266 - Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake#
266 - Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
We are conducting the last lecture of the Beatitudes series, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake." Matthew 5:10-12,
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! Thank You and praise You! We are blessed people, holding onto the truth, not everyone recognizes it, but I know I am still blessed because we belong to You, we are people of the kingdom of heaven. When we face persecution, our reward in heaven is great because we are bearing witness for the Lord. Please give every brother and sister strength as we begin a new week, to live with Your power. No matter what we encounter, You have already overcome, and You will grant us blessings. We completely surrender the following time to the Holy Spirit, praying in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen!
The last lecture of the Beatitudes series, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake." We have talked a lot about the parts we are willing to enjoy, such as blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are the meek, blessed are the merciful...
Are you willing for the last one? Willing? Some of you laughed.
It has been mentioned before that the original text is inverted; blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are the meek, and the last one, blessed are those who are persecuted. This is quite similar to the messages heard in the past, right? Many people in traditional churches have also heard: after believing in Jesus, don't always think about being blessed, you must also face calamities, you can't always think about blessings. Is this statement correct? Just because we are blessed people, do we have to suffer persecution and disasters? This is not a formula.
Why are blessed people persecuted? This is something we need to understand; perhaps this idea exceeds the common perception. If you tell an unbeliever that believing in Jesus may lead to persecution, they might hesitate to believe. But here it says, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake." God never said, "Believe in me, and you will suffer pain, be poor, and eventually die miserably."
There is no such promise; it only says, "When you go and convey God's blessings to others, you will face unjust treatment." We are blessed people, conveying blessings. The problem is not with us; it is that person who is unwilling to receive, which is why we suffer and are persecuted. Never say that after believing in Jesus, you commit sins and then suffer, finally saying, "Lord! I am suffering for You." That is not correct.
When we follow God's will and live out a heavenly character, it will provoke resentment. Even those who do not believe in Jesus, when they are climbing the corporate ladder, if the boss always promotes them, do the people around them bless them? Do they get along harmoniously? Don't they also provoke resentment? They wish to pull them down and take their place.
We are conveying good news to people. When you preach the gospel, the gospel brings life. When you give life to others, there will definitely be an opponent; the devil will never just watch you save souls; he will definitely work to obstruct you. This is the ministry we are doing; when we hold onto the truth, we will encounter some tribulations.
When you encounter tribulations, God does not say, "This is what you deserve." No, when you encounter tribulations, it is clearly unjust treatment. In God's eyes, it is absolutely fair. How will God compensate you for this grievance? God will reward you in heaven.
Just like we mentioned last time, there are some people who suffer persecution for the Lord and die in this world. Many people who do not understand the truth say, "Look, he died for Jesus at such a young age; what a pity! I don't think believing in Jesus is good." Brothers and sisters, what we see with our eyes is only temporary. In God's world, this is just a point. God has promised them in the Bible that He will compensate them for a thousand years on earth; the previous days do not count. Regardless of whether they were thirty or sixty years old, God compensates them with a thousand years of life on this earth.
Is God fair? Absolutely fair, because this group of people died an unnatural death. God gives them compensation to show you a fair God. This is on earth; there is more in heaven. When you give for God, suffer for God, and are persecuted for God, God will never let you suffer loss. Amen! Thank You and praise the Lord!
When we believe in the Lord, the Lord Jesus never promised us that we would not encounter storms or tribulations. Remember, God never said that; He only told us, "In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world." So when tribulations come, what should we do? We know that this day will surely come; the prophecies recorded in Revelation will definitely be fulfilled. At that time, many people will abandon their faith and stop believing. They go to church not to believe in Jesus but just to take a look. There is a group of people who follow Jesus but do not sincerely believe in Him; we call them those who are fed with bread. When they encounter difficulties, they stop going. Those who are fed with bread will abandon their faith or compromise when faced with challenges.
