Persecuted

Devotional Reading: For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, Philippians 1:29 ESV

From our anchor text, Paul said that the unity of Christians in the face of persecution will be a sign for both believers and non-believers (Phil 1:28). Church history has it that in early Christian persecution, Christians used fish symbols as a sign for each other. The fish which is ICTHUS in the Greek, is considered a symbol of Christ and His call to His followers to become the fishers of men.

Each letter of the Greek word FISH (ICTHUS) is a Christian belief: “I” is the Greek letter for Jesus; “C” for Christ; “TH” for God; “U” for The Son; and “S” for the Savior. The word ICTHUS can be read as “JESUS Christ the Son of God, the Savior.”

True, amid the persecution, the early believers stood firm in the confession of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Savior. This is the firmness of faith that comes from the Gospel. It is a faith that can’t be defeated by fear. This is real faith.

True faith does not come suddenly nor just owned by us. To be strong to face anything, our lives must conform to the Gospel of Christ. Our lives must be the same and in harmony with our claims. Inconsistency will only prove that our faith is not true faith and that it will quickly run aground in the face of the hardships of the waves of life – the kind of faith that will not endure persecution.

This harsh world demands us to have strong faith. Our acknowledgment that Jesus is Lord and Savior needs to continue coloring our attitude, mindset, behavior, and daily actions. This is the only way for us to build a faith that can resist all situations.

Prayer and Confession
Jesus, help me to persevere in the face of persecution, help me not to fall out during tough times. Amen!

Further Reading: 1Peter 4:14, James 1:12