ARE CHRISTIANS STILL PERSECUTED TODAY?
Sakkie Parsons
I recently listened to news regarding ‘Open Doors’ statistics on Christians
who are persecuted around the world today because of their faith in Jesus Christ, which I would like to share with you.
I would like to first share with you the latest statistics that I have at my disposal and then I will share with you just three, and believe me there are more examples I could have used that make our Religion unique/one of a kind and also the only Religion (a better word is “way of life”), than all the other religions in the world:
“There is a global increase in the number of countries where Christians experience persecution for their faith. According to the organization, their surveys show that since they began the list 31 years ago, the number of countries where Christians experience high levels of persecution has almost doubled from 40 countries in 1993 to 78 countries in 2024.”
WWL 2025 in figures
The most important trends of the 2025 WWL are:
· A total of 4,476 Christians were killed worldwide because of their faith.
· Five of the top 10 countries on the 2025 WWL are in Africa.
· There were 28,368 attacks on Christian homes, shops or businesses for faith-related reasons.
· A total of 16 million Christians in sub-Saharan Africa have experienced forced displacement due to violence.
· More than 380 million Christians worldwide face high levels of persecution and discrimination.
Persecution is any form of hostility experienced as a result of following Jesus Christ. It may look different for the hundreds of millions of believers who face persecution every day.
For some, it is a denial of basic needs like clean water, food, and healthcare, because of their faith in Jesus. Or rejection by their non-Christian family and community. For others, Christian persecution is acts of physical violence, imprisonment, or even death.”
So much for the statistics of the persecution of GOD’s children in 2024 – those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour.
This hostile attitude toward us as Christians can range from, for example, when you are mocked and rejected for your faith in Jesus, to when you are tortured and killed for your faith in Jesus.
Now I will share with you just three differences that distinguish our Christian faith from all other religions, because otherwise this writing might get lengthy and the first one is also the reason why other religions that want to force their religion on people, so easily target Christian believers.
Firstly, the Christian faith isthe only faith in the world that is aggressively and benevolently persecuted by almost all other religions and one of the reasons, seen from a human point of view, is of course because the Christian religion is not a religion of retribution or taking revenge/payback. On the contrary – Our faith consists precisely in radiating/reflecting to people the Spirit of the Creator of the universe, who is a God of love, and not only a God of love – but who Himself is love – who abides in us.
1JOHN 4:8-9
8The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature.]
9By this the love of God was displayed in us, in that God has sent His [One and] only begotten Son [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind] into the world so that we might live through Him.
10In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [that is, the atoning sacrifice, and the satisfying offering] for our sins [fulfilling God’s requirement for justice against sin and placating His wrath].
You could say we are soft targets, which satan exploits through people in other religions by making those people understand that Christians are soft targets.
Jesus, who experienced the worst persecution for our salvation and redemption, tell us the following about persecution:
JOHN 15:18-23 Disciples’ Relation to the World
18“If the world hates you [and it does], know that it has hated Me before it hated you.
19If you belonged to the world, the world would love [you as] its own and would treat you with affection. But you are not of the world [you no longer belong to it], but I have chosen you out of the world. And because of this the world hates you.
20Remember [and continue to remember] that I told you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
21But they will do all these [hurtful] things to you for My name’s sake [because you bear My name and are identified with Me], for they do not know the One who sent Me.
22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have [the guilt of their] sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.
23The one who hates Me also hates My Father.
MATTHEW 24:9-13
9“Then they will hand you over to [endure] tribulation, and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.
10At that time many will be offended and repelled [by their association with Me] and will fall away [from the One whom they should trust] and will betray one another [handing over believers to their persecutors] and will hate one another.
11Many false prophets will appear and mislead many.
12Because lawlessness is increased, the love of most people will grow cold.
13But the one who endures and bears up [under suffering] to the end will be saved.
MATTHEW 5:10-11
10“Blessed [comforted by inner peace and God’s love] are those who are persecuted for doing that which is morally right, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].
11“Blessed [morally courageous and spiritually alive with life-joy in God’s goodness] are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil things against you because of [your association with] Me.