For a pastor, if he does not understand God's truth while serving, how will he act when faced with persecution? The Bible says he is a hired hand; when danger comes, he will abandon the sheep and run away. If he understands his mission and knows what he is doing, he will hold onto the truth. Those spiritual predecessors in the past have set many examples for us.
In Hebrews 11, the ranking is not like the world's first and second; it simply tells you the chronological order of how it has come down. Every era has a group of people who uphold the truth for the Lord. God has reserved abundant rewards for this group of people; you must believe this. If you are a person who is fed with bread, you will definitely abandon your faith; a true believer, even when facing persecution, will continue in their faith. Let's see why they persecute us.
Sharing the first point: Because they do not know the Lord.
John 15:16-21,
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other. 18 If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also; if they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.
This passage tells us why the world hates us—not because we do evil, but precisely because we do good. Jesus is the light; when the light comes into the world, the people of the world hate the light. This seems unbelievable to us, but it is normal because people have been in darkness for too long and cannot bear the light.
For example, a person who has lived in a cave for years and has never seen the light will not be able to open their eyes when suddenly brought into the sunlight. They will close their eyes because they cannot bear the light. We see the sunlight every day without issue; this is the reason. People have been in darkness for too long, deceived by the devil, thinking that is their normal life.
A friend of mine particularly likes to drink. Another friend gave him a bottle of very famous wine. When he tasted it, he said, "Since we are such good friends, can't you get me a real bottle?" His friend was surprised and said, "This bottle is from the original factory; no one can get more authentic than this."
He replied, "That's not true! I've been drinking for over ten years and have never tasted anything like this!" Now, whose is fake? It proves he has never had the real thing and instead thinks this real one is fake. We may have encountered many similar events. When we present the truth to the world, they have been living in lies, so they think we are the ones lying, which is why they do not accept us. Jesus came not for Himself but truly for us to gain life, to let us receive His abundant life. However, the world does not understand; they think Jesus came to take their position, to seize their kingdom and power.
Jesus came to give you His power, to give you His life. Therefore, Jesus clearly states: "You did not choose me, but I chose you." We should be grateful that we are chosen by God. Why did God choose us? He appointed us to bear fruit. Without Jesus, can we bear fruit? We use Jesus' way, bearing fruit in His name.
So that whatever you ask in my name, the Father will give you—isn't this a tremendous blessing? This is the life of blessed people. In the past, when we did not know Jesus, what would we do when faced with problems? We could only struggle and strive on our own. If we could not solve it, we would ultimately resign ourselves to fate.
Now it is different. After Jesus came, He can solve all your problems, especially when you are weak or ill; you can use Jesus' authority to pray. Or when you feel distressed, you can tell your problems to the Heavenly Father because you know He hears you. Isn't this a life of blessed people? Yes, so Jesus says, "I command you this so that you love one another." Therefore, God came into this world to let us live a life of loving one another.
What kind of life did we live in the past? Our so-called love for one another was conditional. But now we see, Jesus says, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." This is a spiritual matter. If there is discord at home or if you preach the gospel and are persecuted, it is not because they hate you; they hate Jesus. The reason is that you do not belong to this world. The Bible makes it very clear: if you belong to this world, Satan will love you; he will never hate you.
You do not belong to the world; you pose a threat to the devil, so he will definitely obstruct you and raise many people to attack you. Therefore, when you proclaim the truth, you can use a very simple test method: if you have preached the gospel for decades and have never faced persecution, you should question whether what you are preaching is too watered down.
Remember one fact: As long as what you preach is the truth, the devil will definitely obstruct you. This is true for people everywhere. Is it the same in the church? If this church is a church that holds onto the truth, the devil will definitely rise up to attack it, not allowing it to exist. If you preach a doctrine that seems right but is not, making others feel like it is okay but not quite right, then the weak and sick in the church...
Everyone is sighing and moaning, half dead; rest assured, the devil will not attack such a church. It is precisely the church that always exalts Jesus, always manifests the name of Jesus, that is falsely accused and labeled. The reason is that this is the work of the devil behind the scenes. Amen!
John 15:20-21, 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also; if they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.
