Dear Friends of Triumph:
As another Thanksgiving Season draws near, let us get in the thanks-giving habit. This is a good habit to have the year round.
Lately I have found myself pausing frequently in the midst of a busy day to whisper to my Father in heaven, "Father, I'm glad I belong to You."
In a day such as we live in, I don't know how people can keep on going without this assurance. I don't know what I would do if I didn't belong to Him.
I guess some, at least, are existing purely on raw nerve, or intestinal fortitude. Maybe some are getting by on drugs.
I found out a long time ago that I haven't got a natural endowment of raw nerve or intestinal fortitude. I never was the hero type. When at the front in Germany in 1945, it would have been much easier to run from rather than to the battle.
I'm still not the hero type. All this talk of coming calamity, nuclear war, fall-out, and all this catching me in my present condition, not even able to run to a shelter (if there was one); I repeat, all this would leave me weak in the stomach, very much unnerved, scared half to death, IF I DID NOT BELONG TO THE ONE WHO HOLDS THIS WORLD AND ME AND THE FUTURE IN HIS HAND. "And no one is able to pluck (me) out of my Father's hand."
Yes, I am very thankful -- and I often tell Him so.
I'm thankful that the Father saw my plight and long ago provided for my salvation through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. I am so glad He had me in mind and included me in His plans and drew me to Christ by the Word and the Spirit, that I might by believing in Him be saved forever. I'm so thankful He gave me a Saviour, took me into His family, became my Father. In short, I'm glad I belong to Him.
But as I write, I am aware that many have not this assurance. Maybe you haven't this assurance. God is not your Father nor Christ your Saviour. You have been getting by on raw nerve or tranquilizers or maybe you have just dismissed the calamitous situation from your thoughts. This has kept you to the present and may keep you a while longer. But there is coming a day when you will need more than these escape mechanisms. You need God; you need Him badly.
He is willing to become your Father, if you are willing. He has already given His best gift to you, His only begotten Son, that you might have your sins blotted out in His precious shed blood, and have life everlasting. He has given this Gift. All you have to do is receive it "As many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name."
I know from experience that life will take on new meaning for you when you receive Christ as your Saviour. Though I am not brave, I am not afraid of the explosive circumstances, for I have complete confidence in Him who saved me. You may trust Him too, if you will. "He is faithful." "He will never leave us nor forsake us."
With Christ in your life, God as your Father, heaven your home, this Thanksgiving can be truly a time of thanks-giving.
Your Editor,
Arthur E. Gordon
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From One Shut - in To Another
ONE SUMMER MORNING
On a sunny summer morning when the sky was bright,
My spirit woke up singing, and I felt so very light
That I thought the little cloud boats would scarcely even know
If I boarded them in secret and prepared to go.
The mocking birds were singing, and the blackbirds joined in too;
The flower buds all had opened, and the bending sky was blue;
The little baby chickens and the silliest old hen
Just pecked with joy and industry and pecked and scratched again.
A kitten and a puppy chased each other round and round,
And I almost heart the earthworms a-humming in the ground;
All the little hills a-skipping were clapping joyful hands,
As the happy rivers hurried across the smiling lands!
Then someone came by and asked me, "What can YOU be glad about?
Oh, yes, the day is lovely; but you know you can't get out!"
Then my spirit rose up singing, like a lily from a clod,
As I said, "I'm happy anyway -- for I have God!"
-- Martha Snell Nicholson
(From "Heart Held High" by Martha Snell Nicholson:
used by permission of Moody Press, Moody Bible Institute, Chicago IL)
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NEXT STOP, THE MOON
By M.R. DeHaan, M.D.
SCIENTIFIC-MINDED MAN confidently declares that the next stop in our space explorations will be putting a man on the moon and bringing him back again. And from there, we are told we shall go on to explore the entire universe. This is the dream of modern man. On the same day (May 5, 1961) when the United States placed its first astronaut, Alan B. Shepard, Jr., into space, one of the highest authorities in the space agency said in essence, "This is just the beginning. Next we shall orbit a man, yea, many more; and soon we will send a man to the moon and back."
