I wrote this for another post in another field/topic but thought I would add it here as this might be of some help to those of you are suffering persecution. I've modified it some to be more applicable to this aspect of suffering unjustly for the cause of Christ.
In many cases we, like Christ, have to suffer in order to be able to share true love with those who revile us, persecute us, and despise us and our message. Sometimes this even requires us to submit to those whom we believe or know to be unjust.
I was thinking back to the life of Christ in regard to his submission to authorities around him. In his case every earthly authority around him was unjust because he was the standard of perfection. That had to be hard living a life where every person you saw you could see all of their imperfections.
Yet I realized some things about him that really stood out. As Christians our goal is to be like Christ and to be conformed into his image. Sometimes for us to get Christ's love to others we will have to suffer in order to get that truth to them. Many who persecute Christians are people who do not know the gospel of grace. Many know the gospel of morality and know religion, but few and far between understand grace.
But for us to understand grace, and for us to be able to properly administer grace to others it often requires that we suffer like Christ suffered. One medical doctor has well stated: "Is it not odd that the oldest two books of the Bible, Job in the OC and James in the NC, both start off on teaching people how to suffer for the sake of God's mission?" What a powerful point. Sometimes, our suffering will be as we humble ourselves through the art of submission.
First, look in Luke 2:52. We find that Jesus Christ himself lived a submissive life to the people around him as he learned and grew in wisdom of both God and man.
Wow! Now that is powerful in my opinion. The text says: "And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man" This phrase about Christ increasing in wisdom and in stature with God and man shows us much about our Lord's life of humility. Here we have the God-man who takes the time to actually learn from those even though he already knows everything. Jesus grew in two distinct areas (1) in wisdom and favor with God; (2) in wisdom and favor with man. Here we have both disciplines of life covered (a) theo-centric; theological growth, and (b) anthropocentric; anthropological growth.
Jesus in other words, became popular with God the Father and with man in general. He learned (on his human side) perfection in both how to relate to man and to God. Part of his relational skills meant he knew when to submit and how much in order to get the gospel to the people around him.
The Greek word for increased means to make progress. Our Lord made progress in his very own growth where he increased with wisdom and stature (bodily growth).
This takes me to the teachings of Paul where he showed us the humility of Christ where he said that though "Jesus was in the form of God did not count himself equal to God as a thing to be grasped, but instead he made himself nothing taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil. 2:6-8).
Now that is powerful to hink about. And it gets better.
Second, Jesus' life of humility where he submitted to others was even the means by which God used to deliver the good news of salvation by the cross to the world.
Christ, who knew all and had all power as God, humbled himself to others and thus by doing so he died on the cross. It was by HIS VERY SUBMISSION to humans that we received salvation from the cross of Christ. Sometimes we will have to submit ourselves to those who are in error in order to be persecuted so that they and others can then see the love of God in us. No, it is not fun but it is a part of living a missional, gospel-centered, cross-centered life.
Jesus taught us that God had even given the evil people over Christ their authority and yet he humbled himself to them in order to do something greater and more important. In John 19:10-11 we find these words: "So Pilate said to him, 'You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release and authority to crucify you?' Jesus answered him, "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who has delivered me over to you has the greater sin."
Here was the Son of God, the King of the Universe, our Greatest Love and Leader, standing before a man about to commit the greatest sin in the history of the world, the crucifixion of the perfect sinless Lord, and yet Christ for the sake of loving others, for the sake of getting the gospel to others was willing to submit and allow himself to be persecuted for the sake of righteousness. He knew by suffering under psecution through his submission that the glory of God would be made known to others.
Third, from two other texts we see that this submission (at his youth and even at the time of his death) was planned by the Father and Son together. In John 10:18 Christ said, "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I received from my Father." And then in Acts 2:23 we find this powerful statement about God's plan. he Bible says: "this Jesus, delivered up according to the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men" (Acts 2:23).
A Trinitarian plan that came to fruition through Christ not only submitting to the Father, but also to others along his earthly life's journey. What an amazing picture of humility in action. By his humility as a man the gospel was given to the world.
When we as Christians suffer persecution, and even when being unjustly persecuted, sometimes like Christ was as well, it reveals a a person's character. Those who understand authority (like Christ perfectly did) will also know how to truly submit to others. From my sociological or anthropological observations it appears to me that those who despise authority and reject it are those who do not understand the real nature of authority. Authority is about being a good steward of what has been entrusted to you. This was why the disciples got into trouble for talking about who had to be first in the kingdom. Christ modeled something different. Christ modeled that a true authority figure will take time to be servant, a steward of that which has been entrusted to him by God or by others. Christ did not have to submit. He was God in flesh. No earthly authority could hurt him, take his life, or do anything to him. Yet, because he was mature, wise, holy, and on a higher mission to spread love in truth and grace he submitted himself unto even persecution, a persecution that even led to his own death which brought about a higher good for the whole world.
