Why do Christians today have it easier regarding freedom of worship than most Christians in history?

Les explains that we are living in an extremely different time than most Christians had to live in, because we have a government that so far at least guarantees our rights to assembly and to religion. He contrasts that with the earlier experience of believers who faced tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or sword. Paul, for example, was beheaded and was not spared the Roman sword. Les stresses that none of those things can separate a believer from Christ, because security rests only on the finished work of the cross, not on what we have done or merit.