A high official in speaking of the development of the Jupiter and Mercury missiles referred to Huntsville, Alabama, as the "space capital of the universe."
Incredible has been the increase in technological knowledge, so that today one thrill follows upon another so rapidly it leaves us dizzy and confused. Not too long ago the world was virtually "set back upon its heels" and caused to gasp in surprise and amazement at the launching of two earth satellites orbiting for weeks, circumnavigating outer space around the earth, traveling eighteen thousand miles an hour, it made a complete trip around the earth as an artificial moon eighteen times in twenty-four hours.
But all this is old news. Sputniks don't interest us any more. They were mere children's toys, for soon a dog was launched into space; then a chimpanzee ; and then the world was electrified by the successful journey of Russia's Yuri Gagarin orbiting the earth and descending safely. The United States followed with our own version of an astronaut, (then Russia again), and no one knows what will be next. We are told it will be the moon; then Venus and Mars and Jupiter and points beyond.
THE CHRISTIAN'S REACTION
I am no authority on man's plan for invading outer space. However, I am intensely interested in space travel from the standpoint of God's program, rather than the plans of man.
As a believer in the Bible, and that God as the Creator rules and controls and limits all the activities of His creatures, we would seek an answer in the Bible to such questions as these: Will man ever reach the moon? Will he be able to come back? How far will God permit man to go in his ambitious program to conquer space? Has it ever been tried before? Is successful space travel to the very limits of the universe possible? Does the Bible answer these questions? We believe it does.
And then the great important question: What do these developments mean in the prophetic program for the Church? Are these things in fulfillment of prophecy, and do they throw any light on the subject of the Lord's return to catch away His Bride, before the Day of the Lord breaks?
We might refer you to many Scriptures but call your attention to just one which is unmistakable (Luke 21: 25-28).
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring:
Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
We believe that in the light of these most recent excursions into space, the teaching of these words of Jesus is unmistakable. The sun signs and the moon signs, in a day of distress of nations without precedent in history, together with the strange phenomena and disturbances in nature, unusual conditions in the weather and the elements, are according to Jesus "sign of His soon return."
How long will it be? How much farther will man go in his invasion of the heavens before Jesus comes to take a hand? Will man reach the moon before that day? We can know no more than the Bible reveals. So "to the law and the testimony." Man of course does not recognize God in this ambitious program, but you may rest assured that the Almighty is not just a disinterested spectator in the "imaginations of the children of men."
Our country has set up a special agency whose function it is to deal exclusively with the program of space travel. It is called the N.A.S.A. (National Aeronautics and Space Agency). Astronomical sums of money have been allotted to the program, with the promise of more. In view of this we have a right to ask: To what purpose is all this expenditure? What assured benefits can be expected, and will it succeed? Without going beyond the next step, we ask the one question: What is the possibility of reaching the moon? Just to "pooh-pooh" the idea will not do -- we must have some solid reasons for our opinion.
First, then, our personal opinion, and it is strictly our opinion. We do not believe that man will ever inhabit the moon. Whether he will reach the moon is very problematical, and his return (in the event he gets there) will be a hundred times more problematical, and as for his staying there alive -- from where we are now, that seems impossible. We state this because of the following known facts:
1. The moon is approximately 240,000 miles distant from the earth. Man up until now has reached an altitude of no more that five hundred miles (that is, with a live creature). Scientists tell us that the unknown factors of space -- cosmic rays, radiation, atom bombardment, are still unknown obstacles, standing in the way. Space is not empty as was once believed. It is filled with energy, cosmic and actinic rays, radiation, and atoms of free hydrogen, the impact of which, in a trip to the moon would subject a man to a thousand times the lethal minimum of radiation and still live.
2. But suppose science overcomes these hurdles. What would a man find when he got to the moon? Science itself tells us that the moon is a dead planet, a hunk of barren rock without air; hence, no wind, no oxygen. Its day and night are a month long -- two weeks daylight, two weeks night.
Since there is no air, there would be no twilight, and no dawn, caused by the refraction of the sun's rays through the air. There would be no rain or clouds; hence, no water. The daylight would end in instantaneous night, and full daylight would appear in a second -- really daybreak.
