Blessed are they which are persecuted
Not for any crimes they have done, for unrighteousness and iniquity, as murderers, thieves, and evildoers, but
for righteousness sake:
on account of their righteous and godly conversation, which brings upon them the hatred and enmity of the men of the world: for saints, by living righteously, separate themselves from them, and profess themselves not to belong to them; their religious life sets a brand upon, and distinguishes other persons; yea, it reproves and condemns their wicked lives and practices; and this fills them with wrath against them, and puts them on persecuting them: or by "righteousness" may be meant, a righteous cause, the cause of Christ and his Gospel; for by making a profession of Christ, showing a concern for his interest, and by engaging in a vindication of his person and truths, saints expose themselves to the rage and persecution of men: and particularly, they are persecuted for preaching, maintaining, or embracing, the doctrine of justification by the righteousness of Christ; because it is not of man, nor agreeable to the carnal reason of man; it is opposite to the way of justification, which men naturally receive; it excludes boasting, and is contrary to their carnal and selfish principles: persecution is either verbal with the tongue, by cruel mockings and reproachful language; or real, by deeds, such as confiscation of goods, banishment, imprisonment of body, and innumerable sorts of death: the latter seems here more especially designed, and both are expressed in the following verse; and yet the saints, though thus used, or rather abused, are happy;
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven:
the same blessedness is predicated of these as of the poor in spirit, ver. 3.
The storms of life can sweep you away unless your foundation is built on something immovable and unchanging - a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jill explores the Beatitudes and gives practical guidelines about the outward actions and inward attitudes of believers.
The storms of life can sweep you away unless your foundation is built on something immovable and unchanging - a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jill explores the Beatitudes and gives practical guidelines about the outward actions and inward attitudes of believers.
When we’re living for Jesus, we can expect to be treated as Jesus was. That means we’ll be persecuted and even hated at times. Maybe we’re not invited to all the parties, or we’re ridiculed on social media, or worse yet we lose our very own lives. But there’s also a blessing to be experienced, for those that are persecuted for righteousness sake.
Being a Christian today usually doesn’t win you a popularity contest. We’ll be hated and even persecuted at times, when we’re living for the Lord. But that shouldn’t surprise us, as the Bible said this would be the case. Today on Sound Doctrine we’ll hear about the blessing attached to those who are persecuted for righteousness sake. The world may hate you, but God is pleased when you’re living to honor Him, and that’s what counts.
The storms of life can sweep you away unless your foundation is built on something immovable and unchanging - a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jill explores the Beatitudes and gives practical guidelines about the outward actions and inward attitudes of believers.
The storms of life can sweep you away unless your foundation is built on something immovable and unchanging - a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jill explores the Beatitudes and gives practical guidelines about the outward actions and inward attitudes of believers.
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