IT is an established fact that Christianity and persecution cannot be divorced. These two objectives have become indivisible in such a manner that wherever one is noticed, the other is very much around. And it has been like that from origin, for they complement each other. It is persecution that refines a Christian. If anybody claims to be a Christian but reject to be persecuted, that person’s Christianity is not complete. For one to understand properly what it means to be a genuine Christian, that person must experience one form of hostility or another from the world as a result of his/ her identification with Christ.

But why are Christians hated and persecuted by the people of the world? It is not for any other reason than that God Almighty has adopted them as His own children. So, our adoption as Children of God is envied by the people of the world in such a way that they are doing everything possible to scuttle the bond of love we have with the Father. All the battles going on in the world today are nothing but to show their resentment toward the divine adoption. It is to make us feel that God has abandoned us and consequently we are no longer His children.

So, the robbery attacks, divorce, threat, kidnappings and ongoing insurgency perpetrated by the devil and his children are done in order to create doubt in our mind about the veracity of the adoption. So, brethren, our adoption should not be expected to be free of trials and persecutions from the people of the world. So, if we know that as children of God we are heirs to the throne of everlasting kingdom, we should not allow persecutions, killings and trials to question our faith in Christ. When the faithful Christians are hated and persecuted by the world, as they did to their Master Jesus Christ, it should not cause them to fear, but rather it should strengthen and encourage them because they are refined by persecution.
1Pet. 4: 12 says, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:”

The afflictions and persecutions of the Christians are referred in the above passage as fiery trials that are painful and afflictive, very grievous and burdensome. Thus, the Christians are warned, not to think it strange concerning fiery trials, and not to look upon it as unusual things, but to expect and prepare for them. This is because unexpected trials may overthrow our stand on faith. If we are not prepared, when trials come, it may strike us to the heart, because we are not prepared to receive it. Christians who think that being a Christian is a bed of roses have become prey to the devil, when they did not see it the way they thought.

Acts 8: 1- 3 says, “And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time, there was a great persecution against the Church, which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the region of Judea and Samaria except the apostles. 2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and hauling men and women committed them to prison.”

You can see the trials and persecution of the early Christians. Stephen was killed and many of them were thrown into the prison, many were killed but the prosecutions did not deter them from maintaining their faith. In the face of the persecutions and trials, the Scripture says, they that scattered went abroad and preach the gospel. This was because they knew the importance of accepting Christ as their Saviour. You cannot afford to avoid persecution if you really want to be a true Christian. Although life may seem difficult for you at times because you are a Christian, but Christ has not abandoned you. Persecution according to the will of God, tending to the glory of God renders the heart humble, contrite, submissive, disposed to mortify every sin, and to walk in newness of life.