For many who are suffering today know this. The way up in God's kingdom is often through suffering, intense discipline (a form of discipleship). I've often heard my disciples in the seminary say things like: "why doi need all this education stuff anyway. This stuff is too hard and I feel like you are being too hard on me by your relentless pressure to get my theology right." Sometimes I tell my disciples that the disciples of Christ had it even worse, he knew not only what was coming out of them but what they were silently thinking about him and the mission of discipleship. Submission to authority is in and of itself tough, and when you add to an unjust authority, well now that is where the rubber hits the road. It is easy to submit when there is agreement. But the true test of character is when there is not agreement and the one in authority is unjust. Whether it is education, learning a new skill, getting a new boss, working in a new job with employers who reject Christ, elders or pastors who persecute you for your views on some doctrine in the word, other saints who beat you and ridicule you or speak rudely to you, God uses that to teach us humility and even how to love our enemies.
I never will forget a lesson from the ole Baptist preacher. Dr. Paige Patterson was being criticized, ridiculed, and attacked because he was working to place conservatives in all leadership positions in the Baptist denomination he served. He was maligned, lied about, and even physically threatened at times (even his wife and children were). Yet one day while he was talking about this he said he was thankful for those times because God used those times to teach him how to love his enemies. He asked a crowd: "Until that point I had no real enemies. So how was I ever to personally fulfill the Lord's mandate to love my enemies unless he sovereignly worked it out to where I had some enemies that I needed to love?" Brilliant and on target.
Our goal is to love those who persecute us so deeply that we can pray: "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." That is the gospel in its essence. Love, forgiveness, humility, and faith that God will make things right even when for the moment they seem to be all wrong.
I think this was even the way the gospel spread to evil rulers in their civil domain. Peter told his disciples these words: "Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people . . . . Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endurse sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps" (1 Peter 2:13-15, 18-21).
Now that is some cool stuff. How God's way are sometimes so different than our ways. He says the way up is down, the way to authority is through submision and service, and the way to be honored is to be humbled. Though none of like persecution, sometimes it is the way and the route to the glory of God being manifested, which is the ultimate theme of God for his universe.
Dr. Allen
In many cases we, like Christ, have to suffer in order to be able to share true love with those who revile us, persecute us, and despise us and our message. Sometimes this even requires us to submit to those whom we believe or know to be unjust.
I was thinking back to the life of Christ in regard to his submission to authorities around him. In his case every earthly authority around him was unjust because he was the standard of perfection. That had to be hard living a life where every person you saw you could see all of their imperfections.
Yet I realized some things about him that really stood out. As Christians our goal is to be like Christ and to be conformed into his image. Sometimes for us to get Christ's love to others we will have to suffer in order to get that truth to them. Many who persecute Christians are people who do not know the gospel of grace. Many know the gospel of morality and know religion, but few and far between understand grace.
But for us to understand grace, and for us to be able to properly administer grace to others it often requires that we suffer like Christ suffered. One medical doctor has well stated: "Is it not odd that the oldest two books of the Bible, Job in the OC and James in the NC, both start off on teaching people how to suffer for the sake of God's mission?" What a powerful point. Sometimes, our suffering will be as we humble ourselves through the art of submission.
First, look in Luke 2:52. We find that Jesus Christ himself lived a submissive life to the people around him as he learned and grew in wisdom of both God and man.
Wow! Now that is powerful in my opinion. The text says: "And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man" This phrase about Christ increasing in wisdom and in stature with God and man shows us much about our Lord's life of humility. Here we have the God-man who takes the time to actually learn from those even though he already knows everything. Jesus grew in two distinct areas (1) in wisdom and favor with God; (2) in wisdom and favor with man. Here we have both disciplines of life covered (a) theo-centric; theological growth, and (b) anthropocentric; anthropological growth.
Jesus in other words, became popular with God the Father and with man in general. He learned (on his human side) perfection in both how to relate to man and to God. Part of his relational skills meant he knew when to submit and how much in order to get the gospel to the people around him.
The Greek word for increased means to make progress. Our Lord made progress in his very own growth where he increased with wisdom and stature (bodily growth).
This takes me to the teachings of Paul where he showed us the humility of Christ where he said that though "Jesus was in the form of God did not count himself equal to God as a thing to be grasped, but instead he made himself nothing taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil. 2:6-8).
Now that is powerful to hink about. And it gets better.