Here, Jesus makes it clearer for us. They do not know Jesus, nor do they know the Father; they do not know the Triune God, which is why they persecute you. If there is truth inside, no matter how you say it, God will remind them. In the last days, God will surely call all His people out to let them know the truth because whoever seeks will surely find.
Now, it says here that a servant is not greater than his master. Jesus preached the complete truth, right? Did He encounter persecution? Yes, so it is very normal for us to face persecution. Jesus was completely persecuted for righteousness' sake; He never sinned or had a heart to harm others, yet He faced obstacles and persecution everywhere.
When we proclaim the truth and such things happen, we should be happy because you are doing the same thing as Jesus. Hallelujah! If they persecuted Jesus, they will also persecute you. If they listened to Jesus' words, they would certainly be able to love one another. Hallelujah! But they will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.
After Jesus ascended, the apostles also faced persecution when they preached the gospel. Have those spiritual predecessors throughout history not also faced persecution? A simple example is that the person who translated the Bible died a miserable death. The original Bible was all in Latin; in church gatherings, the pastor on stage spoke in Latin, regardless of whether the people below could understand. It was better if they did not understand; people had no Bible, completely relying on what those above said, and if they could not understand Latin, everyone had no idea what the Bible said. Whatever the person on stage said, they believed. Isn't that dangerous? Some very loyal people to God's word thought: we need to translate these Greek and Latin texts into a language that everyone can understand so that people in every region can have a Bible.
Isn't this a good intention? But after this person finished translating the Bible, he was labeled a heretic and killed. We wonder why this happened. Where was God? Was he persecuted for righteousness' sake? But what did he bring to the world later? Such a person is blessed because such a person will definitely enter the millennium, and God's compensation for him is a thousand years. In that thousand years, no one can obstruct what he wants to do.
We may live in this world for a hundred years, but that is a thousand years. In that thousand years, you can have your dreams, and what you do, no one can obstruct you. At that time, the devil will be bound, and you can do whatever you want. Isn't that interesting? We cannot say that we all must enter there; only martyrs can.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. Are those people blessed? When you preach the gospel, help others, and share the truth with love, if you face persecution, you should not be angry; you should be happy. No matter what, a seed has already been planted in their hearts. When you pray for them, God will start to work. Hallelujah! Thank You and praise the Lord!
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake; the Bible does not say that those who suffer persecution because of sin are blessed, for there is no reward for that. Like those cults that kill and set fires in the name of Christianity, such suffering will be sanctioned by the government; this kind of suffering is self-inflicted. What we need to do is uphold the truth of Jesus, do the truth, promote peace, and proclaim the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Let’s look at a passage, 1 Peter 2:16-19,
16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. 18 Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.
20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
Jesus says we are blessed, and He also tells us how to live out this blessing in our lives. If you truly receive the truth of Jesus, you will be at peace with everyone, and your relationships with superiors and subordinates will also be harmonious. You are free; this freedom refers to your freedom before God, in Jesus, free from the law's control, not under condemnation, free. Amen!
But do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil. You cannot say, "I believe in Jesus, so I can kill and set fires on earth and still go to heaven." This is not acceptable; you cannot use Jesus' name to cover up evil because this does not exist in God. You must always be God's servant. Why mention servants here?
We do not understand when to use the term servant and when to use son. Many people say that under the New Testament, we cannot call ourselves servants. So why does God tell us to be servants here? In the past, servants had nothing of their own; everything they had was given by the master, including their lives, and they completely obeyed the master's will.
The master required them to do as they were told. As a servant, one does not need to have their own thoughts; this is a qualified servant. Their belonging is to the master. To put it bluntly, they are like an item that can be bought and sold, but if they do not want to be sold, no one can take them from the master. We now belong to Jesus; the use of the term servant here means you belong to Jesus, and no one can take you away. You know your identity, and you also know that everything Jesus has is yours; He supplies all your needs, which is why the term servant is mentioned here.
