“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all” (Psalm 34:19).

Being a Christian can be incredibly lonely at times, but following Jesus is well worth it.

Truth be told, we need that reminder. For although this world is not our eternal home, we are called to live as salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16) to lost souls who are destined to spend eternity in hell if we do not speak truth in love and warn them of God’s impending judgment.

Evangelism is not easy, though. In many ways, it forces us out of our comfort zone into a hostile environment where persecution is real and the enemy is poised and ready to attack at any moment. That is why we must always be ready, not only to defend our faith but accept the inevitable consequences of living countercultural.

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2).

Keep in mind, Psalm 34:19 challenges us to live counter-religion as well, speaking in sharp contrast to false doctrine such as the “prosperity gospel” (Word of Faith movement) which manipulates Jesus for financial gain. No, the path of righteousness is narrow indeed, and those who choose to obey the Lord will undoubtedly endure affliction (at some point) for their faith with no guarantee of riches this side of heaven.

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13–14).

SACRIFICE:

Psalm 34:19 begins with a sobering reminder that living for righteousness’ sake will require us to experience pain, distress, heartache, and grief as part of our sanctification. Ironically, those are not marketing slogans most churches use today to attract unbelievers to salvation.

However, Scripture is clear that the path of righteousness is not based on how much wealth and prosperity we accumulate for ourselves, but rather how willing we are to sacrifice all if indeed God calls us to forsake everything we hold dear to follow Him.

“Jesus said to him, ‘If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions” (Matthew 19:21–22).

Granted, sacrifice is never easy. At times, God tests our loyalty and allegiance with various trials to build spiritual markers we can remember in the future. They testify to the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within our hearts and give us strength and confidence to endure suffering and affliction for righteousness’ sake.

Spiritual markers also affirm God’s faithfulness amidst the storms of life and deepen the roots of our faith. They connect our lives to Jesus in a real and literal sense. For when we are mocked and ridiculed for defending what the Bible says, we are more intimately united with Christ than we could ever fathom through the bond of persecution.

“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:12–13).

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18–19).

RIGHTEOUSNESS:

Righteousness is not a word commonly used in our culture today, yet the ESV Bible references it 264 times. Why then do we not talk more about it?

From a human perspective, righteousness centers around purity of heart and striving for holiness and perfection in our application of God’s Word. It is an act of aligning our personal will to the will of God, transforming our minds with His absolute truth, and maintaining the highest standard of morality and integrity in our lives.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).

Therefore, righteousness is our supreme goal to conform us into the image of Jesus Christ, our perfect standard of purity and holiness. Not that we could ever obtain perfection this side of heaven, nonetheless we strive to live in such a way that we honor God in all we say and do—not because we are holy, but because HE IS HOLY and worthy of our praise and reverence.

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created” (Revelation 4:11).

Righteousness flows from a river of gratitude for all God has eternally done for us and how He loves us in ways we do not fully understand nor comprehend. For the blessings of God far surpass the riches of this world, and He bestows on us His grace and favor every time we die to our fleshly inclinations and respond in faith and trust to His Word.

Therefore, when we suffer for righteousness’ sake, we are declaring to the world we have been bought with a price, and in thanksgiving we willingly devote our lives to accomplishing His will this side of heaven because of his unending grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Granted, that might require us to surrender all and endure poverty for His name’s sake. But if we are truly followers of Christ, we will welcome the opportunity to bear that cross, for Jesus has already done immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine when He suffered and died in our place to secure our eternity in heaven forevermore.

DELIVERANCE:

The beauty of Psalm 34:19 is that it does not simply warn us of the impending trials and struggles we’ll face living out our faith in Christ. Rather, it promises that the Lord will intervene during our trials and give us what we need to survive.

Keep in mind, what we typically want amid our trials differs from what we need. If we’re honest, we’d rather avoid affliction. For if there’s an easier path to following Christ, we’ll likely take it because who really wants to “suffer” for Christ in a literal sense?

However, what we need more than anything when affliction overwhelms is to know our Savior is standing right beside us (just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace), because He knows what it feels like to be persecuted for righteousness’ sake.

“Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, ‘Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?’ They answered and said to the king, ‘True, O king.’ He answered and said, ‘But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.’ Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, ‘Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!’ Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire” (Daniel 3:24–26).

Deliverance is not a guarantee that pain, anguish, and grief will cease if we abide in Christ. In some cases, God might be calling us to endure persecution for His name’s sake, just as countless martyrs have done throughout the generations.

Rather, what we’re guaranteed deliverance from is loneliness and isolation, for the enemy wants us to believe we are alone in the midst of our trials. However, when we suffer for righteousness’ sake our Lord leans in closer to us, assuring us that the pains of this world are merely temporary.

“It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8).

Therefore, it is critical we remember that we are more than conquerors through Christ who strengthens us. For we have everything we need to endure the enemy’s attacks, because we know the victory has already been won for those who trust in the name of Jesus for salvation.

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37–39).

BOTTOM-LINE:

When Jesus delivered His infamous Sermon on the Mount, He esteemed those who are persecuted for standing unapologetically on the absolute truth of Holy Scripture because He intimately knew the price to be paid for living counterculturally.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10).

Make no mistake, when we accept Christ as Lord and Savior and publicly declare we are His disciples, we essentially put a target on our back for persecution and affliction. For the Word of God is offensive to those who reject its supreme authority because they are unwilling to relinquish control of their lives to God and submit to His omniscient sovereignty.

Therefore, we should not be surprised by the affliction we receive when we defend our faith doctrine, but rather embrace the opportunity to share the Gospel with those who are truly lost and cannot comprehend why we think and act like we do.

For the day will come when we’ll stand before the almighty throne of God and give account for our lives, which is why we must always be prepared in season and out of season to give ample reason for the hope we have in Christ Jesus, and be willing to suffer for doing good.

“Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:13–17).