28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. 29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; 30 Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me (Philippians 1:28-30).
There is no surer sign of salvation than to suffer for Christ and for the cause of the Gospel. It is not that this should be sought, but rather that it should be realized that suffering for Christ might be required. There is always a purpose in suffering for Christ though as well. That purpose could be to show simple obedience or it could be a mechanism for spreading the Gospel. The Gospel has always spread fastest in times of persecution. And so while persecution is terrible, it often leads to the salvation of many.
There is no surer sign of salvation than to suffer for Christ and for the cause of the Gospel. It is not that this should be sought, but rather that it should be realized that suffering for Christ might be required. There is always a purpose in suffering for Christ though as well. That purpose could be to show simple obedience or it could be a mechanism for spreading the Gospel. The Gospel has always spread fastest in times of persecution. And so while persecution is terrible, it often leads to the salvation of many.
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