I wrote last week about our need to demonstrate the reality, centrality, and desirability of Jesus as part of a life of evangelism and apologetics. One of the ways to do this is simply to not give up on Him when our society pressures us to. David Yeghnazar reminds us of this in his post on “5 Ways Persecution in Iran Has Backfired”:
Persecution is intended to instill fear and paralyze the church. Instead, seeing Christians willing to suffer often draws unbelievers closer to Christ. They ask, Who is this Jesus that people are so willing to suffer for?
One recently baptized man began his journey to Christ when he heard on the news that Iranian Christians had been arrested for their faith. Their willingness to go to prison for their beliefs made him curious, and so he googled “Christianity.” The Lord used that internet search to eventually lead him to surrender his life to King Jesus.
Don’t be tempted to fear what you might encounter in the future as a Christian. Look to our Christian brothers and sisters throughout history who have found Jesus to be faithful to His promise to be with us and continue to build His kingdom, even as we’re suffering and things look bleak. When you trust Him this way, the world will see it and ask, “Who is this Jesus?”