This is acceptable with God. The very fact that a man suffers for well doing shows that he is the servant of God and accepted of Him. Then how is it that we can be subject to the powers that be and yet go directly contrary to what they say? By submitting to the punishment, but not doing the evil thing they commanded us to do. As Christians we owe allegiance to God, the highest power, and to Him alone.
"Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power?" "Do that which is good," and we shall have praise of the same. The same truth is brought out by the prophet Isaiah when he says, "Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself, and let him be your fear and let him be your dread." Isaiah 8:12, 13. Christians must sanctify the Lord in their hearts; then He will be their fear and they will not fear what men shall do unto them.
Peter brings out the same truth when he says, "But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." 1 Peter 3:14, 15.
Don't be afraid of the terror. Why? Because we have sanctified the Lord God in our hearts and He is our fear. God is with us. Christ is with us, and when men cast reproaches upon us, they cast them upon our Saviour. He is the one that suffers, not we.
We are to sanctify the Lord in our hearts and to be ready always to give a reason of the hope that is in us. It has seemed to me from the connections of these words and the scripture that is quoted that the special time when we are to give this answer of the hope that is in us, is the time when we are brought before magistrates for well doing. What help have we? We have sanctified the Lord God in our hearts by taking His word into our hearts so we need not make any great provision for what we will say. For God will give "a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries will not be able to gainsay or resist." Luke 21:15.
It seems to me that the most important thing for all of us who have this special truth which is bound to bring us into trouble with the powers that be is to sanctify the Lord God in our hearts by the Spirit of God and His word. We must become students of the word of God and followers of Christ and His gospel. I believe there are farmers and mechanics among us who, although they have never been able to put texts together so as to preach a sermon, have nevertheless sanctified the Lord in their hearts by faithful study of His word. These men will be brought before courts for their faith, and they will preach the gospel there by way of their defense, because God in that day will give them a mouth and wisdom that their adversaries can neither gainsay nor resist.
Sometimes people say that there is no use to make our faith prominent and thus to court persecution. But if we follow such a policy as this, brethren, what are we doing but hiding our light beneath the bushel? If you do not allow anyone to see the shining of your light, what good does it do?
Sometimes we are in danger of working so diligently to stay persecution so that we may be able to carry forward the work in peace, that we neglect the work. We are told that if we disobey the laws and are put in prison, our wives and families will suffer and that the first duty we have is to provide for them. Now, brethren, how far can we carry this? Shall we show our loyalty to God or shall we hide it? O, says one, "We can keep our religion, but we can keep it quietly. We must not leave our families to suffer!" Brethren, what doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world and yet lose his own soul? The Master says, "He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."
"Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power?" "Do that which is good," and we shall have praise of the same. The same truth is brought out by the prophet Isaiah when he says, "Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself, and let him be your fear and let him be your dread." Isaiah 8:12, 13. Christians must sanctify the Lord in their hearts; then He will be their fear and they will not fear what men shall do unto them.
Peter brings out the same truth when he says, "But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." 1 Peter 3:14, 15.
Don't be afraid of the terror. Why? Because we have sanctified the Lord God in our hearts and He is our fear. God is with us. Christ is with us, and when men cast reproaches upon us, they cast them upon our Saviour. He is the one that suffers, not we.
We are to sanctify the Lord in our hearts and to be ready always to give a reason of the hope that is in us. It has seemed to me from the connections of these words and the scripture that is quoted that the special time when we are to give this answer of the hope that is in us, is the time when we are brought before magistrates for well doing. What help have we? We have sanctified the Lord God in our hearts by taking His word into our hearts so we need not make any great provision for what we will say. For God will give "a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries will not be able to gainsay or resist." Luke 21:15.
It seems to me that the most important thing for all of us who have this special truth which is bound to bring us into trouble with the powers that be is to sanctify the Lord God in our hearts by the Spirit of God and His word. We must become students of the word of God and followers of Christ and His gospel. I believe there are farmers and mechanics among us who, although they have never been able to put texts together so as to preach a sermon, have nevertheless sanctified the Lord in their hearts by faithful study of His word. These men will be brought before courts for their faith, and they will preach the gospel there by way of their defense, because God in that day will give them a mouth and wisdom that their adversaries can neither gainsay nor resist.
Sometimes people say that there is no use to make our faith prominent and thus to court persecution. But if we follow such a policy as this, brethren, what are we doing but hiding our light beneath the bushel? If you do not allow anyone to see the shining of your light, what good does it do?
Sometimes we are in danger of working so diligently to stay persecution so that we may be able to carry forward the work in peace, that we neglect the work. We are told that if we disobey the laws and are put in prison, our wives and families will suffer and that the first duty we have is to provide for them. Now, brethren, how far can we carry this? Shall we show our loyalty to God or shall we hide it? O, says one, "We can keep our religion, but we can keep it quietly. We must not leave our families to suffer!" Brethren, what doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world and yet lose his own soul? The Master says, "He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."