Saints Endure

None of you, however, should suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a meddler. But if [anyone suffers] as a Christian, he should not be ashamed, but should glorify God with that name. - 1 Peter 4:15-16

I once served as a team leader with a mission agency that had the responsibility for seeing 156 micro-people groups (people/language groups with a population less than 100,000) engaged with the gospel. Early into that work, I learned of 22 persons who had "professed faith" in Christ as the result of a Western church's short-term trip.

Hallelujah, right?

Unfortunately, weeks later, these people remained unwilling to meet with a local worker for continued training. Apparently, a local religious leader had warned them to cease their pursuit of Christianity and they had decided to do so.

Did they truly believe?

Only the Father knows what is in a person's heart, but all who claim to know Christ Jesus must also be willing to confess Him. This is what it means to be faithful. If indeed suffering/persecution comes (and in my experience I have heard many first-hand accounts), then true believers will endure it to the glory of the God.

Let us all pray for one another, particularly for those who will suffer today for their testimony of faith in Jesus, and for the endurance of all the saints.

We are a long time in learning that all our strength and salvation is in God. - David Brainerd