Persecution // Mathew 5:10

The final Beatitude we are exploring in this series is where Jesus taught, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness for theirs in the Kingdom of God.” This is a direct follow-up to yesterday’s message where we checked out what it means to be a peacemaker. Standing up for Godly values will put us at odds with the world. We see it everywhere, don’t we? Run afoul of conventional wisdom and you might find yourself cancelled. No fun at all! Here is some good news, though. God is in the cancelling business, too. Colossians 2:13-14 tells us that God cancels our sin when we confess them and seek forgiveness. This brings us to a point where we must seek righteousness. The basic understanding of righteousness is living correctly in God’s eyes. This includes having love as our motivation, living into the mission by investing in others, and obeying God’s Word, Will, and Way. There is a deeper meaning, as well, which means we need an alignment with our character (regenerated nature), conscience (godly attitude), conduct (loving action), and command (speech seasoned with grace).

I want to close by looking at The Message’s rendering of this verse: “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.” Isn’t that what we want? To be closer to God? The reality is we all will come face-to-face with how we are spiritually bankrupt without God; grieving the things that separate us from God (sin); finding strength under control; craving righteousness; seeking mercy; purifying our motives; standing in God’s peace, even when it puts us in conflict with the world; and knowing that when we face that conflict, we are growing closer to the Lord. May we all seek to live and love like Jesus!