Jesus Patiently Endured - We Should Too!

 

 

    We are called to be different from the world – that is what ‘holy’ and ‘saint’ mean – “like the Lord/different from the world” (Romans 12:1-2, 1 Corinthians 11:1, John 15:18-21). Being different from the world has never been more needful, especially in North America. We are being coerced into believing that we need to support groups that go against God’s laws. Members of the church are being persuaded that progress is needed, but in what direction is the world’s “progress” leading? Because we hold to God's ways, we are being called names and ridiculed for our “archaic” and “narrow-minded” beliefs.

     We will suffer for doing what is good. When that happens, God instructs us to follow Jesus’ example and take our suffering patiently – never letting the persecutions shift our focus (Philippians 3:13-14, Colossians 3:1-4), not allowing it to cause us to talk like the world through complaints and threats, but instead wholly trust in God, in His commands, and in His promises (Hebrews 11:6), just as Jesus did (Hebrews 12:2)!

Jesus (1 Peter 2:21-23):

• committed no sin 
• no deceit found in His mouth
• when He was reviled, did not revile in return
• when He suffered He did not threaten
• He committed himself to God who judges righteously

Following in Jesus’ steps, you and I:

• do our very best to avoid sin by walking prayerfully and carefully (Ephesians 5:1-17)
• do our very best to know the Truth (John 8:31-32), speak the truth (Ephesians 4:25, 29-32), and live the truth without hypocrisy (Luke 6:46-49, Titus 1:16). We respect God enough to represent Him properly to the world in all that we do.
• do not throw insult back at insult (Colossians 3:8-10, 12-15)
• do not threaten to repay hurt (Romans 12:17-21)  
• remember that God sees all and knows all – He is the righteous Judge; He truly knows who is at fault. We trust in His help, care, and comfort (Hebrews 4:16, 1 Peter 5:6-7, 2 Corinthians 1:3-7)!

    To this we were called. Knowing this, let us prepare ourselves by daily putting on the armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-18), prayerfully making our requests known to God with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6-7),  spend time meditating on what is true, just, and noble (Philippians 4:8), and filling our minds/hearts with His truth (2 Timothy 3:16-17), so we are always ready to give a defense for our hope, with meekness and with fear (1 Peter 3:15)!

You can do it! So can I!!