Resistance

We talked a little about this my last post, but I think it bears repeating: things don't get easier when you follow Christ.  Jesus warned his disciples of this.  He told them they would be hated for their beliefs.  He told them they would suffer.  He even told them that some of them would even die for the sake of the Gospel.  These things sound like a foreign concept to most of us in the American church....we don't deal with the risk of death for practicing our faith on a daily basis, like many did in the early church, and some do even today in other countries.  But the reality is we still face resistance to our faith, both internal and external.  And if you've felt the call of Jesus and have begun to follow Him, I'm sure you know the resistance I'm talking about.

Paul knew about it.  He knew the churches he had started would feel it too.  So one of his goals as an apostle was to encourage those churches who were dealing with opposition to the faith.  That's what we see in Philippians, where Paul encourages the church at Philippi by letting them know that He understands the struggle they are fighting, because he himself is fighting it (he actually wrote the letter while being imprisoned for preaching the gospel).  He wants them to know they are not alone in what they are facing.

But it's interesting how Paul begins this letter to his fellow believers.  He doesn't say things like "I wish you didn't have to deal with this" or "I don't know why all this is happening to you".  Instead, he makes a bold claim, one that points the eyes of the church to what it's only focus should be: Christ.  He says in v.6

"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns."

Paul understood that there was a reason that there was so much persecution directed toward the Philippians : because God was at work among them.  So Paul makes sure to point that out to them.  He wants them to know that no matter the circumstance, God, who called them to salvation, who justified them, will also sanctify them in this life and glorify them in the next.  It's a message of hope not only to the church at Phillipi, but to us as well: we will persevere because it is Christ who is working in us.

Now that doesn't mean we just sit back and do nothing.  Instead, we are compelled and called to act.  Paul identifies 3 areas where we should be growing, even thriving, during both times of peace and times of trouble.  He says we are to grow in love, knowledge, and understanding.  And when we grow this way, Christ will begin to reproduce the kind of character in us that He desires: a "righteous character" that can only come from Him, and one that will bring much praise and glory to God.  That's His goal for us, in good times and bad.  And the crazy thing is, it's often during the times of trial that we experience the most growth.  We see this voiced in various places throughout Scripture, including James, where in chapter 1 v.3-4 he says

 "For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.  So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."

We can take this word from Paul and be encouraged today.  The opposition you deal with, whether it is externally from other people or circumstances, or internally from the discouraging lies of the Devil and the resistance of the flesh, will be overcome, because the One who has overcome the world is in you.  He has been down the road of persecution before, and he finished the work that God had planned for Him.  And now He wants to finish the work He started in you.  So in the midst of your doubt, fear, anger, depression, hopelessness, and pain, look to Him.  Ask Him to help you grow in love, knowledge, and understanding, even in the darkest of times.  Look to Him, and He will not turn you away.  Look to Him every day, not just when things get tough.  Trust that He will help you persevere to the end.  He will not fail you...rejoice and take hold of that today.