Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted for Doing What Is Right

Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted for Doing What Is Right

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Matthew 5:10-12 (NKJV) “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

            We are witnessing persecution of Christians all over the world.  Some of us have and are currently experiencing personal persecution.  We must remember that our Lord told us that in this world we would have tribulation, but that we should not fear because He has overcome the world. (John 16:33)

However, when we feel the onslaught of the world against us, we must seriously ask ourselves, “Am I experiencing condemnation because I have been doing the right thing?  Are others against me because I am doing what Jesus would do? 

Or, have I been self-righteous, legalistic and/or condeming?  Am I unforgiving?”   When our actions portray these attitudes, people around us perceive that our God, likewise, is self-righteous, condemning and unforgiving. We all quote John 3:16, but few of us are aware of John 3:17-18:   

John 3:16-18 (NKJV) ^“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

            Because God desires to bring salvation rather than condemnation to the world, and because condemnation is the result of not believing that Jesus paid the price for our sins, our focus should be on sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and His salvation which includes deliverance from sinful practices.  Those who do not know and have not experienced the power of salvation in their lives do not understand the loving deliverance that comes from a relationship with our Lord. Our desire must be to share God’s deliverance rather than simply to speak condemnation.  Remember Paul’s first letter to the Church at Corinth:  1 Corinthians 2:2-5 (NKJV) “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”  Our call is to bring the message of salvation in Jesus Christ. 

            Like Jesus, we are to be “Isaiah 61” Christians:  Isaiah 61:1 (NKJV) "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”  

           The Spirit of the Lord is not upon us to condemn, to judge, and to complain.  

            In the world, we must stand for truth, justice, morality and freedom.  We must also plan our stance with Paul’s admonition to the Church at Corinth:  1 Corinthians 40 (NKJV) “Let all things be done decently and in order.” 

            We can expect persecution in the world.  However, when we are persecuted for righteousness, for doing things the right way, for doing things decently and in order, we are promised a blessing.