Adversities: Persecution
Ethan Longhenry
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Another of the major adversities that a faithful Christian will have to endure while living on Earth is some form of persecution. Persecution for the sake of the truth was foreseen even by Christ, 
in Matthew 10:24-25 and John 15:18-25:
"A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his teacher, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household!"
"If the world hateth you, ye know that it hath hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, A servant is not greater than his lord. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no excuse for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word may be fulfilled that is written in their law, 'They hated me without a cause.'"
Therefore, we must recognize that persecution will occur when one wears the name of Christ.
We perhaps may be thankful that we do not have the fear in the United States of the forms of persecution that existed in Roman times and in some parts of the world even today, the persecution by fire and sword. We read throughout the New Testament concerning the persecutions endured by Christians: the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7), the frequent beatings and imprisonments of Paul and his company, and many more. This does not, however, mean that we do not need to fear any form of persecution today.
"A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his teacher, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household!"
"If the world hateth you, ye know that it hath hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, A servant is not greater than his lord. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no excuse for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word may be fulfilled that is written in their law, 'They hated me without a cause.'"
Therefore, we must recognize that persecution will occur when one wears the name of Christ.
We perhaps may be thankful that we do not have the fear in the United States of the forms of persecution that existed in Roman times and in some parts of the world even today, the persecution by fire and sword. We read throughout the New Testament concerning the persecutions endured by Christians: the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7), the frequent beatings and imprisonments of Paul and his company, and many more. This does not, however, mean that we do not need to fear any form of persecution today.