In 2009 while at Kibuli Secondary School, one of the top Muslim schools in the country, I was sharing with some of the members of our fellowship and I said to them, “Every man’s faith shall be tested!”
That is the absolute truth that every Christian especially in this generation must know. Our Lord never hid this truth away from His disciples and all who would follow Him in the generations to come. He said, “No servant is greater than his master, if they persecuted me, they will persecute you also…,” (John 15:20). I wonder if such truth is being taught to us in this day and age.
In the history of the Church, the Christians of old went through perilous and nasty times where their faith was tested. One of such times was the Neronic persecution. Actually, this persecution is the direct background of two New Testament books, 1Peter and 2Timothy and it was also the persecution that brought Paul to his martyrdom, and according to some sources, Peter also. In and around Rome many Christians were arrested and put to death in most cruel ways: crucified, or tied in skins of animals, and thrown into the arena to be torn to death by dogs for the entertainment of the people, or thrown to the wild beasts, or tied to the stakes in Nero’s gardens at night, pitch poured over their bodies, and their burning bodies used as torches to light Nero’s gardens.
In the Old Testament the contemporary prophets likewise had their faith tested. One of these was the prophet Isaiah. A tradition in the Talmud, which was accepted as authentic by many early Church fathers, states that Isaiah resisted Manasseh’s idolatrous decrees, and was fastened between two planks, and “sawn asunder,” thus suffering a most terrible death. This is thought to be referred to in Hebrews 11:37.
At the beginning of 2013, Nick Williamson, a media printer in Northern Ireland was hauled to court over his refusal to print a gay magazine, i.e, My Gay Magazine.
The crisis in Egypt has also seen many Christians persecuted and their Churches burned down, and it is the same situation faced by the Lord’s faithful in Iran.
James 1:2-3 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” Apostle Peter in his first epistle gives the reason why the Christian faith is tested; “that your faith- of greater worth than gold, which perishes, even though refined by fire- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed,” (1Peter 1:7).
I do not know whether the Christians in this materialistic, prayerless and godless generation and in our peaceful country would still hold on to their faith if persecution of such kind were applied to them. Many have given up on their faith because their boss promised to fire them at their work place or simply because their peers labelled them freaks.
I believe, that for us to effectively draw more people to Christ and to glorify God in this sin-sick world, we must be ready and also endure the testing of our faith.
dusabepeter 