Title: Righteous persecution is rewarded (Matthew 05:10)
Contents Jesus said [Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.]
There are two worlds in this world: the world of sin and the world of righteousness. The world of sin is a world ruled by the devil, and it is a world that opposes and denies or is indifferent to God. The world of sin is a materialistic world, a nihilistic world, and a world rooted in indulgence and humanism. The world of righteousness is a world ruled by Jesus, a world where God is acknowledged, loved, and served, and a world filled with hope and restraint in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Since the world we live in is a place where the world of sin and the world of impartial collide, our life is a scene where the world of impartial and the world of sin constantly confront each other. Our life is a place where the world of darkness and the world of light intersect. That is why the saints must continue the endless spiritual battle while they live on this earth.
When we live as children of light, God promises to be with us and become a real father, taking care of and guiding us.
The apostle Paul says in Galatians 4:28, “Brothers, like Isaac, you were the children of the promise, but just as then he who was born after the flesh persecuted him who was born after the Spirit, so it is now” in Galatians 4:28. Just as Israel, who was born in the flesh, persecuted Isaac, who was born through the promise of the Holy Spirit, the same pattern is unfolding today. When people who live in the flesh are around people who live in the spirit , their shame is revealed and it is painful . The fleshly people persecute and torment those who were born with the spirit, the children of the promise, in order to hide their suffering.
However, if we suffer persecution because of Jesus, that in itself is proof that we are the people of the kingdom of God. Therefore, when we are persecuted, we should rejoice because this confirms that we are God's people and that we are born again.
When we are persecuted, we should not lose heart because God has promised to give the persecuted people the kingdom of God and to increase their reward according to the persecution. When the body is persecuted, the heart is filled with the Holy Spirit and the joy and peace of God overflow.
Prayer: Lord of grace. Please always keep us so that we can live righteously as children of light. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Holy Prayer: The Lord's Prayer for Living Righteously