August 3 Precious Salvation

Luke 3:19 But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the other evil things he had done, 20 Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.
 
HOW appropriate this Scripture is this very day as it relates to persecution. Two items I’ve read just before opening to these verses awaken us to how Herod’s rejection of God’s righteous laws, grace and forgiveness is still very evident today. One item I read involves the persecution of Christians in Iran. Two men are sentenced to 1.5 years in prison for teaching God’s Word. A persecuted woman writes, “Almost every week they take me to a different building and put me into a dark room and announce that the day of my death is at hand. They say I should deny my faith or be killed.” This is the same as John’s plight, isn’t it? Herod sentenced the prophet to a darkened dungeon cell for telling Herod, “Obey God. You have sinned.”
    A second item I read involves satanists’ attacks on Child Evangelism Fellowship, a Christian club for school-aged children. The clubs often meet in public schools. These evil leaders are seeking to start satan clubs in schools in the same way the Child Evangelism Fellowship clubs are in schools. Their strategy is to cause an uproar among Christians, so they will ask the schools to prohibit these evil clubs from forming. The Satan-followers’ hope is that rules and laws will be passed to stop them. Then, of course, those same prohibitive rules would apply to any Christian clubs as well.
    Persecution is real. Long before John, God’s prophets were killed for their message. The realities of great physical, emotional and spiritual persecution have affected God’s people and Jesus’ church since sin entered Eden.
    Why is this? Why would the Lord allow and even direct that his own be so harmed? One answer is this: Persecution helps us see the wonder of our salvation. How is that? Let’s consider what happens, for example, when you’re really hungry. You truly appreciate any food. You get a glimpse of having no regular food to eat. You are extremely grateful you have food on your table. In turn, what happens when persecution shows you how bad sin is? You truly praise God he has saved you!
    Yes, as you confess Christ, you must be acutely aware of salvation’s life-transforming power. Only the Holy Spirit will unlock your sin and feed you the eternal Bread of Life. If you are so filled with God’s Word, be ever mindful God has given to you the unsurpassing gift of eternal life. In the fullness of your salvation against sin’s empty void, you can celebrate in joy and hope! You have fully received the Feast of Eternal Life in Jesus Christ.
    Stand firm in your wondrous life. Remember Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
    Persecution teaches us of sin’s deadly, eternal hunger as there is no appetite for God. Be acutely alert to how great is your God to welcome you to his table. Be steadfast to stand and offer Jesus, the Bread of Life, to even the greatest opposition.
 
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for saving me sin’s eternal persecution. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.