During the day the temperature would rise to 212 degrees Fahrenheit and at night plunge to 238 degrees below zero, a total drop of 450 degrees Fahrenheit. ("Introduction to the Moon" by Dinsmore Alter, Ph.D., Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles, CA). The daytime temperature is the result of the absence of atmosphere which would shield the moon from the sun's rays, and the low night temperature is from the sudden escape of heat due to an absence of cloud cover.
HOW TO GET BACK AGAIN?
From these facts one may surmise the difficulty of outfitting a spaceship with sufficient oxygen, food and drink, as well as clothing, to make life possible for even a few moments on the moon. Life outside a spaceship, assuming one could reach the moon with all necessary equipment not found on the moon, would seem utterly impossible. But suppose a man did reach the moon through 240,000 miles of bombardment by uncertain forces, and land safely on the moon, how would he get back again? There would be no launching pad, no air to enable a takeoff if there were one.
There are numerous other obstacles which might be mentioned and many more yet undiscovered which make it seem, from here at least, to stagger even our wildest imaginations. I realize the advances which have been made. I realize that sending a man to the moon seems no more fantastic now than orbiting a man around the earth seemed fantastic twenty-five years ago. Tremendous strides have been made, but where is the limit, or is there no limit? What do you think?
Do you dare to express your opinion on the question: Will we ever colonize the moon? Or are you afraid of being ridiculed as a skeptic, or even considered ignorant and stupid? We are not talking about man-made earth satellites, platforms in the sky, weather stations in space for informative or military purposes, but we are talking about whether we shall invade other planets, beginning with the moon.
If it were not for the fact that the Bible seems to clearly indicate that God will not allow man to proceed indefinitely, but had in His sovereign plan placed a limit on man's attempt to invade heaven, we might withhold an opinion; but I do believe that God has set a limit on man's ambitious dream to conquer the universe.
If it were only reaching the moon which man seeks, we might weigh more carefully what we say, but the goal is virtual infinity. That this is the dream of man today is evident from numerous comments of high-ranking scientists and the common daily use of statements concerning spaceships reaching the moon, Mars, Venus, and points beyond.
So, let us look to the Word of God.
WHAT SAITH THE SCRIPTURES?
The Bible opens with the statement: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). Notice very carefully! Here in the opening verse of God's Word a definite distinction is made between the earth and the rest of the planets in the universe.
The heaven in this verse is very evidently the PLANETARY heavens. It refers to the astronomical heavens: the sun, moon, stars, and other heavenly bodies. These -- the sun, moon, and stars -- were then set or appointed on the fourth day for a definite purpose with reference to this earth. The entire universe was created at the beginning of Genesis 1:1, but evidently the sun, moon, and stars were not made visible until the fourth day.
The thing to notice, however, is that the earth is mentioned APART from the rest of the created universe. It says, "God created the heaven AND the earth." The earth holds a special place in this universe. It is mentioned separately and apart from the rest of the planets. This was because God had a different plan for the earth. It was to be the one place where man, created in the image of God, would be placed, and where God would be pleased to reveal Himself to His creature, yea, come to dwell in human flesh.
The earth was chosen from among all other planets to be man's home. The earth was created for the express purpose of being the dwelling place of man in the image of God. While the other heavenly bodies were created in the beginning their function is made known on the fourth day, and the Bible tells us their particular place in relation to the earth.
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days, and years:
And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. (Genesis 1:14,15).
Notice these four things mentioned. The sun and moon were appointed:
1. To divide the day and night.
2. They were to be for signs.
3. They were created to control the seasons -- days and years.
4. They were created to shine upon the earth.
Notice the Bible mentions that the sun, moon, and stars were created FOR THE EARTH -- TO SHINE UPON THE EARTH. From this it is quite apparent that the moon, together with the other planets, were created at the time the earth was fashioned, for "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." After the record of this original creation, and the information that the sun, moon, and stars were appointed to give light ON EARTH, God now confines the balance of His revelation to this earth. Evidently God does not want our interests in the other planets to go so far as to desire to conquer them or make them colonial possessions of the earth.
The Bible is quite clear that to seek to conquer space is trespassing upon forbidden property. In Psalm 115 we read:
Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth (Psalm 115:15).
