A part of being transformed into a citizen of the kingdom is persecution. Christ followers in the west have had an easy life, making it possible to blend into the culture without many obstacles. That could change as the culture loses morality and integrity. If we seek to live a life of integrity and we are prepared to speak and obey God’s word with boldness, there is no middle way between an obedient life and a popular one. We will collide with those who manipulate and twist truth for personal advancement. Our priorities of fitting into culture suddenly change to loyalty to our King and His righteousness, not to what works to advance ourselves.
“I had always assumed that persecution was abnormal, exceptional, unusual, out of the ordinary. In my mind, persecution was something to avoid. It was a problem, a setback, a barrier. I was captivated by the thought: what if persecution is the normal, expected situation for a believer? And what if the persecution is, in fact, soil in which faith can grow? What if persecution can be, in fact, good soil? I began to wonder about what that might mean for the church in America—and I began to wonder about what that might mean for the potential church in Somalia.” - Nik Ripken, The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected
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