Second, Jesus' life of humility where he submitted to others was even the means by which God used to deliver the good news of salvation by the cross to the world.
Christ, who knew all and had all power as God, humbled himself to others and thus by doing so he died on the cross. It was by HIS VERY SUBMISSION to humans that we received salvation from the cross of Christ. Sometimes we will have to submit ourselves to those who are in error in order to be persecuted so that they and others can then see the love of God in us. No, it is not fun but it is a part of living a missional, gospel-centered, cross-centered life.
Jesus taught us that God had even given the evil people over Christ their authority and yet he humbled himself to them in order to do something greater and more important. In John 19:10-11 we find these words: "So Pilate said to him, 'You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release and authority to crucify you?' Jesus answered him, "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who has delivered me over to you has the greater sin."
Here was the Son of God, the King of the Universe, our Greatest Love and Leader, standing before a man about to commit the greatest sin in the history of the world, the crucifixion of the perfect sinless Lord, and yet Christ for the sake of loving others, for the sake of getting the gospel to others was willing to submit and allow himself to be persecuted for the sake of righteousness. He knew by suffering under psecution through his submission that the glory of God would be made known to others.
Third, from two other texts we see that this submission (at his youth and even at the time of his death) was planned by the Father and Son together. In John 10:18 Christ said, "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I received from my Father." And then in Acts 2:23 we find this powerful statement about God's plan. he Bible says: "this Jesus, delivered up according to the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men" (Acts 2:23).
A Trinitarian plan that came to fruition through Christ not only submitting to the Father, but also to others along his earthly life's journey. What an amazing picture of humility in action. By his humility as a man the gospel was given to the world.
When we as Christians suffer persecution, and even when being unjustly persecuted, sometimes like Christ was as well, it reveals a a person's character. Those who understand authority (like Christ perfectly did) will also know how to truly submit to others. From my sociological or anthropological observations it appears to me that those who despise authority and reject it are those who do not understand the real nature of authority. Authority is about being a good steward of what has been entrusted to you. This was why the disciples got into trouble for talking about who had to be first in the kingdom. Christ modeled something different. Christ modeled that a true authority figure will take time to be servant, a steward of that which has been entrusted to him by God or by others. Christ did not have to submit. He was God in flesh. No earthly authority could hurt him, take his life, or do anything to him. Yet, because he was mature, wise, holy, and on a higher mission to spread love in truth and grace he submitted himself unto even persecution, a persecution that even led to his own death which brought about a higher good for the whole world.
For many who are suffering today know this. The way up in God's kingdom is often through suffering, intense discipline (a form of discipleship). I've often heard my disciples in the seminary say things like: "why doi need all this education stuff anyway. This stuff is too hard and I feel like you are being too hard on me by your relentless pressure to get my theology right." Sometimes I tell my disciples that the disciples of Christ had it even worse, he knew not only what was coming out of them but what they were silently thinking about him and the mission of discipleship. Submission to authority is in and of itself tough, and when you add to an unjust authority, well now that is where the rubber hits the road. It is easy to submit when there is agreement. But the true test of character is when there is not agreement and the one in authority is unjust. Whether it is education, learning a new skill, getting a new boss, working in a new job with employers who reject Christ, elders or pastors who persecute you for your views on some doctrine in the word, other saints who beat you and ridicule you or speak rudely to you, God uses that to teach us humility and even how to love our enemies.
I never will forget a lesson from the ole Baptist preacher. Dr. Paige Patterson was being criticized, ridiculed, and attacked because he was working to place conservatives in all leadership positions in the Baptist denomination he served. He was maligned, lied about, and even physically threatened at times (even his wife and children were). Yet one day while he was talking about this he said he was thankful for those times because God used those times to teach him how to love his enemies. He asked a crowd: "Until that point I had no real enemies. So how was I ever to personally fulfill the Lord's mandate to love my enemies unless he sovereignly worked it out to where I had some enemies that I needed to love?" Brilliant and on target.
Our goal is to love those who persecute us so deeply that we can pray: "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." That is the gospel in its essence. Love, forgiveness, humility, and faith that God will make things right even when for the moment they seem to be all wrong.
I think this was even the way the gospel spread to evil rulers in their civil domain. Peter told his disciples these words: "Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people . . . . Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endurse sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps" (1 Peter 2:13-15, 18-21).
Now that is some cool stuff. How God's way are sometimes so different than our ways. He says the way up is down, the way to authority is through submision and service, and the way to be honored is to be humbled. Though none of like persecution, sometimes it is the way and the route to the glory of God being manifested, which is the ultimate theme of God for his universe.
Dr. Allen