Peace in Persecution

Peace in Persecution

Matthew 5:1-10-12

February 15, 2026

Human history has always fascinated me. What blows me away is how little we learn from what our fathers have done. It seems like we take for granted their success and rush to repeat their failures. One era is particularly fascinating to me. The Roman empire.

At its peak, it controlled all of the area in red. (SEE MAP).

Rome conquered territories and then “allowed” the conquered peoples to maintain their cultures. They would put local governors over the areas that were native, yet loyal to Rome all the while enforcing taxes and other restrictions on them. Through “Pax Agustus” (Peace through force) Rome expected their conquered territories to fall in line.

The challenge was to unify the Kingdom more than just physically. The Caeser’s (rulers of Rome) became obsessed with making everyone unified ideologically in order for the people to have national pride. To do that, they came up with the idea that, they would just make them recognize that Ceaser was lord (the one thing that was thought to be constant).

In AD 250, Rome mandated the certificate of Libellus. A citizen was required to go to a Pagan temple and burn a vase of pitch and confess, “Ceaser is lord”. Then they would get a “certificate of libellus” showing that the person was loyal to Rome. Only after doing this and with this certificate could that person then go and worship any god they wanted. Without this loyalty certificate, that person would not be able to buy, sell or survive without being branded an outlaw and subject to death.

For the Christian, that puts you in a tough spot. Do you follow Christ’s teaching where HE says, “But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before my Father…” Or do you feed your family and escape the death penalty.

The reason I bring this up is that sooner or later, a person’s faith will be tested. It may not look like this but a test will come. The question is, how will you handle it?

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We saved the final beatitude for it’s own Sunday because it is truly a result of the previous 7. Blessed are those who are persecuted is a result of the believers state of being poor, mournful, meek, in His righteousness, merciful, pure and a maker of peace. Matthew is recording Jesus as He is now telling His true followers and disciples that there is a cost that comes from this new relationship with Him.

Definitions are important. Let’s see what Jesus is talking about when He says persecution.

1.             Persecution defined.

(diōkō) DEEELKO :Here in our passage means: 3. to systematically oppress and harass (Mt 5:10; Php 3). The word is all over the NT, but here it is to oppress and harass.

In short, persecution is targeted to the ones who look and act like their savior and comes from the fear of accountability, lack of respect for God’s image, being different in that the believer is pure in heart, a peacemaker, one who stands at odds to sin.

Persecution comes from having a different mindset that is not in line with the world that does not condone or accept the sin of the masses. Those who pursue would say, “what, you think you are better than me?” “Are you judging me? Who do you think you are?” Or, “what, you think your way is the only way?” Or, “why don’t you just be quiet and get along.”

Look church, we may not have to burn pitch to get a loyalty certificate, but persecution transcends time. Just because the Roman empire is gone does not mean that persecution has stopped.

Matter of fact, if Christ was here in our time, due to his 100% perfection and purity, this world would kill Him just like they did then. We like to think that we would be more civil, humane and better equipped as we are more “tolerant.” I will tell you, NO we are not! Just look at the news. Tolerance seems like it has left the building. That hatred for purity is still in the human heart.

How were Christian church’s treated that would not shut down during COVID compared to an Islamic Mosques? John MacArthur was threatened continually by the governor with jail. Pastor Mike McClure, Calvary Chapel San Jose was found in contempt of court and fined for continuing to hold services along with many others. Pastor James Coates in Alberta Canada was actually locked up for months.

I keep asking, why? With all the other causes, why pursue the Christian? It all goes back to the source of our righteousness. Because we are poor in spirit, mourn, meek, now in His righteousness we stand apart in that we are merciful, pure (opposite of our world), peace makers, we stand in opposition to the world’s expectations. Please turn in your Bibles to John 15:18. This is Jesus’s answer to why persecution comes.

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’

Jesus goes before us with the weight of persecution. He was pursued, he was pressed, he was followed, he was harassed, He was plotted against with one goal in mind, murder. They hated Him because His righteousness was the spotlight on sin. When the Light of the world shone, sin wanted to destroy it.

