Moses: A Man of ConvictionSample

Once you make the clear choice to stand with God, you will, like Moses, experience ill treatment. You will suffer consequences. You will face fallout. So, if you want to live your life as though you’re in a popularity contest, the choice to follow God as His kingdom hero is not the choice for you. Obedience to God does not result in popularity with the world and contemporary culture. The apostle Paul said it as straightforward as it could possibly be said in his second letter to Timothy: “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).

Let that verse sink in. It doesn’t say some people who choose to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Neither does it say those who choose to live godly in Christ Jesus will face trouble here or there. Rather, it says everyone who chooses to live godly in Christ Jesus will face persecution.

At the very least, negative repercussions will come your way if you make a stand for Jesus Christ. You may no longer be in the “in-crowd.” You may no longer get the raises you’ve become accustomed to getting. You may be passed over for special recognition even though you deserve it. You may face opposition, bullying, or even public humiliation. That’s why Hebrews 11:26 says that Moses considered “the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.”

How should a Christian think about persecution?