Here again the earth is mentioned separately from the rest of the planetary heavens, and the next verse tells us why:
The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men. (Psalm 115:16).
Since everything in creation besides the earth is included in the word "heavens" in the phrase "heaven and earth," it of course includes the moon also. The Bible teaches that the moon was created for the earth to influence seasons, tides, weather, and to give light by night. God therefore says the moon is "off limits" for man.
Once we accept the record of the Word of God, we can rest in the confidence that He who made the universe will guide its destiny, and proud man can go only as far as God permits him to go.
But as we close, we refer you to one word in Genesis 1:14, the word "SIGNS." Speaking of the sun, moon, and stars, God says "let them be for signs." Signs of what? In the light of the rest of Scripture we believe it refers to the "signs of the times." When the disciples asked Jesus, "What SIGN will there be when these things come to pass?" (Luke 21:7), he says among other things.
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. (Luke 21: 25,26).
We believe the present fantastic developments, moon shots, missiles to the sun, are the signs of His coming. Soon the first successful climactic ride into outer space will be a reality (when the children of God are caught up to meet the Lord in the air), and God will close this present age with judgment upon an unbelieving world.
Hw which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20).
(Reprinted from "Next Stop, The Moon"
by permission of The Radio Bible Class, Grand Rapids, MI)
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HE WAS AFFLICTED
"In all their affliction he was afflicted." -- Isaiah 63:9
YOU HAVE heard the old adage, "Now, son, this hurts your old dad as much as it hurts you," as dad is about to apply the rod. If you were ever in the son's position you know that at the time there was real doubt as to the truth of this statement. Yet it is true, when made by a loving father.
Especially is it true when made with respect to the heavenly Father and His own blood-bought children. "In all their affliction he was afflicted." It was true of Him with Israel. All the while they groaned under their awful slavery in Egypt, God took note of their suffering, was there in their midst, and shared their affliction.
How can a person have his eye pain-fully damaged and the rest of his body not share in the misery? Zechariah, speaking to Israel, says, " . . . for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his (God's) eye." God considered Israel as a part of His own eye. How could a part of God's eye be injured and He not share in the suffering? Indeed, "in all their affliction he was afflicted."
But it is true of us too.
We, as believers in Jesus Christ, are members of Christ's Body. Paul says, "Now ye are the body of Christ." Christ is the Head. Of Him, Paul says, "And he is the head of the body, the church." Is it conceivable that any member of Christ's body could suffer and Christ, the Head, not suffer in sympathy with that member? No indeed! Whatever afflicts us afflicts Him also. Yes, "in all their affliction he was afflicted."
"And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way (i.e. Christ) whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
"And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined around about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
"And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest" (Acts 9:1-5a).
Actually, Saul had never laid a finger on Jesus' person. What did He mean, then? He referred to the persecution Saul was perpetrating against His disciples. Their suffering hadn't gone unnoticed. Every blow that fell upon a believer in Christ, fell upon Christ. As His Body (His Church) suffered, so He suffered. He was always with them, as He had promised; and He suffered with them.
He is with us today. To you and to me who believe in Him, He says, "Lo, I am with you alway." When affliction of any description comes our way, He shares it with us. Whatever pain we feel, He feels it too. Whatever sorrow, disappointment, heartache, He experiences the same.
Oh, how wonderful to contemplate this truth! May this become a very real source of encouragement in your time of need.
"In all their affliction he was afflicted."
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SERMON SERIES
THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER
No. 27
CHRISTIAN SUFFERING
I Peter 4:14-16
If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
THE GOD of eternity is also the God of the hour.
Peter here in our text reminds suffering Christians everywhere, for their encouragement, of this fact. Not only has God given wonderful promises for the future (as we saw in our last study) but has also made wonderful provision for the present.
HAPPY ARE YE
"If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified" (14).
"If ye be reproached for the name of Christ . . . " And you will be. You will be by the world. That is, if you live for Christ in the world. Of course the world won't reproach a Christian if they don't know he's a Christian. But if you live Christ and preach Christ and in every way exalt Christ in the office or the shop or the factory or wherever you find yourself, then the world is going to make it hard for you.
