Christians are the most persecuted people group in the world today. According to Lifeway Research, in 2021, 360 million Christians around the world suffered significant persecution for their faith. That’s one out of every seven believers. Sadly, those numbers are increasing. Christians in fifty-five countries across the globe suffer intense persecution in today’s world. The top three countries are Afghanistan, North Korea, and Somalia. Since the US withdrew from Afghanistan, Christians have been hunted and killed there to the point that it’s now the most dangerous country in the world for Christians. It’s also estimated that approximately 50,000 to 70,000 Christians are currently imprisoned in North Korea’s prison and labor camps – the second most dangerous place for Christians.
Christian persecution is nothing new as Christians have been heavily persecuted since the beginning of Christianity. Jesus Christ was persecuted to the point of a horrific death on a Roman cross as was the fate of many of his early disciples and followers.
Among other forms of torture, the early Christians were sewn in sheepskins to be let loose in the wild, set on fire to be used as human lanterns, or fed to lions for entertainment. Not because they were bad people or did bad things, but because they were Christians.
Our own country, the United States of America, was started by people fleeing persecution in Europe and seeking religious liberty to worship as they pleased. How ironic that we are now seeing the seeds of Christian persecution beginning to bud even here in the Land of the Free. Today, Christians are often called bigots or haters simply because they don’t approve of abortion and homosexuality. Ironically, most other religions do not approve of these issues either, yet they are normally not deemed haters because of their stand against these things.
No doubt, if America continues down the current road to become less churched, the persecution of Christians will increase.
So with all this hate and persecution toward Christians, why would you want to become one? How am I to convince you that the Christian life is the best? There are a thousand-plus reasons I could give, but in this blog, I’ll only cover a few.
The Christian God is Alive
No other religion can say this. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world, but unlike other gods, He came to life again. These events have been historically documented, not just in the Bible, but in other ancient historical documents. Jesus has returned to heaven to prepare a place for us, (John 14:2-3) but in His place, He sent the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit allows us to commune with God. He speaks to us in a still, small voice, convicts us when we are doing wrong, comforts us when we are sorrowful, and even gives us instructions on things He wants us to do. The Holy Spirit lives inside every believer. The world would be a cruel, dark, and cold place if all Christians were suddenly taken out because Christians are the light of the world. Not because we are special but because the Holy Spirit living inside every believer is constantly fighting the evil and darkness of this sinful world.
Of course, there have been people through the ages who have done horrific things in the name of Christianity. Yet, a true Christian is a Christ follower, someone who strives to live the way Jesus did. Jesus never mistreated anyone, so anyone who commits murder or any crime in the name of Christianity is not a Christ follower no matter what they claim. A prime example is Adolph Hitler. He identified as a Christian but was a mass murderer who started a world war by trying to overtake it and destroy the entire Jewish race in the process. The horrific things he did went totally contrary to the teachings of Christ.
All Christians struggle with sin and none will ever be perfect in this life, but a true Christian desires to please God even though he may often fail. A way to determine if a person is a true Christian or not is simply by looking at the fruit of their life.
Therefore, by their fruits, you will know them.
Matthew 7:20
Therefore, If someone acts like the devil, he’s probably being led by the devil.
Christians Have Eternal Life
Jesus promised eternal life with Him to those who accepted him as a savior. That’s a pretty good deal. Who doesn’t want that! The book of Revelation talks in detail about heaven, the new earth, and the wonderful things promised to those who follow him. It’s worth the read. Just reading it will be a blessing to you (Revelation 1:3.) It will be a bit confusing and you won’t understand everything. Bible scholars are still trying to completely figure it out, but you’ll get a sense of what God has planned for those who follow him and it’s super exciting!
Christians Have an Instruction Book for Living
How many times have you said, “I wish life came with an instruction manual?” Well, it does! It’s called the Holy Bible. Unfortunately, many people choose to dismiss the Bible as ancient writings that have no relevance to us today and they refuse to even pick it up. But once you choose to read and study it, you’ll learn a wealth of information on everything from how to live in harmony with God, gain eternal life, have the best relationships, and even practical applications like being in good health, enjoying financial success, having the best relationships, and much more.
You’ll Live in Harmony with God and Others
I could go on forever on the ways living a Christian Life makes your life on earth better. But in this section I want to emphasize how being saved helps you overcome sin. Sin is destructive and makes you miserable. It may be fun at first, but then it snatches onto you and drags you down to death. Sin separates us from God and causes harm to ourselves and others. Sin is simply doing something God has told us in His Word not to do or not doing something He’s told us we should do.
However, we are all born into sin and are, therefore, all sinners until we repent ask God’s forgiveness, and accept the provision that Jesus made for us on the cross. When you become a Christian the Holy Spirit comes into you and your spirit changes. You have a change of heart. It’s miraculous! You no longer want to sin You want to live holy and please the Lord, even though you won’t always do that perfectly. However, you will get better at living the Christian life the longer you serve the Lord. Even the Apostle Paul who wrote much of the New Testament and is the person responsible for bringing Christianity to the Gentiles said that he often Did what he didn’t want and didn’t do what he should. (Romans 7:19)
God sometimes used the most unlikely, even wicked people to accomplish things for him because they had repentant hearts. He’ll do the same for you. Becoming a Christian helps you overcome the strongholds of sin in your life. Sometimes He takes away sinful lusts and desires immediately when you confess them and sometimes you have to work through them. I heard testimonies of both instances and experienced both instances in my own life.