You must show proper respect to everyone. You will find that the truth of Jesus should be gladly accepted by people in any country in the world because He does not promote mutual hatred but mutual respect. In the church, are we truly like this? Many times, when the devil's work comes in, many people are filled with anger and do not spare their brothers and sisters. This is the work of the devil. Where does persecution come from? It comes from some people being used by the devil or some unbelievers being used by the devil, which is why such things happen; otherwise, these things would not occur. Fear God, honor the emperor, tells us how to treat those in authority. Thank the Lord! Therefore, a true understanding of Jesus leads to a nation that is stable based on the word of Jesus.
As servants, you must submit to your masters with reverent fear in everything. When a boss discovers a Christian, they are willing to hire these people. Why? Because they are easy to manage, and they do not dare to do evil because they have God. If a place has no God, can the company system restrain people? You must know: all systems in the world have loopholes. There will always be some people who take advantage of these loopholes, causing losses to the company or enterprise. But if it is not based on these systems but on the love or truth of Jesus inside, everyone is willing to contribute to this place, and there will not be so many problems.
Not only should you submit to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. This is the teaching Jesus gives us. Such a person truly lives out the blessings of Jesus. If this boss treats me well, I am willing to listen to him; anyone can do that. But if this boss is harsh, perhaps very irritable or stingy...
What should we do? Should we still submit? Then we will retaliate. It is not like that; a truly blessed person can live out this blessing. They submit to them. How do they submit? Submission is different from yielding. Many people yield; you are the boss, I listen to you, I take your salary, so I have to listen to you. This is called yielding. After yielding for a long time, you will definitely become extremely angry.
Submission means I bless you because you are so pitiful. My God can change you and bless your company through me. Amen! That is why you are willing to listen to him. You say, "Lord! In reality, I am not serving him; I am serving You." You will find that God will use these people to elevate your abilities. When you reach a certain level, God will place you in a higher position. Amen! You must look at these things through spiritual eyes.
If someone suffers unjustly to keep their conscience clear before God, this is commendable. Do not think that being blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake means that someone holds a knife to your neck and says, "Do you still believe in Jesus?" If you say yes, then they cut you; that is called being persecuted for righteousness' sake. It is very likely that this kind of persecution is in your family, in your company, or in your interpersonal relationships...
Can you overcome this persecution through Jesus? This is something we need to pray to God about.
If someone suffers unjustly to keep their conscience clear before God, it proves that you are indeed wronged. What should you do? Come before the Lord and pray: "Lord! I am indeed wronged." You cannot keep it bottled up inside; you must tell God. When you tell God, He will vindicate you. Never say, "Lord! Strike him dead with lightning; I really do not want to see him anymore."
Let’s look at a passage, 1 Peter 2:20-23,
20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
Brothers and sisters, believing in the Lord, if you suffer because of sin, there is nothing to boast about. But if we suffer for doing good, we all know what doing good is, right? You do a lot for this person, and instead of being appreciated, they fabricate lies to slander you and respond with harsh words. Isn't that a grievance? Encountering such situations is very difficult, or if someone digs a pit specifically for you, isn't that quite painful?
You may inadvertently condemn yourself; many people do this: "Lord! Look at those who do not believe in Jesus; they do not have such things happen to them. Why do these things happen to me?" You become unbalanced. If we truly suffer for doing good, we need to endure, and this is commendable in God's eyes. Endurance means you do not argue; God will give you a fair treatment.
You were called for this; let’s see where this strength comes from. Jesus came into this world to set an example for us. Because Christ also suffered for you, I do not have the strength to forgive. This person has trapped me; I clearly did not do this, and I am still a Christian... Did Jesus deserve the suffering He endured? He did not do a single wrong thing; it was all for us. As a result, He was bound and beaten to give us life and benefits.
So Jesus' suffering leaves us an example to follow in His footsteps. Hallelujah! If an unbeliever or a ruler understands this point, are we not contributing to the world? Perhaps these people cannot see it, but we are the ones who are at peace with others. Jesus committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth, yet when others struck Him, He did not retaliate, and when others threatened Him, He did not speak threats.