When we taught this passage in John, I brought up a shooting target that some of us guys used at the range. There were holes all over the target. All of the shots had one goal, the bullseye. To use that analogy, Jesus is that bullseye that the world wants to hit. They seek to destroy light that shines on rebellion. The closer we get to Him, the more we represent the Light of the world. It stands to reason, we too will become the targets as we reflect His light to the darkness of the world.

Last week in Sunday School, Pat talked about “reflecting” His character and attributes. It should be in our DNA on how we represent His character. If you looked at your life, does it ooze from your heart, mind, body and soul that you are of the Light of the world? If so, the world hates that light and will take their shots.

Here is an immediate application for you. You who are OF Christ MUST look different at work and at school. You SHOULD speak differently; you should refrain from slander while others are running people down behind their backs. You should be merciful to people even when they are trying to hurt you.

The person who is of Christ exhibits the beatitudes and because of that, we don’t just reflect on these character traits of the be attitudes in our minds but, we ARE these beatitudes. By our nature, we too stand in contrast to the sin of the world.

2.             Persecution is specific.

If we are popular among man, that is a red flag. If you are popular, well-liked by those who are not saved, always celebrated and warmly welcomed. Beware! Jesus says, “woe to you, when all people speak well of you…” (Luke 6:26). You may need to go back to those beatitudes.

My fear is that we in this room will say, but pastor, I have never been persecuted. I have never been attacked, challenged or even been made uncomfortable for my faith. I have always been well tolerated everywhere I have gone. Well, the reason our Christianity in our country is so well tolerated is that our standards for righteousness have been so compromised that there is little to no difference between us and the world.

Church, do we stand at odds to sin or do we just allow it? Do we stand for life, stand for family values, stand for Biblical truth, stand for the right to congregate, stand in opposition to those who seek to kill the unborn? Church, where is our tolerance level to righteousness?

If we, in love, stand at odds to the sin of the world, we WILL stand out. There is no such thing as covert Christians! The issue is that some "Christians" have so compromised with righteousness that they are only Christian in title. Maybe we say that we are of Christ, but our actions deny the One who we say we are alike.

For the Christ follower, we take stands against sin at the cost of popularity. By our nature, we are the contrast that the world must see and this is specific to you. Please don’t look right or left. It’s for me and you. For the true Christ follower, persecution comes from our Godly nature, NOT by blending in. Our Lord shows us how to do this!

Jesus shows us by demonstration that persecution is the fruit of the child of God. He never stood in the shadows when it came to sin. The closer we get to him, the more we see the specific persecution.

Look back at our text. From verse 1-10, we see 10 uses of the words “those, them, and they.” Now, compared to verses 12,13. In two verses, our LORD moves to YOU. You is used over 6 times in two verses. The persecution is personal to those He was speaking to and us here in this room. It is no longer “THEY” is now “YOU”. Jesus always gets to the “YOU”. It matters to you personally!

We need to remember though, the attack looks personal, but it is NOT directed to you. The attacks are specifically directed towards the source of your purity and righteousness. That is the bullseye (Jesus Christ). An example is in Acts 5:41 where the disciples were preaching the Gospel. They were arrested, beaten, flogged and how did they handle it? They rejoiced! They celebrated because they GOT to be considered in the same category as their Savior!

One of them was the coward Peter. He went from coward to a rock that would never again deny His savior! As a side note, maybe you have been the coward up to this point. Look at Peter. You can right this ship. Be bold even when you are persecuted!

The key point is that those who are closest to the LORD are treated like our Lord. The closer you get to Him the more maturity happens in HIM. Instead of running from it, for the child of God, they welcome it and count it as a blessing!

Vs 11 “FORTUNATE are YOU when other revile you.”

(oneidizo) ONOTHESO: means insult and denounce. Persecution is as physical as it is verbal. It is a dislike that eventually led to the most document and horrific murder in human history. When they killed Jesus, the source of purity, that hatred has never left the world. We should expect it to come our direction because we should act like, look like and talk like the One who was attacked first.

