02.10.2021
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matt 5:10-12)
We come now to the eighth and last of the Beatitudes. Jesus is speaking of the life of godliness, God-likeness. It begins by one coming to the cross with a humble spirit, placing faith in Christ alone for the forgiveness of sin. Along the way, one must bear a cross. It ends with rejoicing!
This last Beatitude is the most difficult pill to swallow. It speaks of facing an adverse world. For the one who has come to the cross and found new life in Christ, what should be his attitude toward a world of opposition?
He must understand that persecution, of one sort or another, is inevitable. There is an understandable conflict between one who names the name of Christ and the world. If I have Jesus as my King, I will be despised by the world. The world hated the Prince of Peace and killed him. Will they treat me much differently if I love and serve Him?
The world will naturally hate me. I can expect some form of persecution. While other world religions seem to be treated with respect in our day, Christianity can be treated with utter disdain. While we don’t experience much persecution in the Western world, all over this globe, in North Korea, Iran, Nigeria, and a host of other countries, converting to Christianity can be a death sentence. At the very least, one might be dismissed from the family and perhaps from their job. Young girls are captured, forced into marriages and coerced to convert to a false religion. Churches are burned and pastors are either imprisoned or killed by false religionists.
It has always been this way, and will continue so until King Jesus sits on David’s throne. The early Christians knew all about persecution. If we suffer for Christ, we are in glorious company.
In our nation, the previous administration sought to promote religious liberty here and abroad. As for the current administration, there are signals that they aren’t so concerned about this issue. What does the future hold for the free exercise of religion? Only time will tell. Much prayer is needed for our new president and his administration.
Future reward will more than compensate for present suffering. There is reward now—theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The first and last beatitudes speak of reward in the present tense. But there will also be reward later—ultimate reward awaits the saints in heaven.
How is one to respond to this persecution? Rejoice and be exceeding glad! This is to be a continual joy and gladness. The OT prophets and the NT Apostles set the example for us in their suffering. (Acts 5:40, 41)
Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. (2 Corinthians 2:14) If you do not know the Savior, please come to Him today. In Him you will find forgiveness, the lifting of the load of sin, and peace with God. If you are a soldier of the Lord, strive to show forth His praise in your daily living. No matter the consequences, let His life be diffused through you to this lost and needy world.