Social Oppression: Wrongly Provoked Persecutions

I like the idea of being persecuted for Jesus and the Gospel. It's among marks of true spiritual growth (I wouldn't say marks of a "true believer" because many true believers are not yet ready and still being prepared for it, but they will be persecuted in due time), and persecution is an opportunity for improving, maturing and empowering you for the next level.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash.

All of us will meet tribulations in this world. But cheer up, Jesus in us has overcome them.

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

[2 Tim. 3.12]

But some believers trigger their own persecutions. They provoke people to it through their own efforts and ideas. They look for persecution and set it off. But remember, everything in a genuine Jesus ministry should be Spirit led. Nothing (zero) should be by self effort or leaning on one's insight. Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own insight. Persecutions should be Spirit instigated from start to finish.

The Holy Spirit led Jesus to the wilderness to be tempted (or taunted or persecuted) by Satan. Jesus didn't think up the idea or plan it. He was "led" there. He even said he could "do nothing" except what the Father told him to, or what God had arranged for him. Anything man-made or any effort by man with his bright ideas, no matter if he is "born-again," is zero (nada) in the spirit realms. What is born of flesh is flesh. Starting with flesh (self effort) will never end up in spirit. 

“Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. [John 5.19]

Thus, triggering your own persecutions doesn't count in the spiritual realms. Wala kang pogi points ke Lord. So why do it at all? And anyway, if you're a true believer, it will happen. Just wait for it. God will make it happen in His ways and timing. Then you get rewarded in the Spirit realms.

Don't challenge other beliefs or religions. You are not called to do that. You're called to make disciples. Don't provoke people to arguments to make them persecute you. Jesus never went to the Pharisees or law teachers to challenge their religion or faith. Instead, the religious leaders went to him to question him. The provocation came from them.

Paul had the habit of debating the Jews when he was a new convert. He was persecuted, but through his own effort. When the disciples found out, they sent him away from Jerusalem to Tarsus. When they did this, the Gospel advanced more effectively because the Holy Spirit was now the one making things happen, not human effort.

29 Saul talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him. 30 When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers. [Acts 9]

Self-effort in ministry actually hinders progress in the spirit realms, although it may appear "spiritual" because of the impressive results, like the persecution triggered in this case. Flesh-base activities can receive warm applause from undiscerning people due to their self-sacrificing nature, but the Holy Spirit will not move unless all man's efforts are taken out of the way. 

Man's ways can produce spectacular results, but only in the earthly or physical realms. And that has absolutely no bearing or implications, whatsoever, for God's glory or spiritual warfare. They have no use in the spirit.

“All people are like grass,
and all their faithfulness (or glory) is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the Lord blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God endures forever.” [Isaiah 40]

God's breath is supposed to bring life, but only to what He Himself has done. Like when he formed man from dust and blew into his nostrils. Or when Ezekiel prophesied God's Word on the dry bones so that they were given flesh and formed a great army and the breath of the Lord put life in them. But man's glory, being like the grass in the field, withers and it's flower (glory) falls "because the breath of the Lord blows on them."

Instead of having life from God's breath, man's effort or anything man-made, withers and falls. Why? Because what is born of flesh is flesh, and what is born of spirit is spirit. When God blows on things man-made, they are destroyed. That includes wrongly provoked persecutions that are done through self effort, not the leading of the Holy Spirit.