Peace if Possible, Truth at All Costs (Part 2)
Matthew 5:10
Matthew 5:10
Last week, we talked about the importance of being a Christian peacemaker. Peacemakers first know peace (they have peace with God through the gospel), they share peace (they share the gospel so that others might have peace with God), and they maintain peace (they help people to have peace with each other). However, there’s a big problem if you have peace with everyone around you. That’s because as a Christian, sometimes peace is not possible.
Blessed are those who are hated
The Christian is a peacemaker who is persecuted. Persecution can be clearly defined as hostility from hate. It’s the desire to hurt someone because you hate them. It’s being opposed to someone because you hate them. Yet the Bible says those who experience hostility from hate, those who are persecuted are blessed. Now there are some who can take a passage like this and go the wrong way. They may go off and say we need to get people to hate us so that they would persecute us. The Bible says “blessed are those who are persecuted” so let’s go out there and bother some people, get in their faces and tell them they’re going to hell… and when they try to get away, follow them around telling them how bad they are
Does that sound right to you? There’s a problem with that… do you see the problem? The problem is that Jesus is not saying that at all, that’s not what the verse means. There’s an important lesson… when you read the Bible, read it in its context and its entirety. If all you read is, blessed are those who are persecuted… you’ve ignored some of the words and lost all of the meaning. You may have gotten the first 7 words correct, but in ignoring the last 5… God’s Word is completely changed. Revelations 22:18 comes to mind, if anyone adds to the words in the Bible, God will add to them plagues and if anyone takes away words, God will take away their eternal life.
Persecuted for what?
So what are the other five words? What are the other five words that make all the difference in how you understand the Christian? "For the sake of righteousness." Here’s the point, when people persecute you, when they are hostile towards you because of hate… it has to be hate because of righteousness. Righteousness is simply proper conduct before God. In other words, it’s good to experience hostility, it’s good to be hated, it’s good that people want to hurt you… if it’s because you are living properly before God. Genuine righteousness comes by faith in Jesus (Philippians 3:9). It is not just an abstract righteousness, but one that is tangibly evident in one’s life. When God saves someone and gives them faith, they will become righteous.
Being Righteous vs. Being Good
Let me make a distinction here. Being righteous is different from being good. Here’s the thing, everyone likes a good person. A good person is the kind of person who is nice and noble. A good person is selfless and splendid, dignified and decent. It’s the person who gives to charity, who helps the homeless, protects the weak… that’s what a good person is like. Though everyone applauds a good person, few people approve of a righteous person. A righteous person also helps those in need, but proper living before God involves much more than that. To be righteous is to live by faith in Jesus. It’s to live as Jesus lived. It’s to live in God’s presence because it’s proper conduct before God. It’s not just simply do things that seem good to others, it’s honoring God before others by doing what pleases the Lord.
For example, I think that God designed marriage for a husband and wife. We see it in how we’re designed physically. It’s also clear in God’s Word. Gen 2:24 – “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” Never does the Bible talk about men joining with men and women joining with women, except in referencing it as sinful. That can be found in Rom 1, it’s natural for opposite genders to marry each other… and to do otherwise is to reject God’s design. However, the fact that I hold to this point of view and live this point of view out makes many people angry.
Another example, I believe that God created the world in 6 days. Read Genesis 1 and you can’t come to any other conclusion; it’s what the Bible says. The world is heavily opposed to Christians who believe that God created the world because most believe in evolution. A righteous person does not compromise and continues to believe in God’s revealed truth about creation… and rejects evolution… but persecution follows. If I were a teacher in a public school, I would get fired for teaching that God created the world; there’s hostility there, there’s persecution for the one who lives righteously. That’s why it says in Romans 5:7 – “For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.” The righteous are not well received in today’s world.
Live like Jesus, Treated like Jesus
When you are blessed with salvation and become a disciple of Jesus Christ, you will experience persecution for righteousness’ sake… people are going to hate you because they hate Jesus. Faith in Jesus leads to a life like Jesus. If you live like Jesus did, you will be treated like Jesus was. How was Jesus treated?
Matthew 26:67 – “they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him… [they mocked Him] and said, ‘Prophecy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?’”
Matthew 27:29 – “after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand… they spat on Him… took the reed and began to beat Him on the head.”
They persecuted Jesus, they hated Him, they drove the nails into His hands, nailed Him to a piece of wood and pierced His side with a spear (John 19:34). If you follow Jesus, you can expect persecution because He was persecuted.
What is most valuable to you?
To be a Christian in today’s world is to be hated by the world. You have to determine something right now. Please ask yourself this question. What is most valuable to you? Is it your own well-being, your own life? Or is Jesus more valuable than your life? Christians in China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba, Libya, Algeria, Malaysia, Pakistan, and other countries have to make that decision before they call themselves Christians… because if they claim faith in Jesus Christ, it is an open invitation to be persecuted. For them, it’s truth at all costs. They gladly give their lives that the truth of Jesus Christ would be made known to the world. And many have died. They gladly proclaim their faith in the Son of God, and they gladly die that His name would be heard.
Have you made that decision yet? The decision about what is most valuable? Is it your life or is it Jesus? If you haven’t made that decision yet, you will be forced to make that decision eventually. There’s no being in the middle; you’re either serving the Lord, or you’re opposed to the Lord (Matthew 12:30, Luke 11:23). There’s two paths… temporary peace now with eternal suffering to follow… or temporary suffering with eternal peace in the kingdom of heaven. If all is peaceful now, you're either not saved or not faithful.
Final Proof
And if you have found yourself persecuted for righteousness’ sake, if you have found that you live for truth at all costs… if people hate you not because you’re a mean person, or you’re rude, or because you talk too much… but if you are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, if people hate you because you follow Jesus… in a sense, you have the final proof that you are a Christian and will be welcomed into His kingdom. This is the final beatitude, and it is the final proof that you are the Lord’s and He is yours. And know that your suffering is temporary, that yours is the kingdom of heaven. That your suffering is not in vain and that you will reap the reward of an eternity in the presence of Christ, the One who was punished on your behalf and in your place. Oh, how sweet it will be for the one who endures persecution till the end!
