1 Peter 1:1-2a (NKJV) – “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God…”
 
First Peter was written by Peter while he was in Rome. He was writing to a group of people, not just one church, but a group of people who were in several different colonies of Rome who were believers. Some had Jewish backgrounds, some had Gentile backgrounds, but all of them were beginning to experience suffering and persecution for their faith. Peter is writing about this intense persecution that he and others were experiencing. According to Church history, that persecution in Rome would ultimately lead Peter and his wife to be martyred for the cause of Christ. They experienced great persecution and were sent to their deaths, proclaiming Jesus as Savior and risen Lord. A couple of years before this ultimate martyrdom of Peter and his wife, persecution began to intensify in Rome. Peter also heard about the persecution that was happening in these Roman colonies.
 
Why were Christians suffering persecution? First, Nero burned down many parts of Rome so he could rebuild it the way he wanted. When citizens grew upset about it, Nero blamed it on the Christians. They were easy targets because they were a group of people that the Roman citizens really didn’t understand. He would ultimately call Christians “atheists.” Why? Because they wouldn't worship the Roman gods or deities that the other citizens would worship. So, they would point to Christians and say, “Who are these people? They don't even acknowledge our own deities. They must be atheists.”
 
Second, Roman Christians were accused of being cannibals. The confusion came from the practice of the Lord’s Supper, also known as communion. In John 6:53, Jesus told His followers, “Unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you do not have life in you.” This was a symbolic statement, but outsiders viewed it as literal. Jesus instituted Communion, when He said, “Take, eat. This is My body, which is broken for you. Take, drink. This is My blood poured out for you” (see Matthew 26:26-29). Jesus was referring to our identification with His sacrifice on the Cross. However, the Roman citizens would overhear them and think they were cannibals.
 
Third, they would call the Christians incestuous, believing they were marrying their own siblings. Why? Because, those Christians would greet one another, referring to one another as “brother” or “sister”. Ultimately, they would marry, and so there was the accusation of incestuous marriages. Of course, all of these were misconceptions about first-century Christians. Imagine the context where being a believer meant that you were misunderstood for your convictions. Of course, we don’t have to imagine it, as it is part of our daily lives living in this country. Our faith is misunderstood. We stand for truth and are misunderstood by secular society.
 
First Peter is describing that we can be encouraged even in the midst of challenging times. Peter was experiencing suffering in Rome, and he sent this letter to the Christians who were in all of these Roman colonies where persecution was intensifying, suffering was taking place, and his mindset to them was that this should not surprise Christians. You can be courageous. You can be joyful even in the midst of difficulties or suffering. Prepare your minds for the suffering that may take place in your communities.
 
We can be encouraged when we can see things from God's perspective, not from a human standpoint. Verse 2 begins by expressing how God foreknew us as His children and we are chosen by Him.
 
We have been chosen by God. Our salvation was never initiated by us. Our salvation was always initiated by God. He called us, and He drew us to Himself. He pursued us into a relationship with Himself, and then we responded to that. Romans 3:20 says, "No one seeks after God, not one." You might say, "I said ‘Yes’ to Jesus." Yeah, but that's because He was first pursuing you. He was reaching out to you with His arms of love. Jesus said in John 15:16, "You didn't choose me, but I chose you."
 
Sometimes, people get really caught up with this idea of election, and they begin to think, “Well, did God preordain who will say ‘Yes’ to Him and say ‘No’ to Him? Did God preordain who will accept His salvation, and who will reject His salvation?” That’s not what is taught here. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that God predestines people to go to hell. However, in the mysterious work of God, He does say that He has called us, chosen us, and pursued us to initiate a relationship with us. We should be encouraged by that thought. D.L. Moody once said, “Election should always encourage the saved, not discourage the lost.” Revelation 22:17 says, “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely (KJV).”
 
