As I sit here contemplating this day, a federal holiday in America, I also contemplate all that it means to be an American. To me, more than anything else, it has always meant freedom of religion. It has meant that I have freedom to worship without hindrance from the government. No one has been able to tell me that I can not read my Bible or that I can not worship as I want and when I want. It has been a privilege when I consider all the people around the world who have not held that privilege. As a child I remember reading about communism and wondering what we would do if this became a reality in America. How would I act if I could not worship openly or read my Bible? Today this threat seems more real that it ever has before.
In the last week social media and the papers have exploded with different opinions over Ms Kim Davis, the clerk who is in jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to homosexual couples. I have been so disturbed since her arrest that I must admit I have struggled to think of anything else or to sleep. This lady is a sister in the Lord and my heart hurts that this is happening to her. Just to clarify, I do mean that she is a sister. We believe the same thing. I too am an Apostolic Christian. That means that I believe in baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. I believe in the infilling of the Holy Ghost with evidence of speaking in other tongues. I believe in gender distinction in dress, short hair on men, and long hair on women. There is much more but you get the picture. Sister Kim Davis and I are part of the same church and as such she is my sister. If one member suffers, we all suffer (I Corinthians 12:26.) Who would have ever thought this would happen in America?
I could be very discouraged that this is happening. I could even be fearful. If this is allowed to continue, what happens next? What happens when it is considered a hate crime to speak against homosexuality? With the current hate crime laws written the way they are, this is certainly a possibility. Will it be a federal crime in the near future to preach that homosexuality is a sin? As it stands, it is definitely against all this politically and socially correct. Yet the Bible is clear on the subject and I for one will never stop preaching what the word of God says. I can preach this truth in love but it would not be love for me to stop preaching what the Bible says. Will I be the next one in jail? Am I prepared for that?
As I have pondered these things I began to think of all the men and women, both in scripture and otherwise, who have spent their time in jail for the faith. It is definitely not a new occurrence, even in the United States. The pages of human history are stained with the blood of martyrs that God himself will one day vindicate. With such dark thoughts as these it would seem that the church has undergone much defeat, yet nothing is farther from the truth. Neither a jail cell nor the blood of a martyr signifies defeat for the child of God or for the Christian church.
In times of great persecution God's church has always grown stronger. It was the blood of the martyr Stephen that caused the first century church to leave the comforts of Jerusalem and take the gospel into Judea and Samaria. It was the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 that caused Christians to spread throughout the Roman empire and preach Christ to its farthest corners. (And Incidentally, it was the Christian church that eventually caused the Roman empire to topple.) In the words of Justin Martyr, "The more we are persecuted, the more do others in ever increasing numbers embrace the faith and become worshippers of God through the name of Jesus." Persecution has always caused the Christian faith to grow and so will it always do.
As we read our Bibles, do we ever think about how much of it was written from a prison cell? This morning I was reading from the book of I Timothy when something stood out to me. In verse 15 Paul reminds Timothy that all of Asia minor has turned away from him. Then he rejoices that Onesiphorus was not ashamed of his chains. His Chains! Such a simple but powerful statement. Apparently the church in Asia was either too afraid of persecution, or too ashamed that their leader was in jail to stand behind him. Thank God for faithful Onesiphorus! He was not ashamed (or afraid) to seek Paul out in jail and minister to him.
Paul wrote some of the most powerful of his epistles from a jail cell. Though I am sure he would much rather have been anyplace else, God turned this situation to the good of the whole church throughout the centuries. After all, what would our Bible be like without Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon? What would the book of Acts be like without the story of the Philippian jailer?
How is God's church supposed to act in times of persecution? (And believe me, that is what the arrest of Kim Davis is - persecution of Christians, plain and simple.) Jesus told us in Matthew 5:12 that we are to rejoice in such times. Rejoice? Yes, rejoice! We are to rejoice that God is in control. We are to rejoice because God knows how to turn the situation around. We are to rejoice because all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his service.
Do I rejoice that Sister Davis is in jail? No, my heart is broken over it. Not only because our sister is in jail but also for what is happening to America. Yet I rejoice because I know that in the midst of great trouble God's church has always had great revival. We have prayed for years for God to shake America and send revival. If this is what it takes then I say let's have revival! Let me say "thank you, Sister Davis." You have taken a stand that most would not be willing to take. The battle lines have been drawn and you have been willing to be on the front lines. In the words of Paul, may others be emboldened to speak the word without fear because of your bonds.
The judge who ordered Ms. Davis arrested has said that she will remain in jail until she acquiesces. She has said she will never do this no matter how long it takes. Let us pray that God will give her the strength to live up to those words. But not only her, I pray that a fighting spirit would get ahold of Christians across America. The liberal agenda has wanted a fight and the church of God is more than able to give it to them. We will not fight with physical weapons but we will fight with prayer. We will fight by preaching the gospel and we will fight by being emboldened to witness at every opportunity.
In closing, let me say this. One of the couples who sued Ms Davis said they were afraid that her arrest would cause her supporters to rally behind her and strengthen their resolve to fight. I pray that this is exactly what happens. God strengthen our resolve not to bow to the peer pressure of this world but to preach with boldness no matter the cost. After all, God is on our side!
In Christ's Service,
Sullivan Jones