And if you should escape this reproach from the world, it will come from another quarter -- even from the god of this world, old Satan himself. Now that I have been more or less shut away from the world these past six years, and since the world to some extent pities a paralytic, I haven't had the reproach from the world I once enjoyed. (?). But I have found that the god of the world doesn't pity a paralytic, and if anything, he has put on the pressure more than ever, and it is "for the name of Christ." Nothing would delight him more than to make us deny that precious name.
But there is a fact true of every reproached believer in Christ, a fact that at first may seem contradictory, but when carefully considered is found to be true. Peter states it in one word "makarioi," which is translated in the Authorized Version by three words, "happy are ye." The same word in Matthew 5:11 is translated "blessed are ye." We might say then of the one who is reproached for the name of Christ "blessedly happy are ye."
The question follows naturally: Why? Why are we blessedly happy when we are reproached for His name? The answer follows.
"For the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you."
It is not enough that we have a God who lives way out yonder in space, we need a God who is near us, who can and will minister to our daily and personal needs. Our God is just such a God.
When Jesus was about to undergo His passion and then return to the Father in heaven, He said this concerning His disciples -- "While I was with them in the world, I kept them . . . " All the while He was with them on earth He had seen to their physical and spiritual welfare. But the day came for His departure. What would happen to them then? Would He leave them to wander aimlessly about as sheep among wolves, to be afflicted without help. Not so.
Indeed they were destined to undergo persecutions, they would be hated and hounded by the world and the devil, but they would not be left to suffer alone. Hear from His own lips what Jesus would provide. "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit."
The advent of the Holy Spirit happened in this manner. As the disciples waited "all with one accord in one place . . . suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost." The Comforter had come. Thus could Peter affirm of all true believers in Christ, and especially reproached believers, "For the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you."
He is with us today. He is here to help us. Jesus called Him the "parakletos." Literally a parakletos is "one called alongside to help." The Holy Spirit is our ever-present, all-sufficient divine Helper.
"Help!" cries the drowning man. "Help!" cries the man pinned under his wrecked auto. What else is there for him to say at such a time? But the tragedy too often is that there is no one with earshot, and if there is someone near he is unable to help.
Not so with the troubled Christian. He has Someone near who can help. He came for that purpose. We may therefore resort to that old familiar cry, the cry of the distraught mother in the Scriptures, "Lord, help me," when we find the floods of adversity overwhelming us and ourselves pinned down by despair. We may make this short prayer with the confidence that the One whose name is Helper, will do just that. He hears the faintest cry, and He will help; He is able for He is God.
He helps in several ways.
One way in which the Holy Spirit helps us is to point our attention to Christ. Jesus said: "When the Comforter is come . . . he shall testify of me." Thus He will have us "looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." And the purpose being to "consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."
Another way He helps is to point our attention to the Holy Word. Says Jesus, "He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." The Holy Spirit is committed to the task of teaching us the Bible. How often has it proven to be the balm of healing to the troubled soul.
But sometimes the Bible is not at hand when we need it most. At such times the Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance the very portion that meets the need of the hour.
Still another way the Holy Spirit comes to our help is to point us to the future. Jesus said: "And he will shew you things to come." What is the event of the future, Christians most look for? Jesus stated it exactly, "I will come again, and receive you unto myself." This is "that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul."
Finally, another way in which the Holy Spirit helps is seen in the phrase in our text, "resteth upon you." to understand the sense of this phrase we might borrow an illustration from the machine shop. As we approach one of the machines we see a young fellow, an apprentice, feverishly laboring, trying with all that is in him to turn out an acceptable piece of work, but to no avail. Finally the regular machinist, seeing the boy's predicament, comes to his aide and says, "Here, son, let me rest you awhile." The boy seats himself nearby to recuperate his strength as the skilled machinist takes over and brings into reality the desired product.
Jesus calls to sinners, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," or "I will rest you." What He is saying is: You are burdened down with the guilt and penalty of your sins, you have been striving to be rid of them and to make yourself acceptable before God, but now come to Me, I bore your sins to the tree, I will present you blameless before God. So Christ relieves the sinner of his own futile strivings.