John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." 1 John 2:2 says that Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world. Jesus died for everyone and anyone who wants to be saved can be saved. However, I like what Charles Spurgeon once said, "When we get to heaven, over the gates it will say ‘whosoever will may come,' and upon entering, we will see inscribed on the backside, 'elect before the foundation of the world'." There is a mystery to our salvation - we have been chosen by God, and then we have said "yes" to Him, but our salvation was initiated by Jesus Christ and God the Father pursuing us into a relationship with Himself. This should bring comfort. You belong in His family. Your salvation is not based on you, it is based on God.
 
“Dear God, thank You for pursuing me with Your love. I praise You for saving me. You are my Lord. I belong to You. Thank You for being brought into Your family. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
 

Relationships can be messy and complicated, even among God's people. There was a young man who I met when I first started in seminary many years ago. Lydia and I were married, and this other young man was also married. We became friends because we had both started seminary at the same time and were student pastors serving the Lord. We bonded over the ministry and had wonderful fellowship together. We were like iron sharpening iron, as described in Proverbs 27:17.
 
However, the relationship started to change. We would plan to meet up, but he would not show up. This happened multiple times. I would wait and wait for him, not knowing what happened. So, our friendship grew strained. I couldn't understand why he didn't value our friendship the way I did, and I didn't know how to express my feelings. Eventually, we grew apart, and I was sad and confused about what happened.
 
Later, I found out that he and his wife had just had a child, and I didn't understand the complexity that this would bring to his life and his other relationships. When I had young children of my own, I realized how distracting and overwhelming it could be. I felt bad for not understanding his perspective and for cooling off our friendship. So I reached out to him and apologized for not understanding his side of things. Maybe he could have told me how complex life had gotten. I could have been more understanding and supportive as he was a new dad. I certainly understood when I had our first son.
 
There may be times of tension or conflict, but we should value those relationships. It's important to not give up on our relationships with others, especially as Christians. Instead of walking away from them, we should make an effort to build and keep those relationships intact. Acts 15:36-41 describes a time of conflict between Paul and Barnabas. Even these great men of God experienced conflict and tension, and we can learn from their example.
 
Acts 15:36–41 (NKJV)
36 Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.”
37 Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark.
38 But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work.
39 Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus;
40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God.
41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
 
Have you ever had a relationship where you didn't understand why things grew tense? Well, in this passage, we understand exactly what happened in this relationship. The conflict arose because of a difference of opinion about John Mark. John Mark is the cousin of Barnabas, according to Colossians 4:10. His mother was Mary - not Jesus’ mother, but another Mary. Acts 12:12 tells the story of Peter in prison, and there were prayers being offered at Mary's house, and it says John Mark was there as well.
 
John Mark is a young believer when Barnabas and Saul, who is also named Paul decided to go on their first missionary journey. Acts 13:4-13 tells the story, and John Mark is their assistant. At some point during the trip, John Mark left them. Although what happened is unclear, Acts 13:13 says, “Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John [which is John Mark], departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.”
 
Here was the bottom line of the conflict that occurs in chapter 15. Here was the disagreement, the desertion of John Mark. We don't know why he deserted, but we can speculate. One idea is that he got sick. We read in Galatians that Paul experienced sickness at times. Another idea is that maybe it was a matter of cold feet where he just didn't like the persecution that was taking place. We can read about the stories of Paul being left for dead and being persecuted by the religious zealots of the day. Maybe John Mark saw that and said, “Man, I didn't sign up for this.” John Chrysostom, that golden-tongued orator of the 300s, said, “Maybe John Mark just missed his mama.” One idea that commentators suggest is the fact that their names shift from “Barnabas and Saul” at the beginning of their ministries to “Saul and Barnabas” later on. Even Acts 13:13 reads “Paul and his party”, which may signal a change in leadership from Barnabas to Paul. Who was the cousin of Barnabas? John Mark. Maybe John Mark saw this change of leadership and felt a loyalty to Barnabas. For whatever reason, he deserted them.
 