3.             Persecution is misunderstood.

Okay, allow me to make this very clear. I am NOT saying that all of us are going to face the cross, be burned at the stake, thrown into a lions den. I find in human history that every believer is as unique as their specific persecution. It does not all look the same. I am not saying that all of us will suffer a great martyr's death or we are not true followers of Christ. We who live in Idaho are not in an environment like the believers in Iran, South Africa who are facing death daily.

But, It does happen to us here. It happens when families are split over the name of Christ. It happens here in the US when you see bumper stickers that say, “bring back the Lion’s den for Christians.” It happens when Christians are the ones told they can’t congregate during COVID. It happens when you have to take a stand at your company when they do or promote something unethical. It may look different than what the Roman citizen dealt with, but is still here.

However, there is a wrong persecution and a right persecution. Wrong persecution is persecution for any other reason besides the righteousness of Christ. Look, there are times I have suffered persecution for being a bonehead. The Gospel is obnoxious to the unsaved, we don’t need to add our own obnoxiousness to it. But the Gospel is beauty to the one being saved by it!

When I was a kid, I deserved the spankings I got. That is NOT persecution. That is correction for me being disobedient.

Then there are times when we get persecuted for things that are not our fault like for my race, my height, my dress choice, the Ford that I drive. Those persecutions are not what Jesus is talking about here. Persecution is not always tied to our walk with Christ.

Right persecution is simple to understand. It is for “His name’s sake.” When we live the seven be attitudes in every aspect of our lives and the world and people around us see it, they will react. That reaction causes a harassment and pressure that is for HIS name’s sake. This is right persecution. When we live like, act like and demonstrate Him, the result is “right” persecution.

4.             Rejoice when your persecution comes.

As I said, the closer we are to Christ, the more attention and shots the world will take. If you and I are living for Christ, you may not carry a physical cross, but you will bear a cross.

Matthew 16:

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?[1]

Again, He told those who have ears to hear, His disciples. These are those who are serious about their relationship with Jesus. He tells them, to take up your cross and follow. It will not be a matter of if, it is a factual event that will happen. But, Jesus assures us, you will never be left to do it on your own. Nor will this persecution shipwreck your faith in Him. Instead of shipwrecking your faith, it confirms it. He who has gone before you will never leave you nor forsake you in your stand for Him.

When your own family is against you, when your work fires you for taking hard stances on morality, when your brothers and sisters even turn on you, when trials and persecutions come for Christ’s sake, He will give you the courage and strength to endure it. Not just endure but joyfully welcome it!

Let me take you back to the ultimatum from Rome. If the believer burned the pitch and said, “Ceaser is lord”, it would mean they kept their physical lives while losing their eternal life. Put yourself there. Do you concede and just conform or do you stand where others fall?

MBC, you are not left to do this on your own. We as a body of Christ followers want to be just that, a body that comes to the aid and support to each other. It was RC Sproul who told of a story that he went to a man’s house who had long since given up going to church. Sproul went to a BBQ and before the conversation got started, he went over to the charcoal fire and took a hot coal from the grill with a pair of tongs and placed it by it’s self on the sidewalk.

After the conversation had gone on for a while, the man who Sproul was visiting said what Sproul was waiting to hear. He said, “you know Pastor, I am doing okay. I don’t really need church. I hear it on the radio, read the Bible from time to time and I am doing okay.” As if on cue, Sproul reached down and picked that coal up with his bare hand. He then put it into the hand of the man and just looked at him.

The message is clear. The body is here to encourage, equip and hold the child of God accountable to take that stand and keep that internal fire burring for His righteousness. I preach the Word to equip you the saint. We come together for communion as a family to equip the saint. We worship God’s name, as it equips the saint. We do Sunday School to equip the saint. We do baptism, communion not as rituals, but as a means to dive deeper into communion with Him.

Dear saint, He will never leave you nor forsake you. And when the world comes to pursue you, we are here to remind you that you must take heart, you will be equipped to stand.

Revelation 2:10 says “10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Our greatest joy and greatest award if we are steadfast during persecution awaits us in heaven. Those who suffer, have the promised crown of life. Do not fear it church! Instead, rejoice in it! It means that you are counted worthy to endure what He did!