In like manner the Holy Spirit rests the believer. He Himself will take over the believers fight against self, sin, Satan and the world, giving victory. He will produce in the believer's life His own fruit (the fruit of the Spirit) thus producing a life that is pleasing to God. Our part is to REST in Him; let Him bring about the desired product.
Just this observation on the phrase, "on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified." The world speaks evil of God the Holy Spirit (or any of the Godhead) "because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him." On the other hand we glorify Him, for, says Jesus, "Ye know him."
NON-CHRISTIAN SUFFERING
"But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters" (15).
The fact that a man murders shows he has a murderer's heart, a criminal nature. The fact that a man steals proves he has a thief's heart, a criminal nature. Evildoers prove by their evildoings that they have an evil nature; likewise the busybody in other men's matters. The Bible declares concerning them -- "they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
But these things, even the latter (the busybody), have no place in the Christian life. The Christian has a new nature. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation); old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." Thus, "let none of you -- you who name the name of Christ -- suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or (even) as a busybody in other men's matters."
If we suffer, let's make sure it is "for the name of Christ." I'm afraid too often when we suffer and claim it is for Christ, in reality it is only for our own sinful nature. If we suffer what we deserve, for our own mistakes, we are anything but "blessedly happy," and are certainly not to be commended. No glory awaits suffering caused by evildoing. The promise of the Holy Spirit's presence and help is not for such sufferers. Such sufferers need to repent and turn to Christ for forgiveness.
LET HIM NOT BE ASHAMED
"Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf" (16)
If anyone suffers as a result of murder or theft or evildoing or busybodying, he should certainly be ashamed. Usually such people aren't. "Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let HIM not be ashamed."
Today the name "Christian" enjoys some prestige and honor, at least in the Western world and especially in those nations we call Christian nations. But it was not so in the days when Peter sat down to pen these words.
"The cult of the Caesar was the state religion of the Roman empire, in which the emperor was worshipped as a god. It served two purposes. The subjects of Rome gave obedience to the laws of the empire, not only as a political, but as a religious dury. It also constituted the unifying factor which bound the many different peoples of the empire into one, and made the military task of holding together its far-flung domain an easier one.
"The Greek word for Caesar, is Kaisar. Those who worshipped the Kaisar were called Kaisarianos. Christianity appeared as a rival claimant to world worship and dominion. The Lord Jesus, the Messiah of Israel, was looked upon in the Christian Church as the One who would some day come back and take the government of the world upon His shoulder. Those who worshipped Him as God were called Christianos, worshippers of the Christ as against the Kaisarianos, worshippers of the Caesar.
"Rome saw that the imperialism of Christianity was challenging the imperialism of the Caesars, and that it was by its propagation, striking at the very vitals of the empire. Rome answered this threat by perpetrating ten bloody persecutions. It meant and cost something to be a Christianos in those days.
"The members of the Imperial Cult looked down upon and persecuted the members of the Body of Christ. That is what Peter means when he says, 'Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed.' He remembered that awful night when he cowered before the might of Rome and denied his Lord. But Peter the Rock-Man would never do such a thing now. He died a martyr on a Roman cross, tradition tells us, head down, for he would not be crucified as his Lord was." ("First Peter in the Greek New Testament," by Kenneth S. Wuest; copyright 1942, by Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
Many Christians today know what it means to "suffer as a Christian." Those behind the communist's curtains know full well what the early disciples faced. It is costing them plenty (often their lives) to stand for Christ.
All this seems to us in America so far away and somehow unreal. But it may be nearer our shores that we think. The time may not be far off when we too must seal our faith with our blood.
Will we follow Peter's first example and be ashamed and cower before our persecutors, or will we like Peter after Pentecost, unashamedly stand for Christ and be counted with the true children of God no matter what comes? Remember, we are after Pentecost. The Holy Spirit is here to help us. We need not be ashamed.
This present suffering you are experiencing -- has it cowered or strengthened you? Have you because of it denied your Lord, or have you exalted Him even more through it all? Beloved, rather than being ashamed, let us "glorify God on this behalf." Let us praise Him that we are counted worthy to suffer for His name.
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