Some people clearly have no power but still threaten others, saying, "I will do this to you." In reality, they do not have that power. The truly powerful do not say such things. So can you forgive those who angrily curse you? Do you know why they act that way? They are angry because they are ashamed; they truly have no power and cannot surpass you, so they can only raise their voices. If shouting could solve problems, then donkeys would rule the world. Therefore, there is no need to shout loudly at home; that must be someone with little power. The truly powerful person speaks very gently.
That night, so many people came with torches looking for Jesus. Jesus asked, "Whom are you looking for?" They shouted, "We are looking for Jesus." Jesus said, "I am He." Those people all fell to the ground. Is that power? The Bible does not say that Jesus shouted angrily, and those people fell to the ground; that only happens in novels. In novels, when someone sees injustice, they must shout to subdue those people. Jesus never shouted or threatened those people, yet His power was the greatest. He only needed to say those words, and it would surely come to pass.
Jesus had that power, but He did not use that power to harm others; instead, He always helped others. If you have that heart and that power, it will also flow out of you. Hallelujah! Peter took a sword and cut off the ear of the high priest's servant. Did Jesus not immediately heal him? This is Jesus' power. He suffered and left us an example of how to treat those who mistreated Him. Jesus still loved them and entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. So brothers and sisters, a person who truly understands they are blessed will bless others when they are persecuted.
We are sharing the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew, and later, Jesus tells us how to use this blessing and let this blessing come upon you. Many people's problem is knowing that spiritually, Jesus has already accomplished it, and they say Jesus has already done it. This is correct, but they still have a doubt: why can I not see it? Why has it not come upon me? Where is the problem? What is in heaven is in heaven; what is on earth is on earth. What is missing is the connection in between, which is you drawing it down by faith. If you truly believe that Jesus has accomplished everything, it will definitely lead to action.
Matthew 5:43-47,
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
Jesus means that as my brothers and sisters, as children of the Father, your behavior is different from that of the world. The Bible calls this holiness, which means being set apart. I have already told everyone that it is not we who chose Him, but He chose us. God has set us apart from the world, so our behavior is different from that of the world. Where can this be reflected? The world loves those who love them; anyone can do that. You love me, and I will love you; anyone can do that.
But Jesus did something; He loved His enemies. He could say on the cross to those who persecuted Him, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." From this, we see that He is indeed not an ordinary person; He is different from the world. If people in the church greet one another, saying, "Jesus loves you! Peace in the Lord!" everyone can do that. But can you do that to those who hurt you and persecute you? No, you truly cannot. When you cannot do it, you rely on God to accomplish it; you are holding onto the truth. When you achieve this, you will know that God has a reward for you.
From the perspective of the world, your capacity is much greater than ordinary people; you can see through all things and accommodate all people. So brothers and sisters, when you truly know we are blessed people, facing a little persecution, you will still bless others. After Jesus died and rose again, Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to teach people in the synagogue and various places. Was that ministry big? Three thousand people repented in one day, and large numbers followed Peter. Can you imagine how spectacular that scene was? But is that how it was? Did persecution not come immediately? The original council people arrested them.
Let’s take a look at Acts 5:40-41,
40 They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. 41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.
By worldly standards, is this not crazy? To preach the gospel in the name of Jesus, to be arrested and beaten, and then what is their reaction? After being beaten, they see their brothers and sisters and laugh heartily. Is this not madness? But were they mad? No, because they were preaching the truth and were persecuted for the truth; they knew they were people with rewards, which is why they rejoiced in their hearts. They knew this was disgrace for the Lord's name.
Many Christians fear the most when others say, "You still believe in Jesus, yet you can do such things?"
Do we not immediately feel condemned? If you truly bless him, it will show Jesus' power in you because you would absolutely not do this on your own, but God gives you strength, and you are a blessed person, so you will bless them. Hallelujah! Do not argue or explain with those who persecute you because since they do not believe, the more you explain, the more they feel you are hiding something, and they will not listen. Leave this matter to God.
