Have you ever considered, or has it ever felt like there was a cost for following God’s truth? That you would have to suffer something difficult or pay a price for your faith? What would that cost look like in our daily lives? And more importantly, would we be willing to pay it?
It’s easy to say yes. But when we examine those who followed the truth throughout the Bible, we can see that the price they paid was high. And what is this Truth we are referring to? John 17:17 tells us that God’s Word is truth. God’s Word, the Bible, the way we get to know God and the way we can learn about salvation. Those who followed God’s Words throughout history faced unnaturally harsh persecution and hardships. Why? Because in a world full of lies, they pursued God’s truth.
Who Is in Control of the World Right Now?
If we just take a look around at our world today and ask ourselves who does this world belong to…would you say it belongs to God? With endless war, cruelty, violence and death, with all of the darkness and corruption that is evident throughout every area of life and society – this is not the world that our Holy God created.
So if this isn’t God’s world, then who is ruling over it? Ever since the time of Adam and Eve’s disobedience and sin entered the world, Satan has steadily gained ownership and authority over our world. And as we look around, our world clearly reflects his characteristics: sin, evil, lies…death.
We can also see that this world has been in darkness even during the time when Jesus came.
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
John 3:19-20
Our world is a world of darkness. But that doesn’t mean God abandoned us completely to the devil to live in misery. Ever since God was disconnected from His people by sin, He’s been working to reconnect us back to Him.
And we can see Him doing this throughout the Bible by sending messengers. People to lead His people back to Him, and most importantly, His son, Jesus Christ. God sent light into the darkness to spread His truth, so that people could come out of the darkness into life and light.
What Happens to God’s People in the Darkness
If God sent his messengers into this world of darkness that belongs to the devil, how would the world treat those people? Wouldn’t the enemy who is in control of the world try to stamp out those who threaten his reign? When God’s messengers tried to speak the truth about God and expose Satan’s lies, do you think he would just sit back and allow that?
Of course not. So that is why we see all throughout the Bible that those who followed the truth, paid a painful price. They were persecuted mercilessly. They were thrown out of their homes, rejected by those around them, beaten, and oftentimes killed. The cost of following the truth and belonging to God in a world that belongs to the devil is not something trivial.
Why and how does Satan do this?
How Satan Tries to Stop God’s Truth
As mentioned earlier, if it’s Satan who is ruling over this world, then he will do everything he can to maintain that control. He doesn’t want to give up the creation that he stole from God way back in the Garden of Eden when he deceived Adam and Eve and caused them to betray God.
Thus, he persecutes anyone who speaks God’s truth for fear that his true identity would be exposed. God has given us His word, His truth, to guide us back to Himself. He has laid out everything we need to know in the Bible. It’s like a map for us to learn and follow so that we can one day reconnect with Him.
So Satan tries to twist, and deceive, and sow doubt about God’s Word to keep people from truly understanding it. If you don’t understand the map you’re taking to a destination, or someone confuses you or lies to you and makes you go off on another path, then you won’t reach the place you were trying to get to.
It’s the same with us on our journey to salvation. Satan will try everything he can to keep people from reaching God.
How Did Satan Persecute in the Past?
So what did this persecution look like? Since Satan is a spirit, he worked through people who didn’t belong to God to hinder God’s work and messengers.
Satan’s Work in the Old Testament
In the Old Testament, when the Israelites were sinning and worshiping false idols and gods, God sent his prophets to warn the Israelites to repent and come back to Him. However, since Satan was also there and working, he was able to persecute and kill God’s messengers by working through the stubborn leaders of Israel who would not relent from their evil ways.
“Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your forefathers who killed them. So you testify that you approve of what your forefathers did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’”
Luke 11:47-49
Satan’s Work at Jesus’s First Coming
When God sent Jesus as the Messiah, to save the Jews and preach about the kingdom of heaven, we know very well that the religious leaders at that time persecuted him and anyone who followed him. Was this just the actions of people who didn’t want to be told what to do? Or was there a more sinister and evil spirit at work? It was once again, the devil, working through those who didn’t belong to God to try and stop God’s plan and messenger of salvation.
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”
John 15:18-19
The Jewish leaders persecuted Jesus to the point of death. They thought they had finally rid themselves of this menace that threatened their authority. Satan too, working through them, thought that he had gotten rid of God’s Son by having him killed.
However, even the persecution and killing of Jesus on the cross was prophesied by God hundreds of years before (Isaiah 53:3-10). He had already planned to use the cross for His glory and for our salvation.
