never forget: a person is saved by faith in Christ, by a faith that lives for Christ and continues to live for Christ. A person who believes in Christ lives for Him. The person believes; therefore he lives day by day doing exactly what he believes. There just is no such thing as faith without works to back up the faith. If a person truly believes, then he does what he believes. His works follow his belief. This is the reason it is our works that shall be judged: our works will reveal exactly what we believe.

Believers are to reverence God because they have been redeemed. The word redeem means to set free or deliver by paying some ransom. We have been set free from the life of sin, a life of self indulgence, a life that is never fulfilling and does not satisfy. Yet we are FREELY redeemed, redemption does not cost us anything. You see, the price for our redemption has already been paid by the blood of Jesus. He stood without blemish, without blame, without sin and took upon himself the sins of the world. When we believe in Jesus Christ, really trust Him, God counts us as having died in Christ.

We, as believers today, do not have to guess or look forward to this work, God has revealed and sent Him (Jesus) to redeem us. And note the statement: “in these last days.” Time is short, very short. There is little time left for us to be redeemed. Century after century has already passed.

And we, like Christ are assured that we too will be raised up and will glorify us as He did Jesus.

Love One Another

1 Peter 1:22–25 ESV

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

We are then called to love one another. There is a bond among believers that binds us in and through Jesus - the very special love that exists between the brothers and sisters within a loving family, brothers and sisters who truly cherish each other. I truly feel this is why we are told in Hebrews 10:25 to “not neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

We are to draw close, to encourage one another, and to love like Christ. Peter goes on to describe that life is so short. It lasts no longer than the grass that appears so quickly and then withers away or the flower that appears just as quickly and falls away.

While we all will come to a time where our life on earth will be over, we are assured that as believers having received the Word of the Lord into their lives, we are going to be living with Him together forever.

Closing

I remember hearing my parents and grandparents say that the older they got, the faster the days, months, and years passed. At the time, I couldn’t understand what they meant. It seemed like time passed by at a turtles pace. But the older I have gotten, I FULLY understand what they mean now. Work, family, life… It all occupies and consumes our time. We are so fast paced now that we truly have little time to relax and take time for ourselves it seems. You see, we may not be facing personal persecution but we are being oppressed by the things of the world. Satan has made us so busy, he is slowly removing us from God and the church.

We should be drawing closer to one another, loving and living like Christ, and telling others of what He has done for us.