Then comes my great hero Paul and he underlines what Jesus ‘ gospel teaches us; about how we must proclaim our Lord’s gospel through our lives to our enemies – when he writes under the guidance of the Holy Spirit:
ROM 12:18-20
18If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for God’s wrath [and His judicial righteousness]; for it is written [in Scripture], “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. 20“BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM; IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR BY DOING THIS YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.”
Of course, I may protect myself and my loved ones and those I love – but I must always try to win people with love for Jesus‘ Kingdom. Never by force, because it is simply evil to try to bring someone to faith like that.
Do you remember what Jesus, because He is a God of love, teach us in His gospel of love? And remember as you read it: It is God who became man who tell us this:
MAT 5:43-48 Teaching about Love for Enemies
43“You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR (fellow man) and hate your enemy.’
44But I say to you, love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45so that you may [show yourselves to] be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him].
46For if you love [only] those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that?
47And if you greet only your brothers [wishing them God’s blessing and peace], what more [than others] are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles [who do not know the Lord] do that?
48You, therefore, will be perfect [growing into spiritual maturity both in mind and character, actively integrating godly values into your daily life], as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Read at this point how Jesus then acted towards His persecutors, after they crucified Him:
LUKE 23:33-34 The Crucifixion
33When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left.
34And Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing His clothes among themselves.
So how should we as Christians act towards those who persecute us?
ROM 12:14 Bless those who persecute you [who cause you harm or hardship]; bless and do not curse [them].
The New Living Translation put it this way:
ROM 12:14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.
1 PETER 3:9 and never return evil for evil or insult for insult [avoid scolding, berating, and any kind of abuse], but on the contrary, give a blessing [pray for one another’s well-being, contentment, and protection]; for you have been called for this very purpose, that you might inherit a blessing [from God that brings well-being, happiness, and protection].
Another major difference between our Christian faith and all other religions is that our religion is the only religion where God Almighty in His great love, first reached out to man.
All other religions have this and that that you must first do to get God’s approval to go to heaven – but we preach that God first came to us humans in His great love, because He want to be in a loving relationship with us, if we allow Him and I will mention just two examples:
JOHN 3:16-17
16“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world (all people),that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.
17For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him.
EPHESIANS 2:8-10
8For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God;
9not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation].
10For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].
The true Christian lives in a love relationship with our Lord.
Is there forgiveness for a persecutor and murderer who turn to God through faith in Jesus Christ?
Yes, absolutely!
An example in the Bible of one of the greatest Persecutors of Christians of his time, who received grace and forgiveness from our loving Jesus, and then became one of the most dedicated Apostles to preaching the Gospel, is the Apostle Paul:
ACTS 9:1-2 The Conversion of Saul (which you can read further on how our Lord Jesus intervene mightily in Saul’s life)
1Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord [and relentless in his search for believers], went to the high priest, 2and he asked for letters [of authority] from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any men or women there belonging to the Way [believers, followers of Jesus the Messiah], men and women alike, he could arrest them and bring them bound [with chains] to Jerusalem.
After his conversion, Paul writes:
1 CORINTHIANS 15:9-10
9For I am the least [worthy] of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I [at one time] fiercely oppressed and violently persecuted the church of God. 10But by the [remarkable] grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not without effect. In fact, I worked harder than all of the apostles, though it was not I, but the grace of God [His unmerited favor and blessing which was] with me.
Finally:
How has GOD shown His love to you and me and given us the loving grace to live in a loving relationship with Him?
1JOHN 4:9-10 GOD IS LOVE
9By this the love of God was displayed in us, in that God has sent His [One and] only begotten Son [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind] into the world so that we might live through Him.
10In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [that is, the atoning sacrifice, and the satisfying offering] for our sins [fulfilling God’s requirement for justice against sin and placating His wrath].
Greetings,
Sakkie
Email: bediening@sakkieparsons.co.za
Website: www.sakkieparsons.co.za
Cell: 083 457 6669
Jude 1:24-25 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy, to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
If you have read this email and would like to receive emails regularly, please send me an email with your full email address in the “subject box” to bediening@sakkieparsons.co.za
Please do not send a blank email.
Because I am blind and use screen reading software so that the computer can talk to me, I will not know if the email is blank or contains a photograph. In both instances the computer will remain silent.
Some of the daily thoughts have been translated into English at this time. Should you wish to read of the others, please let me know so that I can prioritize the translation thereof. Please send me an email requesting the required daily thought.