Christians have the guarantee of eternal life in heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ, but the journey to paradise to reside with him eternally is anything but pleasant. Jesus Christ promised his followers that they would encounter persecution: “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me” (John 15:18-21).
This is not to say, however, that everyone will experience persecution in the same manner. Some are called to give their lives for Christ, others will endure imprisonment or torture, and still others might contend with scorn and ridicule from family, friends, or co-workers. Christ forewarns that we will be hated, despised, and afflicted by the world—a concept that most Americans find unfathomable. We have been privileged never to have known true persecution. Most of us would be horrified to discover that scores of Christians today are being tortured, maimed, imprisoned, and even martyred in many parts of the world.
If you don’t think atrocities like this could happen in America, then you might want to reconsider your position. Legislation has already been proposed in congress—the Hate Crimes Prevention Act—which would inexorably lead to the prevention of speaking out against homosexuality or other deviant forms of behavior. Canada and France have each seen legislatures fined for publicly criticizing homosexuals. The proposed Hate Crimes Prevention Act could make it a “hate-crime” to preach the Word of God. Support for this bill has failed to garner much support, but the simple fact that it was even proposed speaks volumes about living in a post-Christian society and the impact we might see with respect to our freedom of speech.
All of this should give us pause and should compel us to reconsider how we spend our time. Do we take advantage of the religious freedoms the Lord has granted us, or are we more concerned with worldly pursuits? Do we spend our time sharing the good news with others, or are we more concerned with seeking the toys of time? We would all do well to reassess the way in which we spend the day and remember that we are living on borrowed time. We were not created autonomous to do with our lives what we want, but rather, we were bought with a price, and we belong to Christ. Let’s take advantage of the time and opportunity to spread the gospel message while we still can without fear of reprisal, because we never know when the Lord will take away our freedoms for abusing or neglecting them.
