Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:10 KJV
Jesus left the crowd at the bottom of the mountain and took his disciples up the mountain to teach them. Today's extract is from the Sermon on the Mount. The charge here is NOT for everybody; not everyone can stand trials and tribulations. If you do not know the value of what you hold, you will not understand why you need to be faithful to the calling you have received.
Jesus refers to all who are His own as BLESSED first of all, before he goes on to list various ways in which these blessings manifest. I note that none has to do with physical comfort or convenience; it is first about an inner Presence in the face of all experiences, which then leads to outer calm. Today's extract speaks on persecution, strictly for righteousness' sake. It has got to be based on the quality of your faith; not anything else.
It must be for a Godly cause, not just any cause. Men love to speak of their scars and their battles; but the one thing God rewards is a stand for him, not just any kind of stand. There were men who claimed miracles in the name of Jesus, 'whom Paul preaches'. We know how they ended up. Peter also spoke about men who claimed to be suffering for Christ's sake, but were only suffering the consequences of their wrong actions. It matters what your stand is on, because there is an eternal consequence to this present earthly phase.
God promises an inheritance and eternal reward for all who go through these experiences. The big question is: if all I am living for is the kingdom of heaven, what happens to me in the meantime? This present phase is a preparation for eternity. All that God permits down here is preparing you for the glory that is promised. The perfect example: Jesus; had the same experience: he left his glory to die for our sins, but is now restored to glory. With God, the end always justifies the means. If I will end up like Him in glory, I must trust His process. I may not always understand the process, but if it is indeed God, I can rest assured that it will end as He had planned: in glory. His time of favour is here.
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