In Acts 15:36-41, we see the disagreement between Barnabas and Paul becoming so intense that they decide to part ways.
 
These two giants of the faith refused to budge. Acts 15:37 says “Barnabas was determined to take John called Mark with them.” The verb in Greek implies that he continued to insist that John Mark was coming. He's coming. He's coming. But in verse 38, it says that Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed. The Greek implies that he insisted and insisted and insisted. Paul was not budging.
 
Why did they have such different perspectives? Perhaps Barnabas’ perspective was that John Mark was still a good young man and they needed to believe in him. However, Paul's perspective was that John Mark had deserted them once and he'll desert them again. The mission was not John Mark. The mission was the churches that they were going out to encourage. Paul's priority was the mission, while Barnabas's priority was John Mark and the people.
 
Barnabas could have looked at Paul and said, "Hey, Paul, don't you remember who it was who stuck his neck out for you when everybody thought you were going to persecute them and kill them? I came on the scene and said, ‘No, you can trust Saul. You can trust Paul. He's a believer now. He's here to share God's Word with us.’ Who was it who did that, Paul?” I imagine Paul sheepishly responding, “Um, you did." We know Barnabas dug in his heels and insisted on taking John Mark with them. On the other hand, Paul could have easily said, "God has called me to lead our group, and if I'm leading, then he's not going." Therefore, they parted ways.
 
I see a few applications that can help us as we work through our own relationships as God’s people:
 
First, in our humanity, we are imperfect people. Whether we're Christians or not, we make mistakes, and we let people down. Have you ever let someone down? Have you ever disappointed someone? Have you ever tried to go back and apologize for something you did? John Mark let his companions down. It's very possible and probable in between the first and second missionary journeys that John Mark went to Barnabas and perhaps to Paul as well and said, "Man, I'm sorry I let you down. I won't do it again.” John 2:23–24 says, “Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men.” Jesus did not commit Himself to them because He knew that people can be fickle. Just because they believed in Him at that moment, it did not guarantee that they would continue to believe in Him in the future. Similarly, we need to acknowledge that as humans, we are not perfect. Jesus is the only perfect Person. We should be gracious to one another because of this reality.
 
Second, in our humanity, our perspectives are flawed. We don't see perfectly. 1 Corinthians 13:12 says, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” Paul admits, "Right now, I see in part, but then (in heaven one day), I'll see perfectly. Right now I see through a glass darkly or dimly, but then I will really see." Because our perspectives are flawed, conflict is inevitable. Paul values the mission. Barnabas values the person. Paul is saying, “He's not coming because he's going to let us down again,” while Barnabas is saying, “No, we've got to believe in this guy. God's hand is on his life.”
 
Third, relationships can be restored. The Bible teaches us that as brothers and sisters in Christ, we don't have to be identical. Christian unity doesn't mean uniformity. We don't have to speak, look, or think alike. We may not always understand each other's perspectives, but we do need to recognize that we only see part of the picture now, and one day we will see perfectly.
 
We do know that forgiveness and restoration occurred between Paul, Barnabas and John Mark. For instance, in 1 Corinthians 9:3-7, Paul speaks highly of Barnabas. In Colossians 4:10, Paul mentions John Mark, calling him "Mark, the cousin of Barnabas" and instructing the church to welcome him if he comes. In 2 Timothy 4:11, at the end of his life, Paul asks Luke to bring John Mark with him, saying that “he is useful to me for ministry.” It is also worth noting that the Gospel of Mark was penned by this same John Mark. So, perhaps as hindsight is 20/20, we should side with Barnabas in the conflict. John Mark was worth being given another chance. All of these passages should help us hold on to, cultivate, show grace, and even restore (if possible) our Christian friendships and relationships. We need grace at times, so we should be ready to show grace. Relationships can be messy, but they are worth it. God made us for community.
 
