Conviction Is Costly
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. — 2 Timothy 3:12 ESV
I’ve searched countless commentaries. I’ve looked through various translations. I even examined the original Greek! And there is no exception clause to the verse above. There are no asterisks with footnotes listing names that are excluded from the expectation of persecution.
But that doesn't mean persecution will be experienced the same way by everyone. When we think of persecution, we often picture Christians being beheaded overseas—and certainly, that is persecution. We are blessed to live in a country where our lives are not endangered for speaking the truth. But that doesn’t mean we don’t face real persecution.
The Bible also speaks of another kind of persecution—through ostracization and obloquy. It comes through words that insult and discredit, and through political policies that target and attempt to silence. It happens through individuals who curse us for righteousness’ sake and through institutions that seek to blur the lines between righteousness and wickedness. It can even come from those who claim to be fellow Christians!
In fact, Jesus warned His followers in His most famous sermon:
“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.” — Matthew 5:11–12 ESV
Notice that Jesus says “when”—not “if.” When we are reviled, when evil is spoken against us unjustly, or when we are lied about and attacked, Jesus says we ought to count ourselves blessed. Why? Because when we are attacked for the sake of righteousness, we are simply following in the path of the faithful before us.
This is the kind of suffering Jeremiah, Elisha, and Isaiah endured. Jesus and His apostles were mocked and scorned. Peter wrote to Christian believers facing this kind of opposition:
“If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” — 1 Peter 4:14 ESV
Peter goes on to warn that there is a way to suffer for faithfulness, and there are times we suffer due to our own foolishness—we would be wise to know the difference (1 Peter 4:15–16). And we would be wise not to let the world convince us that we are always the problem.
As followers of Christ, we will not be accepted by the world. We will not be liked by everyone. We will not be spoken well of by everyone we meet. We won’t be everyone’s friend—after all, our crucified Savior certainly wasn’t! In order to live faithfully to Jesus, we must count the cost.
Jesus compares following Him to a major building project. Who begins building a tower without first sitting down to count the cost? Who doesn’t make sure they know what to expect so they can finish the job (Luke 14:28–30)? Jesus then compares following Him to a military campaign—will we count the cost of war and peace (Luke 14:31–32)? We must count the cost.
Everyone who desires to be faithful to Jesus will be persecuted. We will be insulted. We will be slandered. We will be reviled for the sake of righteousness and faithfulness. We must be ready for it. We must not be surprised when fiery trials come upon us (1 Peter 4:12). We should rejoice, because there is One who stands unwavering in the fire with us (Daniel 3:24–28).
I’ve read all kinds of commentaries. I’ve studied the Greek. But most importantly, I’ve read the end of the story. Righteousness and faithfulness will be opposed—but in the end, disciples of Christ will stand on the winning team.
“The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
— Romans 8:18
Let’s press on—even as the culture presses in.