The good news is that you will get victory over sin when you become a Christian. You won’t be perfect, but the longer you serve the Lord the more like him you will become. And he’s always ready to forgive when we do mess up and repent. It’s for this reason that He shed His blood on the cross.
You’ll Improve your Relationships
God is a relational God. He longs to have a personal relationship with us and for us to have harmonious relationships with others. It was God’s love for humanity that sent Jesus to that cross. (John 3:16) The basis for a strong relationship is love. There are over 700 verses in the Bible instructing us on how much God loves us and how we can best love others.
You’ll be More at Peace
While I accepted Christ at a young age, there was a chapter in my teen years when I turned my back on Him. There were things that I wanted to experience that I knew He would not agree with, so I did my own thing without God in my life for a while. The biggest difference between my life then and now is peace. Being away from the Lord eventually led to fear and anxiety and the moment I repented and gave my life back over to Him, the peace returned.
Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled.
John 14:27
You’ll Find Help With Every Life Situation
We’re emotional beings. We experience many emotions throughout our days here on Earth. We’re happy, sad, excited, lonely, afraid, angry, bitter, sorrowful, and so forth – sometimes all within the same day. The good news is that no matter what we are experiencing, there is a scripture to help us deal with it. Fear and anxiety are two emotions that many people deal with in our society. There are 365 verses in the Bible instructing us on how not to be afraid. One for each day of the year!
You’ll Learn How to be Healthier
In the scriptures, we learn that God desires us to be in good health. Part of His sacrifice was so that we could have physical healing. The punishment that brought our peace was on him, and by His wounds, we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5b) We should honor our bodies because they belong to Him. Our eating habits should bring Glory to God, just like everything else we do. The Bible mentions the value of physical exercise, how our attitude affects our health, and the dangers of drunkenness and gluttony. It even mentions some foods we should eliminate and some we are to enjoy for the best health. But then goes on to say that Nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. (I Timothy 4:4) Being thankful for what we have to eat is most important.
There are numerous examples and scriptures on healing through prayer. Still, the Bible keeps physical health in perspective. While it states that personal health is important, God is even more concerned about the health of our eternal soul.
You’ll Learn to Better Manage Your Money
Everyone wants financial stability. It’s important to live comfortably in this world. Evidently God thinks so, too, because there are over 2,300 verses in the Bible regarding the use of money! That’s more than the scriptures on faith, love, and prayer combined!
Some feel that Christians should be poor and not have any material blessings. They think they should be like the rich young ruler that Jesus told to sell everything he had and give to the poor. Others believe Christians should be rich and lead a luxurious lifestyle. That because we are a “Child of the King” we should lack nothing.
Proverbs states, however, that it’s better to be of average wealth than either rich or poor, yet the Bible doesn’t condemn the rich or the poor if their heart is right.
You can discover those 2,300 verses for yourself, but one thing I want to point out is God’s emphasis on giving. God is a giver and we are most like Him when we give. Without a doubt, giving is the secret to God blessing your finances. The Word even proclaims in Malachi for us to test God and see that He will bless those who tithe and give generously. This is the only spiritual discipline where God asks us to try Him and see.
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now herewith, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Malachi 3:10
The scriptures go on to say that our finances are cursed if we don’t tithe. In these 2,300 verses, you’ll find numerous verses on the importance of generosity, the perils of debt, the importance of counting the costs, the snares of chasing riches in this life, and much more.
You’ll Have a Prayer Line to God
I’m learning more about this book every day and I’ve been a Christian for many years. I’ve lived away from God and I’ve lived under the wing of his salvation and I can honestly say that living with Him is much better than living without.
He’s been a confidant in times of trouble. I can bring anything to him in prayer. Sometimes He answers immediately and sometimes it seems like it takes forever or an answer never comes; but, even if the answer doesn’t come the way I want it, there is still hope that prayer brings to my life. There are also times when I’m thankful God didn’t answer that prayer or I see that He worked in a way that I would have never even considered possible.
I often think about atheists. Who do they turn to when they are down? I can’t imagine not having the Lord to lean on when facing the death of a family member or friend or some other life-altering situation. When I’m in trouble, Jesus is the first one I call out to.
Worth the Price
Yes, there is a price to pay for becoming a Christian and it’s probably going to get harder as time goes on. Yet, it’s better to be on the right side and be persecuted than to be on the wrong side and away from God now and forever.
Our Lord knew those that follow Him would always be persecuted and He even called it a blessing. He said, “Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. (Matthew 5:11)
The best thing about Jesus is that He died for everyone! If you haven’t accepted Him as your savior you can do that today. Here’s a sample prayer to get you started, but you can also add your own words. Jesus looks at the heart and if you decide you want to accept His sacrifice for your salvation, He will come into your life.
Jesus, I acknowledge that I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I accept what you did for me on the cross to save me from my sins. I confess my sins and ask for your forgiveness. I ask you to come into my life, forgive me, and start me on the journey of being a Christ-follower. I recognize that you accept me as I am and will help me to grow to be more like you each day that I choose to follow your ways. Amen
The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of His wrath is against all who forsake Him.
Ezra 8:22b
Absolutely!