“Dear God, thank You for this passage of Scripture. I see that even Your servants can disagree. You Alone have the right perspective. As I build friendships with my Christian brothers and sisters, please help me extend grace when I don’t see as they see. Grow us closer to You and to one another as we walk through this life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
​

During the Superbowl a week and a half ago, advertisers spent $7 million dollars to place their 30-second ad in front of the viewers. There was one ad campaign that has generated some talk called “He Gets Us.” They spent $14 million dollars on a 1-minute ad during the Superbowl with a punchline that said, “Jesus didn’t teach hate. He washed feet.” It was met with mixed reviews. Many evangelical Christians, including me, believe it is an insufficient message. While we should want our Christian message that “God loves everyone” to be front and center, this ad seems to lean too heavily on God’s grace and not enough on God’s truth or God’s holiness. 
 
Jesus came full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Grace showed His love. Truth showed His righteousness. This culture seems to only want the Jesus Who is full of grace. However, He doesn’t give us that option.
 
John 8:1–8:11 (NKJV)
1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.
3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst,
4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.
5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?”
6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”
8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
 
Jesus, here, is full of grace (“neither do I condemn you”) and full of truth (“go and sin no more”). He calls what she has been doing “sin”.
 
The insufficient message that Jesus “gets” us is that He will leave us as we are. I love Psalm 40:2, which says, “He lifted me out of the horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock and established my steps.” He saw us in our pitiful condition – in our sin, and He pulled us out. He doesn’t just “get” us, He “changes” us. He “redeems” us.
 
Jamie Bambrick felt that this Superbowl ad was insufficient and created a simple spin-off of what the ad could have been. You can watch it below:

​We really resent the idea when someone says, “Do as I say, but not as I do.” Our walk should match our talk. I’ve discovered that our beliefs and doctrines are what we say we believe. But our actions are proving what we actually believe. Galatians 2 tells the story of when Paul had to confront Peter because his actions didn’t line up with his stated beliefs.

Galatians 2:11–14 (NLT)
11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. 
12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. 
13 As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 
14 When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?
 
Galatians is written very early in the history of the church. It's one of the oldest books in the New Testament. Acts 10 records the story of how God used Peter to get the message of the gospel to Cornelius, a Gentile. Peter has a vision where God lowers a sheet with unclean animals that Jews would not dare eat and tells Peter to eat. Peter responds, "Nothing unclean has touched my mouth." God says, "Don't call unclean what I have cleansed." He leads Cornelius's people to find Peter, and God leads Peter to go talk to Cornelius's household about Jesus. Cornelius is a Gentile, not a Jew.

Before this time, virtually everyone who was a Christian was first Jewish. They thought that in order to be a Christian, you had to be a good Jew first. You had to follow the Jewish Old Testament, the laws, and the commands. For instance, the Sabbath laws, the food dietary laws, and the laws related to the circumcision of males.

Peter was struggling with this. He was supposed to lead this Gentile to faith in Jesus, and then he finds out that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). He realizes that the same gospel is for both Jew and Gentile. The Holy Spirit filled the Gentiles, and Peter said, "We've got to baptize them." They don't have to be Jews, they don't have to be circumcised, and they don't have to follow the laws and the codes and the conduct of the Jewish people.

Ultimately, Peter would recognize that his ministry was primarily to the Jews and Paul's ministry was primarily to the Gentiles. So, Peter already wrestled with this and already received it from the Lord. This is the context in which we find Paul and Peter in Galatians 2. Peter visited Antioch, where he met some of the Gentile believers. He had no problem associating and eating with these Gentiles until some men from the Jerusalem church came.

Galatians 2:12 says, "But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore." James was the half-brother of Jesus and the pastor of the church in Jerusalem, where there were a lot of Jewish-grounded believers. Verse 13 says, “[E]ven Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.” The word "hypocrite" refers to someone putting on a mask. We think of actors who present themselves one way on stage, behind a mask, but are another way off the stage. Peter knew that Jews and Gentiles come to faith in Christ the same way and are saved from their sins in the same way, yet he became a hypocrite. He was afraid of these Jewish Christians who would think that eating together with Gentiles would be a violation of God’s law.

