Persecuted Because You Belong to Jesus

Persecuted Because You Belong to Jesus

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matt. 5:11-12

            As Jesus begins to expound on the blessing of being persecuted because of righteousness, He makes it more personal. He says “Blessed are you when people persecute you because of me.”

            And it’s not only personal, it is also down-to-earth and practical. Jesus takes us from the high imaginations of martyrdom and the lofty declarations of “I’ll die for you, Jesus!” to the everyday persecution that we often face if we share our faith: insults and false accusations. To dream about dying for Jesus at some distant point in the future is one thing; to live for Him everyday despite insults and false accusations is quite another.

“What insults? What false accusations?” many Christians in America might ask. “We live in a country that is fairly Christian and pretty free from persecution.”

But the question must be asked, “Do Christians in America suffer little persecution because they have little righteousness or because they live in a “Christian” nation? In other words, do we suffer only a little persecution because the people around us are such solid followers of Christ or is it because we so rarely take a stand for righteousness? A quick look at the television or a quiet visit to a public school or a discreet eavesdropping at most workplaces will reveal that it is not the godly attitudes of those around us that prevent us from receiving the blessing of persecution. It’s our own lack of righteous living.

Jesus said “He who is not with me is against me.” You are either for Jesus or against Him. He doesn’t leave room for fence-sitters or anonymous faith. Is your faith obvious to those around you? Do your friends and co-workers know that you are for Jesus and righteous living? Do they know that you are against the manifold manifestations of sin and evil that are prevalent in our culture today?

As I write, I feel convicted right along with many of us Christians who live in America today. Let’s face it – the reason we don’t experience persecution is that we are afraid and intimidated by those around us. We fear man more than God. We’re more afraid of being rejected when we share the Gospel than we are of facing God and telling Him why we didn’t obey His command to preach the Good News. We’re afraid to go against the tide of public opinion and be labeled as intolerant. We’re fearful of being insulted and falsely accused when we take a stand for honesty and integrity in the workplace.

If we’re not careful, if we don’t turn our hearts back to God and our lives back to serving Him, we might miss out on the blessing of being identified as a follower of Jesus. Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Tim. 3:12), but those who are identified with Jesus in this way will be like the disciples in Acts Chapter 5, who were persecuted but went away “rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.”

Meditate on these Scriptures and ask the Lord to give you insight:

John 15:20 – Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. NIV

Phil 1:29-30 – For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him… NIV

1 Peter 2:20-21 But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. NIV

1 Peter 4:16-17 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. NIV

Pray with me: Lord, you have my heart – you know my desire is to serve you and to stand up for you whatever the circumstances. And you also know how I fail you from time to time. I don’t always stand up for you or speak up for righteousness when I should. Help me to live for you, to stand for you, to be counted as with you and identified as a follower of Jesus…continue to pray as the Holy Spirit leads you…..

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