Romans 12:19-21,
19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Many people may not accept the previous part: if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. A friend read this passage and said, "If he is hungry, I will feed him until he bursts; if he is thirsty, I will give him so much to drink that he drowns." He said, "If I act according to the Bible, I feel like a fool." Is this the worldly perspective? But what does the Bible say?
Why can you treat your enemies like this? Heaping burning coals on his head means this is a punishment in ancient Egypt. When a person truly knows they are wrong and feels remorse, to show that they truly understand their mistake, they would heap burning coals on their head as a sign of true repentance.
Here, it quotes the ancient Egyptian method to tell you: if you treat your enemy this way, one day when they truly understand, they will feel so ashamed that they will not know what to do, and you will win that person over. Amen! Thank You and praise the Lord! Do not be overcome by evil; if your enemy is hungry and you kick him a few times, then your heart will be occupied by hatred. If you do these things not out of compulsion but willingly bless them with Jesus' love, you have already overcome that evil because your heart is always filled with goodness.
Sharing the second point: Those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake will be comforted.
What we have done seems like a loss; these are things others are unwilling to do but have to do because we cannot be like the world. God asks you to do these things primarily for your benefit, not for your enemy's benefit. Forgiveness is a difficult thing, but when you truly forgive, your heart is released. From this perspective, God is not concerned about your enemy but about you; He does not want hatred to exist in your heart.
2 Corinthians 1:4-7,
4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble, with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
Why does Paul speak so roundabout? What is he trying to say? In troubles, those who can overcome troubles are comforted by God. Perhaps people comfort you by saying, "It's nothing! This will pass; who does not have problems? Just endure a little, and it will be over." You find that it does not work; it just does not pass.
But when you pray before God, for example, praying in tongues or before the Lord: "Lord! Give me strength to overcome this problem." In an instant, you overcome, and then when you stand up, you find that you no longer have hatred in your heart. This is the comfort God gives you. After you overcome, if someone similar to you comes to the church, someone in a situation like yours before, you will use the comfort God gave you to comfort them, sharing how you overcame through the Lord.
Now I am giving you this comfort so that you can endure various troubles. Whether it is Peter or Paul, believe that Jesus will never leave you alone to suffer; He will surely bring you out of this. You are people with hope.
So those who suffer for the Lord, God will surely comfort them. This article is very interesting; people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me; you are blessed. What consequences will those who hold onto the truth face? First, they will insult you; second, they will persecute you; and what else? The devil uses these tricks to fabricate bad things and slander you. In the church, when you hear some slander about a certain person, do not believe it all because it is very likely to come from the evil one.
Now we are sharing 1 Corinthians; many biblical wisdom tells us, for example, accusations against elders in the church must have two or three witnesses; do not even believe it. This is the management method in the church. We are like this; if someone speaks ill of a certain person or a certain pastor in front of you, do not believe them unless two or three people say so, and you ask that person, and they admit it before drawing conclusions.
This does not give the devil a foothold to let you attack each other. For example, if you hold onto the truth and someone insults me, persecutes me, and fabricates all kinds of bad things to slander me, how should I, as the person involved, handle it? I should rejoice and be glad because my reward in heaven is great. This is the reason I can still stand and serve today.
Some people may say, "What is it to stand on the platform?" Do you know how many people behind the scenes are persecuting you, insulting you, and fabricating all kinds of bad things to slander you? If you cannot bear these idle words, you might say, "I quit." But I know I am holding onto the truth, and the reward God gives me is great. In the process of serving, first, do not look at people; you must look up to God. If you look at people, you cannot truly serve.
On what basis did Paul serve the Corinthians? That group of people did not believe him and always insulted him, saying Paul came here just to make money. Should he still serve these people? The simplest way is to never see these people again. When we are persecuted, we usually take this approach, but Jesus says to bless them; your reward is great. In the same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you. As long as you are not suffering because of sin, being persecuted for righteousness' sake and holding onto the truth is blessed. Amen!