Satan’s Work in Spreading the Gospel of Jesus
The persecution didn’t stop after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended. Even though Satan was unable to kill Jesus, he continued his mission to stamp out the gospel that Jesus commanded his apostles to spread.
We can see all throughout the New Testament, the horrific ways in which the early Christians were persecuted and killed. And it was all because they were trying to spread the light of the gospel into the darkness of a world ruled by Satan.
“…Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were put to death by sword...went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated–the world was not worthy of them...They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.”
Hebrews 11:35-38
If we take a moment to really think about it – this is utterly inconceivable. Why were these people treated in such horrible ways for sharing the gospel? To people who didn’t know what the gospel was, it would just look like a new idea or religion. But to those who did know the true meaning, this word held the key to life and death. And that is why those who were tasked with spreading this Word paid a high price in following the truth.
What Would Persecution Look Like Today?
While we could be tempted to think, “That was all in the past, we don’t have to suffer like that anymore,” we run the risk of missing out on the work God is doing today. When Jesus came 2,000 years ago, the people who should have recognized him, those who knew the Scriptures, were the ones who persecuted and rejected him.
Today, as the people who claim to believe in and love Jesus, we have to make sure we don’t make the same mistakes as those of the past. Because if we do, we could become tools for Satan to use for persecution.
Jesus said that when he returned, he would come like a thief in the night (Revelation 16:15). He warned us to be alert and awake. He even questioned if he would find faith when he returned (Luke 18:8). Why would Jesus expect to not find faith? What if, when he returns, it’s not in the way we expect and we don’t recognize him?
The Cost of Following the Truth – In the 21st Century
For those who do recognize his return and try to spread that word, just like the first time Jesus came, wouldn’t Satan try to stop that? But of course, the enemy would have developed with the times. Gone are the days when people were flogged in public and killed with swords. So what would Satan’s persecution look like now for those who are following the truth?
Let’s compare the past with today. 2,000 years ago people were excommunicated for following Jesus. Today, maybe that would look like people getting thrown out of their homes, churches, or losing their jobs.
In the past, the Pharisees and religious leaders lied about and slandered Jesus and his followers in front of government authorities. If Jesus came today and went to churches to preach his message, wouldn’t it be the pastors and religious leaders who would try to keep their members from going to this man who threatens their authority and traditions? And today we have technology and the internet. So, the slander and lies could be spread through TV programs or on YouTube or social media.
In the past, the religious leaders called those who followed Jesus a sect, a cult, saying that Jesus had a demon within him. Today, wouldn’t something similar happen? If something is labeled a cult, everyone stays away, in fear of being thought of as weak-minded or gullible.
Are You Still Willing to Pay the Price of Following the Truth?
These are just a few examples of what persecution could look like during our time. So, would you be willing to endure that to follow the truth? Would you be willing to pay that price? To lose your job or to have your friends and family turn against you, saying that you’ve joined this cult of Jesus, seeing videos on YouTube or your social media about how this man Jesus is making people run away from their families with his heretical teachings – would you continue to follow him?
Many of us easily assume that of course we would have believed and followed Jesus 2,000 years ago without actually considering what happened to people who did follow him. Since the very beginning, the people who God approved of, who were considered righteous, were persecuted or killed by the ones that Satan was using.
Why does this matter for us? Because Jesus promised to return. And when he returns, he said that he would bring the kingdom of heaven with him, and salvation (Hebrews 9:28). So in order to get to that kingdom of heaven and salvation, to fight through all of the devil’s attempts to keep us from God and eternal life, there will be a cost. There will be trials and persecution waiting for those who follow Jesus when he returns.
Great Cost, But an Even Greater Reward
Are you ready and willing to endure and pay that price in order to follow the truth? Let us make up our minds today, that no matter what we face, nothing will keep us from God. Because we know that if we seek God, and seek the truth, God will protect and fight alongside us. And in the end, we will be reunited with Him.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Revelation 21:1-4
Written by Jay
Read More
Why Are the Pharisees the Bad Guys in the New Testament?
What to Expect for the Second Coming of Jesus
What Are You Sacrificing for Your Life of Faith?
You can learn more about the study by clicking the link below!
Check Out Our Other Content!
Make sure to follow us on Instagram for daily verses, prayers, and encouragement!
Do you spend most of your time on YouTube? Or maybe you like to listen to Podcasts in your free time? We’re there too! Check out our YouTube and Podcast channels also!
AudioBlog #27 People are Leaving the Church – But Why? – RE:CONNECT
Subscribe to As It Is in Heaven
If you’d like to stay up to date on our newest posts, then be sure to subscribe below!