This fear caused him to slowly back away from his fellowship with the Gentile Christians, and he began to eat only with the Jews. Paul reminded Peter that Jesus had created one family in Christ and tore down the barrier between Jews and Gentiles. There was no separation between them, and yet Peter was drawing a distinction between them. Peter was, in fact, ostracizing an entire group of God's family because he was intimidated by the crowd. Proverbs 29:25 says, “The fear of man is a snare,” and Peter had been caught in that trap.

Well, we may not have problems like these, but we can still apply this passage. Today, there are people who say that they are Christians and they know the truth of God's word, and yet then they pull back from those convictions that they once held dear. Parents are vulnerable to this when their child grows up and begins to believe things that are different from what they were taught in the home. The parents were teaching God’s Word, but now the children are “enlightened”. The parents taught right from wrong, but now the child says, “Mom, Dad, I don’t think that’s important anymore. Don’t you know that there are different perspectives on those Bible verses?” Or, they may say, “I went to this church in college, and they taught something very different than what you taught me.” They may go on to quote their professors in psychology, sociology, or world religions.

The parents, though they know their Bibles, are tempted to soften their convictions or try to find a compromise in their own minds because they are afraid of being ostracized by the people that they love. Remember, “the fear of man is a snare.” Instead, their discussions should include, “I love you too much to stay silent about this. The Bible has not changed. God has not changed His mind.” Then they can proceed to quote Bible verses and help their adult children with the questions that their professors have asked. When God’s Word is clear, God’s people should be clear. When thinking about this story, there are three challenges to consider:

First, build your faith and your doctrine on the Word of God. You would think this sounds simple enough, yet most believers can recount a story of someone who claims to be a Christian backing away from plain, easy-to-comprehend doctrinal ideas from God’s Word. This happens simply because it is no longer socially acceptable. It’s not because God’s Word has changed or that it is now difficult to understand. We should not retreat from what we know to be right.

Second, this truth will not make you popular with the world, but it will make you pleasing to God. God’s Word often goes against the grain of this world system (2 Corinthians 4:4), which makes it unpopular with this world, maybe family members, or maybe friends. But staying faithful to God’s Word will make you pleasing to God. Who do we want to please - others or God?

Galatians 1:10, just one chapter earlier from where we’ve been reading, says, "I am no longer trying to please people. I am trying to please God. If I were still pleasing men, then I would not be the servant of God." Paul might have added, “If I were trying to please men, I wouldn't confront Peter to his face over this hypocrisy that he knew better.” The truth will make us unpopular with this world, but it will make us pleasing to God. One verse of scripture to hold on to or pray over yourself and your children is 3 John 1:4, which says, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." God's greatest joy is when his children walk in truth, not when everyone thinks well of us. Jesus says, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets” (Luke 6:46).

Third, you are not alone when you stand on God's word. In 1 Kings 19, the prophet Elijah was depressed. He was running for his life, when God asked him, “Where are you?” Elijah says, “I've been serving You, but I'm alone. I'm by myself. No one else is standing for you like me.” God’s Word to Elijah is what God wants to tell us as well. God says in 1 Kings 19:18, “I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal.” He’s encouraging Elijah to keep standing. He is telling Elijah about the 7,000 who are faithful to Him. Elijah doesn’t see them. Perhaps they are the silent group in Israel, but they still have a backbone and have not bowed to the prominent pagan idols in the land.

Do you feel alone when you are standing faithful to God at work, at school, or in your everyday lives? The devil wants to isolate you. He wants you to think that if you stand for God's Word, you'll be all by yourself. The devil would love to convince you that you are in the minority and that you are fighting a lost cause, but Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” One day in glory, may God say to us, “Well done, you good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).

