Do you believe you are righteous? Do you seek to be righteous? Do you act as though you are righteous? Do you believe your righteousness comes from you? Are you being persecuted because you are righteous or are pursuing righteousness? Have you considered these questions before?
Believing we righteous can be challenging. Feeling self-righteous is absolutely wrong. We are not righteous due to anything we have done. We are only righteous by the grace of God. If we are pursuing righteousness by our own striving and strength, we are going about it all wrong.
So, what does Jesus mean when He says we are blessed for being persecuted for righteousness’ sake? He isn’t speaking of righteousness we have earned on our own. He is pointing to the righteousness we obtain by the grace of God. It is God’s righteousness that he has bestowed on us. There is nothing about it that allows us to be prideful of. We did not earn it. We cannot achieve it on our own. It is God’s free gift to us for putting our faith in him.
The persecution comes from those who do not believe in Jesus. It comes in many forms. We may be slandered, made fun of, discriminated against, and even physically harmed. When these happen, we are to remember that we are blessed by God. We are not to retaliate but trust that God will fight our battles. There are more examples than I can include in this short message of God fighting battles on behalf of his people.
Therefore, remember that you are blessed when you are persecuted for your faith in Jesus. Humbly submit yourself to God, putting yourself in his hands. Trust him to pull you through whatever persecution you are facing. Hold onto your faith and continue in the righteousness you have received by the grace of God.
I pray we all know our righteousness comes from God. I pray we thank God for his amazing grace. I pray each one of us continue to trust God through any persecution we may face. Your righteousness is from God. God shows you grace. Trust God. Humbly submit to God. Hold onto your faith.
Matthew 5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Marty Pressey 