Some who believe in Jesus use Jesus as a shield to attack others everywhere. How do they pray before God? "Lord! Strike him dead quickly." This is not right. We should not be persecuted because of sin; we should be persecuted for holding onto God's righteousness. Not only is it like this now, but in the past, many prophets were also persecuted for holding onto the truth. Because not everyone can accept the truth, not everyone is willing to step into the light. Indeed, many have become tools of the devil, and they persecute the true children of God who hold onto the truth.
James 5:10-11 tells us,
10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
Here, James gives an example; many prophets in the past suffered and were able to endure. God calls them blessed. In the eyes of the world, they seem terrible and have not received any blessings, but God calls them blessed. Here, Job's perseverance is particularly mentioned. Where did his perseverance manifest?
Job had one advantage; no matter what, he always said there was God's intention in it. This is a kind of endurance, but this endurance has no hope. Many Christians do not understand God's grace and can only endure in this way. They say, "If this is from You, what can I say?" A line from the Psalms.
If this is from You, what can I say? I will just endure it. In fact, it is not like that. At first, Job had this idea, but later he truly understood God's grace and realized: it is not what I originally thought. Do not use Job's past wrong endurance; you should be joyful and hopeful. In the end, God gave Job double blessings, which is the conclusion we should see.
Writing this in the Bible tells you: you are indeed being persecuted and suffering, but God will give you double blessings. This is the promise given to us: blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Those who willingly suffer persecution, like Paul and Peter, their focus is not on the earth; they live on earth according to the ways of the kingdom of heaven, so they can endure persecution and live out the likeness of Christ.
Paul has a passage that says: We are considered fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are honored, but we are dishonored. To this day, we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment, we have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world. (1 Corinthians 4:10-13)
If I told you at the beginning that believing in Jesus would lead to such things, would you still believe? But do you know that the true blessing comes upon you here. Why does Paul, when facing such great persecution, still hold onto his faith? He must have seen what the world cannot see. When you read the Acts of the Apostles and 1 and 2 Corinthians, you will understand that Paul spent three years in the wilderness of Arabia, taken up by God to the heavens. He knew how wonderful the kingdom of heaven is and what God's reward system is like. Therefore, when he was on earth, the greater the persecution he faced for righteousness' sake, the happier he was. This is different from the world. If you understand how rewards are generated, when facing persecution, you will be able to have compassion for others.
Jesus was the one who took persecution to the extreme; no matter what others said about Him, He did not retaliate but blessed them. Therefore, Jesus was raised from the lowest place to the highest place. We are also in this order. What is feared is that many people try to climb up themselves, and when they reach the top, they fall again. The devil is like this; he wants to gain glory for himself, but as a result, he falls into an abyss with no bottom, falling to the lowest point without end.
But God wants to lift us up, continuously elevating us. In tribulations and problems, God will elevate your character and give you greater blessings. In other words, elevating our character means expanding our horizons. First, your vision must be expanded, and then your vessel must be enlarged to accommodate more blessings. Hallelujah! Paul understood this. Even under grace, it does not mean we will not have suffering and persecution. Always remember this sentence: when we truly understand the grace of Jesus Christ, holding onto the truth will definitely lead to persecution.
The Bible also clearly states that everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. There are no time limits; it was like this in the past, it is like this now, and it will be like this in the future. So do not say, "How can there be so much persecution for those who believe in Jesus?" This proves that what you have is real; you have harmed the devil, so he will spare no effort to try to destroy you. If you do not understand your identity, you have not understood God's grace.
When persecution comes, you will fight in the flesh, either betray or give up. At this time, we can see what a person's faith is like. In times of peace, we cannot tolerate our brothers and sisters, so what about when persecution comes? Such a person can easily become Judas Iscariot.
Today, when you hear this, do you feel that the conflicts between brothers and sisters and family members are nothing? This is a spiritual battle because you hold onto the truth, so the devil will raise people around you to stab you, trying to make you retreat. But you bless them with the strength of Jesus, overcoming them, and you can see the spiritual battle, commanding the darkness to retreat in the name of Jesus Christ, and we will see all this change. Hallelujah!
