Thursday, January 11, 2024
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:9-12
This past Sunday Pastor Jim began a new series on The Sermon on the Mount called The Jesus Way with a look at the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes are the eight statements of Jesus found in Matthew Chapter 5 that describe the person who has the character of Christ. When we reflect the character of Christ, we are living The Jesus Way. This week we are taking a closer look at the Beatitudes and how we can live them out in our lives every day.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9 Peacemakers have the ability to help settle conflict and bring peace to a troubled world and thus reflect the nature of God in His desire for peace. There seems to be no greater need in the world today than peace. We live in a world torn apart with strife. The absence of peace is not just related to nations. Life is relationships and there is no place Satan can bring chaos in our lives than in the destruction of relationships at all levels. Political, personal, public or private strife destroys peace. We need peace. God is a peace-loving God, and a peace-making God. We can do nothing more God-like than bring peace to those who are separated from God and others.
Peacemakers:
- Seek solutions - not arguments
- Calm the waters - not stir them up
- Lower their voices rather than raise them
- Generate more light than heat
People who have become sons of God have the character of Jesus – the Prince of Peace.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:10-12
The persecuted here are those that withstand insult and adversity on behalf of the Kingdom realizing the blessing of being used by God. The fact of and prospect of persecution in the life of a believer is well documented throughout the New Testament. It is true that a disciple can avoid persecution, but only by negating the influence of Christ on their life. When you fight sin, you fight men. There is no way to make friends and combat unrighteousness. The church becomes the conscience of the world. The world will inevitably try to silence that voice. The world becomes tolerant of Christians but only to the degree that Christians become tolerant of the world. The absence of persecution or some confrontation with the world should drive a Christian to his knees faster than the presence of persecution. Christian persecution calls attention to Christ, not the one being persecuted. Persecution is promised to all who reveal Jesus. When Christianity is lived fully, the hearts of men are revealed. When you desire to be godly in all your affairs and relationships there are two possible responses people can have who stay around you: persecution or conversion.
Have you discovered that you need to add some of these character traits to your life so that others see you living The Jesus Way? As we are transformed by Him day by day we will find our lives
