Suffering for the Name

“I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” [John 16:33]

Do not fear. God is in charge. His enemies—the devil, the world, and sinful flesh—have been defeated. Jesus died. Jesus rose. Jesus ascended. Jesus is coming again. Thus, not even the gates of hell shall prevail against His Church.

Despite the world’s hostility, depravity, and ungodliness, you have nothing to fear, O Christian. Christ is in control. He is in control when the world loves you. He is in control when the world hates you. Do you really believe the Gospel? Or do you only believe it when there is no persecution, oppression, or martyrdom? Repent of your mistrust, doubt, and unbelief. And look anew to Christ. His Word of absolution, His Gospel, His body and blood given and shed for you are proof that He is in charge, that the victory is His, that the victory is yours!

Rejoice, O Christian, that you have been “counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name” (Acts 5:41).

The Word they still shall let remain nor any thanks have for it;

He’s by our side upon the plain with His good gifts and Spirit.

And take they our life, goods, fame, child, and wife,

Though these all be gone, our vict’ry has been won;

The Kingdom ours remaineth.

[LSB 656, stanza 4]

Division

It is just as our Lord foretold. The truth divides. It divides those who confess it from those who deny it.

“Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” [Luke 12:51-53]

Salvation is God’s free gift to you. It doesn’t cost you anything, though it cost Jesus His very life. He redeemed you, not with gold or silver, but with His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death.

And yet, while salvation is free, confessing Christ’s name comes at a cost. Confessing His Word comes at a cost. Confessing truth comes at a cost. It is the cost of discipleship. This cost is the cross Christ’s own are given to bear. This cross takes many forms. Mockery. Intimidation. Bullying. Ridicule. Persecution. Division. Even death.

But fear not, O Christian. You have a Savior who has already shouldered the cross—the ultimate cross—for you. And He delivers the fruits of His cross—forgiveness, life, and salvation—to you in Word and Sacrament, that you might daily die to sin and rise to newness of life in Him.

By God’s grace, abide in Christ, His Word, His truth. Whatever the consequences, do what you have been set apart in Holy Baptism to do: Repent. Hear. Receive. Believe. Confess. Serve. Pray.

And whether the cross you bear is light or heavy, don’t forget the Lord’s gracious words:

“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]

What Would Jesus Do?

Whenever a pastor is tempted to soft-peddle his preaching, he should ask, “What would Jesus do?” Jesus would insist on saying the unpopular thing if it were true. We need to insist that Jesus is the only way to heaven, that you get there only because God draws you, that faith in the flesh and blood is indispensable, that other religions don’t get you there. Jesus preached the theology of the cross, and He suffered for it. Thankfully, our Lord did not measure the effectiveness of His ministry by how many people stayed in His church or by how His messages were received. He was called to proclaim the truth. The result, for Him, was the cross. The result for us is the same.

Rev. Klemet Preus
The Fire and the Staff, p. 331