Lover or Persecutor or Prosecutor?

If there is one thing believers in Jesus Christ should be known for, it is LOVE. Someone was able to count that the word love appears in Scripture more than 500 times. The essence or theme or heart of the gospel is love. We read this in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world…”. The epistle of John further elaborates: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us” (1 John 3:16 NIV). This is the ultimate expression of real, true and sacrificial love. Only Jesus Christ has this kind of love. He voluntarily gave up and offered his life in the cross of calvary so we shall live and be with him in heaven eternally in fellowship. He is the greatest lover of all. And all Christians are to be Christlike. We can’t be exactly like Christ, but we can imitate his virtue of love and his character.

Christians or followers of Jesus Christ are to serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13); “for all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Galatians 5:14 KJV); live a life of love as the Scripture says: “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear Children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” (Ephesians 5:2 KJV). John further said: “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18 KJV).

So, if Jesus and His followers are all about love, why do some people who profess to be Christians hate us? Why are there persecuted believers or believer-persecutors in the world today? Are the persecutors lacking in love for their fellow believers? Yes, of course.

What awaits the persecuted? “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:11 KJV); “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12 KJV). Jesus further sermonized, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile (or insult) you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matt. 5:11-12 KJV). So the promised blessing or reward will be ours to receive, we must be persecuted for righteousness sake and the evil things alluded to us must be false.

On the other hand, what is the appropriate sermon to the persecutors?

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matt. 7:1-5 NIV).

Who do we want to be, lovers or persecutors or simply prosecutors?

There is a distinction between persecutor and prosecutor. The persecutor is the subject of this article; while the prosecutor is doing something as an assigned task or duty. In Tagalog, “TRABAHO lamang”. In this latter instance, the prosecutor does not hate the prosecuted. There is nothing wrong in working as Prosecutor.

The Chief Justice Renato Corona impeachment proceedings is the best example. Someone is being persecuted or only being prosecuted. Someone is persecuting or prosecuting only, that is to say, “trabaho lamang”. The true Christian who has the discerning of the Holy Spirit can identify these participants. He can even discern the power behind the prosecution or persecution, and the reason behind the whole proceedings. “Actions speak louder than words”, so men say. The Lord Jesus puts it more accurately: “for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45 KJV). Try to observe how the Senator-Judges act and speak. However, the material and relevant ISSUE is: Is the persecution for righteousness sake and is the evil or thing being charged false? Or are there other agenda of the Prosecutors? Or is there only a prosecution? The answers are found in the aforecited words of Jesus Christ. “Bato-bato sa langit, ang tamaan huwag magagalit.”

Jesus said to his disciples, and true Christians are his disciples, “Everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20). Jesus is the Light. When He walked this earth, people hated Him because He exposed the darkness of their sin. True Christians are now His light in this world (Matthew 5:14); therefore, the world will also hate the true Christians (John 15:19) because they are the ones who expose the sins of the worldly people - - those who pretend they are sinless and righteous.

Our task as true followers of Jesus Christ is to be channels of God’s love and light, even if we are hated in return. It is written: “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you” (Jesus Christ, John 15:18 KJV).

Love in return for love is natural, but love in return for hate or persecution is supernatural and Christlike. For those prosecuted, if found guilty, there is a prescribed penalty; if innocent, they are entitled to acquittal. As true Christians, let us pray: “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, let thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven …”

In this valley of tears and joy, some will hate us, some will love and appreciate us; some will flatter us. Beware of and pray for wisdom to discern the “flatterer”. Let us look above, trust God and let us do the right. Better be a lover than a persecutor or prosecutor for selfish reason and be rewarded a place in heaven with Jesus Christ.

(FGBMFI Davao City Chapter Bulletin March 10, 2012)