The Holy Martyr Justin the Philosopher and those with him (Second century)
Acts 23:1-11; John 16:15-23
Read Acts 23:1-11
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
“The following night the Lord stood by him and said, ‘Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.’”
Living the Christian life in our secular world is not easy. More often than not, we would rather blend in to the majority than live in a way that is so obviously counter-cultural. While some may be indifferent to our Christian way of life, others can be vehemently against it, challenging us at every step to turn us away from Christ and toward a life without Him.
Paul is a great example of perseverance for us. In the Sanhedrin, the division among the Pharisees and Sadducees almost leads to his death. An experience like this could easily lead one away from preaching the Gospel, yet Paul does not allow the circumstances of his life to pull him off course. Rather, he embraces the circumstances as a God-given opportunity to further the message of the Gospel and continue his apostolic work.
Brothers and sisters, embrace the challenges and circumstances of life as an opportunity to grow in perseverance. Heed the words of the Lord to Paul and be courageous in living and witnessing to your Christian life!