Grace through Suffering

Excerpt from The Purifying Power of Living by Faith in Future Grace
from The Future Grace of Suffering

ARE THERE “CLOSED COUNTRIES,” OR FEARFUL HEARTS?

In regard to spreading the gospel today, we talk so much about “closed countries” that we have almost lost God’s perspective on missions—as though he ever meant it to be safe. There are no closed countries to those who assume that persecution, imprisonment and death are the likely results of spreading the gospel. And Jesus said plainly that these are likely results. “They will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake” (Matthew 24:9. RSV) Until we recover God’s perspective on suffering and the spread of the gospel we will not rejoice in the triumphs of future grace that he plans for the church and the world.

Obedience in missions and social justice has always been costly, and always will be. In the village of Miango, Nigeria, there is an SIM guest house and a small church called Kirk Chapel. Behind the chapel is a small cemetery with 56 graves. Thirty-three of them hold the bodies of missionary children. Some of the stones read: “Ethyl Armold: September 1, 1928-September 2, 1928.” Barbara J. Swanson: 1946-1952.” “Eileen Louise Whitmoyer: May 6, 1952-July 3, 1955.” For many families this was the cost of taking the gospel to Nigeria. Charles White told his story about visiting this little graveyard and ended it with a tremendously powerful sentence. He said, “The only way we can understand the graveyard at Miango is to remember that God also buried his Son on the mission field.”

And when God raised him from the dead, he called the church to follow him into the same dangerous field called “all the world” (Mark 16:15). But are we willing to follow? In Ermelo, Holland, Brother Andrew told the story of sitting in Budapest, Hungary, with a dozen pastors of that city, teaching them from the Bible. In walked an old friend, a pastor from Romania who had recently been released from prison. Brother Andrew said that he stopped teaching and knew that it was time to listen.

After a long pause the Romanian pastor said, “Andrew, are there any pastors in prison in Holland?” “No,” he replied. “Why not?” the pastor asked. Brother Andrew thought for a moment and said, “I think it must be because we do not take advantage of all the opportunities God gives us.” Then came the most difficult question. “Andrew, what do you do with 2 Timothy 3:12?” Brother Andrew opened his Bible and turned to the text and read aloud, “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” He closed the Bible slowly and said, “Brother, please forgive me. We do nothing we that verse.”