At the Bethlehem Pastors’ Conference in 2000, Josef Tson, the Romanian pastor who suffered under the communists, spoke on “Persecution and Christlikeness.” Among his many points were these:
The essence of Christlikeness is richness and fullness within, bubbling over in blessing on others, at cost to oneself. If you’re rich at heart, you’re ready for persecution. They cut Christ and he said, “Good. My blood will cleanse you.” They beat him and he said, “Good. By my stripes you will be healed.” That’s richness.
One time when he was overwhelmed with fear and close to giving up, his wife bluntly exhorted him, “Josef, you’ve said all along that you wanted to die for Christ. Well, go do it!“ That put some steel back in his spine.
A strategy the wretched communists deployed against the Romanian pastors was to steal their suffering. By this Pastor Tson meant that, when a pastor was arrested, the police spread damaging rumors about him out in the community. Then his friends would not perceive him as suffering for Christ. This was the final indignity – to be robbed of the nobility of Christian suffering and to be isolated as friends kept their distance.
The more we suffer for Christ in this life, the more glory he will give us in the next life. We wonder, Why am I suffering? The Lord’s answer: “I want to give you more glory.”
Readiness to suffer for Christ, readiness to obey him no matter what – that is the power no evil on earth can overcome. “With our blood we will win some of the wolves.”
The concept of “commitment” has replaced the higher call of “total surrender” to Christ. If we are “committed” to him, we might still define for ourselves how far we will go in obeying him. But if we are totally surrendered, there are no limits, no preconditions. We are his. Period.