The Blessings of Persecution

“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 persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” - Matthew 5:10-12

Life can be hard and cruel at times. As we seek to please God and make Him known to others, we quickly learn that we are in a spiritual war. The enemy is fierce and dirty in his fighting techniques. As a result, many of the devil's followers are used to inflict us in a number of ways.

Persecution is defined as hostility or ill-treatment received because of a person's beliefs. In this age of “political correctness,” demonstrations, riots and assault, it is becoming dangerous to be identified as a born-again follower of Jesus Christ. In certain circles, such a profession of faith identifies a person as an enemy of popular social and political views. To be rather blunt, there is one Name that is more explosive than Donald Trump and that is the Name of Jesus.

If you want proof that that Jesus' Name is a powerful thing, just mention His Name to a demon-possessed person. Mention His Name in a public setting. Talk about Jesus behind a microphone. You'll soon learn that the Name of Jesus brings hostility.

The growing anger portrayed by our society is deeply rooted in rebellion and hatred against God. Sometimes this anger is veiled by other matters, but the underlying issue is rebellion against God.

As Christians, we normally don't pray for persecution to come. In fact, we ask to be spared from persecution. We'd rather not face the alienation, misunderstandings, prosecution and physical harm that may come through persecution. However, the Bible promises blessings to those who are persecuted for righteousness sake.

Jesus said, “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 persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” Notice three positive things that occur when a man is persecuted for his faith in Christ.

1. A PROMISED KINGDOM

Jesus said, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” True believers realize that their citizenship is in heaven. We are simply pilgrims and strangers here on earth. Our home is in glory. Persecution exposes this world as being a fallen place. Our roots should not sink deep in this world, because we are not here to stay. While we are here, our mission is to speak on behalf of the Lord. Our emphasis is on His kingdom rather than our own.

2. A PRECIOUS REWARD

Secondly, there is a promised reward. Jesus said, “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.”  As followers of Jesus, persecution will come our way. When it does, be assured that a great reward awaits you in heaven. The pain of persecution, as bad as it may be, pales in comparison to the reward God has in store for those who suffer for His Name's sake.

3. A PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION

Finally, we are in good company when we are persecuted. Jesus said, “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 persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” When we suffer for the sake of righteousness, we can identify with the prophets before us who suffered. Even more, we identify with our Lord and Savior, who suffered for our sake.

Sometimes blessings come through unusual circumstances. That is the case with persecution. There are certain rewards that are reserved for those who face the fire of persecution and still go forward out of love for Jesus.

Don't you think He is worth it?