MY ACCOUNT
Last week’s headlines were jarring: a young Christian father was murdered in public, his children experiencing the unthinkable. His death wasn’t just another tragic news story. It felt like a marker — a reminder that the fractures in our culture are cutting deeper and more personally.
In the days that followed, debates about persecution and political violence filled the airwaves, leaving many wondering what it all means. Searches for “Christian persecution” surged on Google in the days after, showing how deeply people are wrestling with the moment.
But this is not the first time Christians have faced a world that feels hostile. From the earliest days, the Church has carried the gospel forward in places where opposition was certain. And around the world today, many believers still wake up each morning to that same reality. The danger is not only that hostility comes from outside, but that division takes root inside — weakening the unity Jesus prayed for.
Live Ready for Opposition
The real issue isn’t whether hostility will come to Jesus’ followers — He promised it would. The Lord told us in John 15, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you” (vv. 18–19).
Jesus gave no exceptions to this promise. It was true in the Roman world of the first century, when believers were dragged before governors and thrown into arenas. It was true under communism, when pastors were arrested and sent to labor camps for preaching the gospel. It has been true even in times of cultural favor — like mid-20th-century America — when following Jesus could still bring quiet but real opposition. And it is true today in Nigeria, where churches are burned and communities displaced because of their faith.
Across centuries, the reality has remained the same: following Jesus draws opposition. The question is how His followers will respond. The Bible gives us a roadmap, and the Church has walked it before us. When we open Scripture and look at the lives of persecuted believers, three themes rise again and again: blessing those who hate you, enduring with joy, and witnessing without fear.
Bless Those Who Hate You
Jesus showed us what it means to bless those who hate us. On the cross, He prayed, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Stephen, the first martyr, echoed that prayer as stones rained down: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). Early leaders like Polycarp did the same, praying for their captors before execution. From the beginning, Christ’s people have been called to answer hatred with forgiveness.
That same spirit is alive today in Nigeria. Suzanne was forced to watch Boko Haram militants kill her father. When she resisted her captors, they shot her in the head and left her for dead. After months of recovery, her heart was not filled with rage but with prayer: “Right from when the Boko Haram assailant shot me, I only pray for him, saying, ‘Oh God, forgive them. They are all ignorant of their actions.’ If he were here today, I would give him food, water, and a place to rest.”
Her words are almost unthinkable in human terms, yet they mirror the way of Christ. They embody Paul’s command: “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse” (Romans 12:14).
Endure with Joy
Peter wrote, “If you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this brings favor with God” (1 Peter 2:20). The apostles lived this, leaving the Sanhedrin “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be dishonored for the Name” (Acts 5:41). In the second century, Perpetua was said to have entered the arena singing hymns as she faced execution — joy marking even her final steps.
Pulmaya in Nepal knows this same costly path. Once a witch doctor trapped in fear, she came to faith through her grandson’s witness and the songs of the church. Her decision brought rejection: family turned her away, she was barred from her parents’ home, and neighbors excluded her from festivals and meals.
Yet through it all, Pulmaya radiates joy. She testifies, “The Lord gave me the strength. He is keeping me safe. I believe in Him. I will keep my faith in the Lord until my last breath. I live for Him, not for other people.” Each day she listens to her audio Bible, drawing peace from hearing Scripture in her own language: “I forget all the pain that comes my way, and I am encouraged.”
Her joy doesn’t deny suffering; it declares that suffering cannot silence the gospel.
Witness Without Fear
The apostles declared, “We cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). That same conviction has marked the church in every generation.
Richard Wurmbrand, imprisoned under communism, later described in Tortured for Christ how he and other believers made an unspoken agreement with their captors: “It was a deal: we preached and they beat us. We were happy preaching; they were happy beating us, so everyone was happy.” After one brother was dragged away and beaten, he returned to the prison floor, straightened his clothes, and asked, “So, brethren, where did I leave off when I was interrupted?”
That fearless spirit is alive today in Chiapas, Mexico. Pastor Antonio has been imprisoned four times and threatened with death for planting churches. At one point, “they burned my father’s house… we returned with no house,” he recalls. Still, he refuses to stop: “So whatever happens, I’m going to stay here… And I will continue. Until God calls me in his presence… If I leave the community, I’m a coward, and I have no part with [Him].”
Antonio has been part of a movement that has seen the gospel expand from only two communities to about 130 evangelical communities in the municipality. He also helps distribute audio Bibles, allowing believers — including his own mother, once a witch — to hear Scripture in their own language. His fearless witness shows that persecution cannot silence the Word of God.
Pursue Unity and Love Above All
And in every generation, the persecuted church points us back to what matters most: pursuing unity and love above all.
The stories of persecuted believers remind us that hostility is not new — and neither is the way forward. From the cross to Stephen, from the arenas of Rome to the villages of Nigeria and the mountains of Mexico, the Church has always chosen a path marked by blessing, endurance, and fearless witness. These threads run together into a single witness: Jesus is worth it.
And that witness points us back to something our fractured moment desperately needs: unity. Persecution strips away what divides us. When all that’s left is Christ, believers stand shoulder to shoulder, clinging to Him and to one another. Francis Chan puts it this way in Until Unity: “Because we live on the other side of the cross, it is far easier to believe [that unity is possible]. It seems outrageous that a church so divided could become perfectly one, but nothing is more outrageous than the cross. … He wants our unity to impact the world, so I believe He will find a way to bring us together.”
That’s not naïve optimism — it’s gospel hope. The same God who overcame death can overcome division. The persecuted church shows us what this looks like in practice: love stronger than hate, fellowship deeper than fear.
This is the posture we need now. Not retaliation, not outrage, but the courageous love of Christ. And one of the best ways to put that into practice is by standing shoulder to shoulder with persecuted believers. Our new Advocate Program is designed for exactly that — equipping you to pray, share their stories, and speak up with one united voice.
If you’re ready to let your love become action, join us. The global church is waiting, and together, our unity can impact the world.
FREE GUIDE Discover what the Bible says about standing firm when faith costs everything
The believers you just read about didn't face persecution alone—they were grounded in God's Word and connected to a global family of faith. You're part of that same family. Download our free guide, Responding to Persecution, and learn how to bless your enemies, endure with joy, witness without fear, and pursue unity—even when the cost is high. Let their courageous faith shape yours.
