Not of This WorldChikamu

Day 11: Called to be Purified

“Eighty-six years I have served him, and he never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?"

These were the last words of Polycarp to the Roman authorities who had arrested and executed him. The early church faced persecution from the Roman authorities who were afraid and suspicious of their growing influence. However, Polycarp’s faith in God never wavered when faced with intense persecution even till his death. Witnessing the martyrdom of the revered leader of the Smyrna church, the faith of the early church grew with strength and was encouraged to persevere against persecution.

While we may not face quite the extent of persecution that the early church did, we have all experienced seasons of trials. During those seasons, our response is often to ask why. We try to make sense of the suffering in our lives logically and examine our circumstances. Yet, in the passage, Peter says that sufferings are not abnormal, as though something strange were happening (verse 12b). Instead, Peter calls us to rejoice as we participate in the sufferings of Christ, keeping our hope in Jesus who will one day make all things right (verse 13). In fact, when we rely on God, our suffering actually presents an opportunity to purify our faith and even more so, be an encouragement to Christians who will face the same. The tenacity of a Christian faith is always tested through the fire. Without which, we can never purge out the self-reliance and confidence we place in our capabilities.

This high bar set by Peter seems impossible to meet. When faced with seasons of pain, turmoil or grief, the suffering could be so intense that our vision gets tunneled and we fail to see God’s unwavering love and faithfulness in our suffering. Polycarp, when faced with such suffering, could only acknowledge that nothing he did could ever match up to the saving grace of Christ. He knew the true worth of knowing Christ.

To know Christ, is to identify with Him in both joy and suffering. So even when we suffer, we do not just grit our teeth and endure it, but let us see that it is truly a privilege to bear God’s name, for He who paid the ultimate price on the cross did so, so that we could live.

Prayer points:

• Some of us may be surprised when we go through trials because we wrongly assume that Christian life will always be smooth-sailing. Pray for God to help you to see trials as an opportunity for your faith to be purified and to know Christ more deeply.
• If you are going through a season of trial today, pray for God to help you see his faithfulness even through trying times and that the Holy Spirit will be your encourager when you feel like giving up.

Listen:

Hymn Of Heaven – Bethel Music (feat. Brian Johnson)