Manifest Evidence

 April 21, 2022

“We ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;” —II Thessalonians 1:4-5 

The authors of the Bible most often viewed life through a different lens than we moderns. We take it for granted that God’s blessings consist of prosperity, health, peace and comfort; not so the Biblical writers. The many promises of prosperity attached to holy living are often the natural consequences of such a lifestyle. Hard work, frugality, and the avoidance of vices tends to produce prosperity, while dissipation and laziness do not.

Contrariwise, living a godly life tends to put one at odds with society. Cultures and societies, even those with Christian roots, trend towards hostility against those who dare challenge the ultimate loyalty demanded by them, which helps explain today’s Scripture. Persecution or mistreatment for giving our ultimate loyalty to Christ is a badge of faithfulness and as Paul says, “manifest evidence” of this loyalty. 

Only those who are somewhat unhinged eagerly court persecution. We usually avoid unnecessary trouble if we can. But faithful living is practically an open invitation to ridicule, mistreatment, and ostracism. Paul’s answer to such matters is to remind us that God has chosen us for a different path, and the fact that this path is strewn with obstacles and stumbling blocks is an indication that we are on the correct and narrow way to life.