“We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22, NKJV)
Obviously most persecution is not physical in nature. The word used to denote “persecution” in 2 Tim. 3:12 is the Greek “diōkō”, and according to The Complete WordStudy Dictionary it also means “to go after with the desire of obtaining”. Since it is specified that “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12), we get the idea that Paul is using persecution here also in terms of the battle (1 Tim. 1:18; 6:12; 2 Tim. 4:7) of believers in the third dimension to obtain a godly nature (2 Pet. 1:4).
Note these two Scriptures that agree about the nature of this battle, and the process of sanctification “without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14).
- “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” (Rom.7:23); and:
- “You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.” (Heb. 12:4).
An important facet of the Bride’s mantle formation is thus this “striving against sin”, in other words that which tempts you to give up your high calling in Christ. That persecution accompanies suffering is a necessary fact, even if God saves you from the hands of the enemy (Ezra 8:31; Isa. 54:15 & 17).
Suffering, according to the Greek word “páthēma”, is also translated as “afflictions”, “sufferings” and “hard times”, in other words it is clearly not only speaking of physical damage caused by concrete adversaries, but can also point to spiritual battles, as we “do not wrestle against flesh and blood” (Eph. 6:12).
Phil. 3:10 points to the standard Jesus requires in order to partake of his resurrection power (in the third dimension – Hos. 6:1-3): “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death”. The persecution and suffering that is part and parcel of one’s attaining of a godly nature is always comparable to “the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18; also Heb. 2:9). We need to, after all, “through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22)!
It is therefore important to know that Jesus is also the one who makes “the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings” (Heb. 2:10). Then one understands what Paul means with Col. 1:24: “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ …”
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- Selah: What is your perspective on persecution, oppression and suffering, now that you’ve read this?
- Read: Mark 9; Luke 9:28-62; Matt. 17.
- Memorise: Luke 9:35.
