SUCCESS

Webster’s dictionary defines success as: the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence. Our society and culture want us to believe that obtaining money, social media likes, and a power position in business makes you a person of interest. When you become “successful,” then your voice has the necessary clout to speak at conferences or be interviewed on a high-profile network.

But those who are followers of the Lord (Yeshua) are held to a higher standard: persecution and suffering. The term success is not found in the New Testament. Success as defined by the world is contradictory to Biblical teaching. As humans it is easy to handle the world’s definition of success and what it provides. But to be a true follower of the Lord, that requires a significant amount of strength, perseverance, and grit.

Persecution and suffering take on many different forms. It could be very visible, it could be physical, it could be subtle, or it could be direct. Regardless of the form of attack, the Bible makes it very clear, we will experience attacks for our adherence and promotion of God’s truths. We have a long list of examples who have persevered persecution even to their death: Jesus (Luke 17:25), John the baptizer (Matthew 14:10) Stephen (Acts 7), Paul (Acts 20:23), Barnabas (Acts 13:50), James (Acts 12:2), Peter (Acts 12:3), John (Revelation 1:9) … the list continues throughout the ages with those martyred for their devotion to the truth. Astonishingly, most of the attackers were the “religious elites” who knew the law and prophet writings and even had them memorized. Yet they missed the truth.

Contrary to popular teaching and worldly influence, the destiny of the follower of the Lord is persecution and suffering.

2 Timothy 3:12

Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

I have arrived! After forty years of study, research, earnest prayer, a lot of time and money, the Lord provided a mechanism for me to publish a book: Baptism of Grace. It was released last year and available on Barnes and Noble and Amazon. The success is not this work and the publication, it is the nasty review on Amazon that is posted (forever publicly) attacking the message of this book. I pray for this reviewer because they do not understand the message and they refuse to have a discussion. If you obtain a copy of this book, you will notice that the first acknowledgment is God’s revelation of the message of this book. This review is not an attack on me (even though it is somewhat slanderous), it is an attack on God and His Word that this book expounds. Paul writes to the church of Thessalonians that being attacked and persecuted is a badge of worthiness in God’s kingdom.

2 Thessalonians 1:5

This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgement so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.

Whatever challenge you are going through, whether attacks mentally, physically, or spiritually consider yourself worthy to be in the battle for God’s righteousness and truth.

Peter does a masterful job writing encouraging us as we face persecution. Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of these verses, in The Message translation, communicates Peter’s thoughts on how to address opposition.

1 Peter 3:13-18

If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off. Don’t give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They’ll end up realizing that they’re the ones who need a bath. It’s better to suffer for doing good, if that’s what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. That’s what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all-was put to death and then made alive-to bring us to God.

Continue in your success for the Lord!