This is where we overcome all tribulations. In the last days, such things will continue to appear. We must focus our eyes on Jesus Christ. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake; they have a great reward in heaven.
Here, I want to share a bit because what we talked about today is related to the prophecies that follow. Let me briefly share a bit, Revelation 2:8-11, this is a message to the church in Smyrna from the Spirit,
8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again: 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown. 11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.”
You may already know what this passage means. Since this is a letter written to the angel of the church, it provides comfort to the church leaders and tells us that in the last days, we will encounter such problems. Your afflictions and your poverty, especially as a church leader preaching the truth, will face pressure from all sides. Do not look at your surrounding environment and afflictions; also know the slander of those who say they are Jews. In the church, if you are a servant, and people slander you, you may not be able to bear it. So what should you do?
God has already told us here that they are not Jews; they are false brothers, but a synagogue of Satan, which proves we need to look at this matter spiritually to see what the situation is. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer; this means our Lord has never left us. Amen!
So blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake; God will not leave them and will reward them. It says here, "Be faithful, even to the point of death." Do you understand? At all times, do not compromise on the truth. No matter what lies others use to deceive us, we must hold onto the truth of Jesus Christ. Some have died for holding onto the truth; this is particularly evident in Hebrews 11. God gives what to those who are faithful to the point of death?
I will give you the crown of life. Is this martyrdom for the Lord? Those who are martyred for the Lord will not be hurt at all by the second death. Once they die once, they will never die again. Some may not understand; there are those who can enter the millennium, which are those who are martyred for the Lord, and there are those who suffer persecution during the last seven years and endure without violating their faith. Such people, when Jesus comes, their bodies will be changed and taken away in an instant without experiencing physical death.
We do not know if our generation will face this, but we are looking forward to it. Before that environment comes, there will surely be great persecution, saying that believing in Jesus is very dangerous; you might die. Has this been happening since AD? At that time, believing in Jesus was risky; you might be executed or expelled from the country. Some people died for their faith, and they are waiting for the final victory without suffering the second death.
Brothers and sisters, I share this with you today not to make you timid but to give you hope. Because these tribulations will come to everyone, even to the unbelievers. When they come to them, they can only cry out in despair. We will also encounter tribulations, but we have hope. Do unbelievers face tribulations, persecution, and slander in this world? They suffer slander for nothing, but we are different. When we are slandered, we still have rewards. Thank You and praise the Lord!
1 Peter 4:12-19,
12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.
16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” 19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
This is God's comfort for us. Although Peter may not have much knowledge, he knows to look up to God from the Lord, and he will surely receive hope, which is eternal hope. Therefore, Peter tells us: if you encounter trials, persecution, and tribulations, rejoice because your reward in heaven is great, and the Spirit of glory rests upon you. Thank You and praise the Lord! This passage is what we will meditate on this week. You know your identity and how to face tribulations. Let us read together,
Romans 5:1-5,
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! We thank and praise You! We are justified by faith, and through our Lord Jesus Christ, we have peace with God. God loves us; we are the apple of His eye, His beloved children, and in grace, we have joyful hope. We are now proclaiming God's truth and will face persecution, but even in tribulations, we are joyful.
Because You will use these tribulations to cultivate our character of perseverance and maturity, allowing us to have hope in everything concerning You, for we know that those who trust in the Lord will not be put to shame. Hallelujah! The Holy Spirit has already told us these words.
Lord! You give us strength in this new week to bless everyone with Your power. Even if others wrongfully accuse us, we bless them. I do not wish for our brothers and sisters to be filled with jealousy and strife; may God's love be poured out in our hearts.
In the name of the Lord Jesus, I bless you, may the Holy Spirit fill your hearts and lead you, giving you strength to overcome all tribulations. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Your reward in heaven is great. Hallelujah! We pray in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen!