TCH MINI-STUDY 28
BELIEVERS IN CHRIST WILL BE HATED AND PERSECUTED
The believer in Christ has many destinies. One
earthly destiny is that the believer in Christ will be despised, hated and persecuted by some. There is no doubt about it. When you
receive Christ into your heart, and mind you change, and others will therefore change in their attitude and opinions about you. They
may treat you differently. Some shall despise and hate you, and in some cases, persecute you through verbal, psychological, emotional,
or physical attack. You man be teased, or you may be killed. You may be spit upon, or you may be slapped. Some will argue with you
seemingly about nothing, while others will curse you. Your own family may turn against you and hate you, mistreat you, and reject
you. Even fellow Christians may disagree with you on doctrinal issues, and depending where you are in the world, you may even be beheaded
for your faith. This suffering is a definite destiny for the believer in Christ.
When thou passest through the waters, I will
be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned;
neither shall the flame kindle upon thee (Isaiah 43:2).
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you
falsely, for my sake (Matthew 5:10-11).
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that
hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you (Matthew 5:44).
If ye were of the world, the world
would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember
the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you;
if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they
know not him that sent me (John 15:19-21).
If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of
the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the
world hateth you (John 15:18-19).
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,
or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword.? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep
for the slaughter (Romans 8:35-36).
Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not (Romans 12:14).
We are troubled
on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body (2 Corinthians
4:8-10).
And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we intreat:
we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day (1 Corinthians 4:12-13).
And he said
unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in
my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities,
in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Persecutions,
afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered
me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Tim 3:11-12).
For ye, brethren, became followers
of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as
they have of the Jews: Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and
are contrary to all men (1 Thessalonians 2:14-15).
THE CHRISTIAN HERALD
A
Judeo-Christian Bible Study
THE CHRISTIAN AND GOVERNMENT
Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of
God: the
powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist
shall receive to
themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to
the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid
of the power? do that which is good, and
thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for
good. But if
thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword
in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute
wrath upon
him that doeth evil (Romans 13:1-4).
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be
to
the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of
them that do well. For so is the will
of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish
men (1 Peter
2:13-15).
Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates,
to be ready to every good work, To
speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but
gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men (Titus 3:1-2).
FEAR THE LORD, AND DEPART FROM EVIL
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all
thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil"
(Proverbs
3:5-7).
YE HAVE RECEIVED THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not
received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit
itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs
with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together"
(Romans 8:14-17).
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the
earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven,
and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread
to the eater: So shall my word [Hebrew, dabar; the speaking, movement, and operation of the Holy Spirit, not the bible] be that goeth
forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the
thing whereto
I sent it
(Isaiah 55:8-11).
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified [found
by God not guilty, innocent] by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled
to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved
by his life
(Romans 5:8-10).
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE? IT IS EVEN A VAPOUR
"Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into
such a city, and continue
there a year, and buy and sell, and
get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.
For what is your life? It is even a vapour,
that appeareth
for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought
to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and
do this, or
that
(James 4:15).