Do we want the popularity of the crowd, or do we want to be well pleasing to God? Are you building your faith on God’s Word or the lies of this world? Imagine Paul telling Peter, “It doesn’t matter if people that you love tell you that you shouldn’t be eating with the Gentiles. God showed you that He shows no partiality. He taught you that we are all one big family in Christ. Live your convictions and allow the chips to fall where they may.”

“Dear God, give me the grace to stand in today’s world with Your Word in my heart and Your Spirit directing my steps. I love You. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

1 Peter 4:12–13 (NKJV)
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
 
These verses were written during a time of persecution for the first-century believer. Peter is in Rome and he decides to write a letter. He writes this letter to Christians who are not in Rome, but who have been dispersed abroad in Asia Minor at that time.
 
Peter is in Rome, where Nero, the Caesar, had blamed a fire which he started on the Christians. Christians were a minority and an easy target. Nero wanted to build parts of Rome in a way that he desired, so he started the fire. After everyone was upset over the damage, Nero claimed that the Christians started the fire. Some estimates claim that 6 million Christians over that period of time lost their lives either being burned at the stake or being fed to the lions.
 
Interestingly, years after Peter wrote his letter to persecuted Christians, he and his wife would ultimately lose their lives as martyrs proclaiming Jesus is the Messiah, Whom God raised from the dead.
 
History tells us [1] that before Peter died by crucifixion, he had to watch the crucifixion of his own wife. It is said that as he watched her being led to her death, Peter called to his wife by name and said, “Remember the Lord”! When it was his turn, he pleaded to be crucified upside down because he wasn’t worthy to die as his Lord had died. And so he was nailed to a cross head-downward.
 
Christians living in America today do not experience that level of persecution. Some believers in our world certainly still face grave consequences for being Christians in a hostile country, but America continues to have religious liberty. However, persecution still exists. A believer may not get that promotion because of their faith. They may be looked over for a scholarship. They may face ostracism at work because of their faith. Family members may shun them. Ridicule and slander are aspects of persecution. Fines and prison are threats which can even be pursued by godless forces bent on transforming America in a totally pagan nation. So, Americans should still listen to Peter about how to live in a hostile country.
 
I was reading this past week that former Vice President Mike Pence, himself a devoted Christian, once delivered a message to the graduates at Liberty University and said,
 
"You know, throughout most of American history, it's been pretty easy to call yourself a Christian. It didn't even occur to people that you might be shunned or ridiculed for defending the teaching of the Bible. But things are different now. Some of the loudest voices for tolerance today have little tolerance for traditional Christian beliefs. So as you go about your daily life, just be ready. Because you're going to be asked not just to tolerate things that violate your faith; you're going to be asked to endorse them. You're going to be asked to bow down to the idols of the popular culture.”
 
Pence references 1 Peter 1:13 as he continues: "So you need to prepare your minds for action… You need to show that we can love God and love our neighbor at the same time through words and deeds. And you need to be prepared to meet opposition. As the founder of this university often said, 'No one ever achieved greatness without experiencing opposition'. So… as you strive for greatness, know that you'll face challenges, you'll face opposition. But just know this: If, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you end up in the fire, there'll be another in the fire." [2]
 
Persecution exists all over the world for the Christian who will stand up for his or her beliefs. It has looked different over the years, but it exists nonetheless. We should find strength from God’s Word as we live out our Christian faith in a world that is growing increasingly secular with each passing day. God’s Word is our guide. We have the Holy Spirit in our hearts. We have the faithful testimony of God’s people throughout centuries to encourage us. Stand strong for Him, and don’t think it strange when you experience persecution for your faith.
 
Dear Lord, I pray for the believers all over the world today who suffer simply because they are trusting You and standing for You. I pray that you would give me courage to stand for You today in my life, at my work, in my school and among my friends, families and coworkers. May I never be ashamed of You. I love you. In Jesus’ name, amen.


[1] Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 3:1, 30.

[2] As quoted in Robert Jeffress, Courageous (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2020), 56,57.