Are you persecuted for Christ? - Raising Zion
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:10)
Man’s righteousness is but filthy rags before God. It is the righteousness of God that matters. All those who are born again are created in righteousness and true holiness. Abraham believed (in obedience), and he was counted righteous by God (Genesis 15:6).
And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us. (Deuteronomy 7:25)
When we begin to obey the Word of God, opposition is bound to rise. Jesus made it clear that when we live for Him, we will be hated.
Job was persecuted by Satan. Job was a righteous man, God vouched for him. What a testimony! Even though he lost all to prove Gods work in his life, he never went against God. Job was proved righteous before God and man, despite the persecution in his life.
Daniel was thrown into the den of lions because he prayed to God.
The trio, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, were thrown into the lake of fire for not serving the gods of Nebuchadnezzar, nor the golden image he had setup.
The scripture is full of testimonies of men and women persecuted for righteousness sake.
In the New Testament period, Peter, Paul and the apostles were persecuted and jailed for preaching the Word of God in love. People across the world are persecuted for Christ daily.
Every week, Christians in fellowship are privy to mighty testimonies for the glory of God. Testimonies that reveal the love of Jesus in the midst of great suffering and persecution.
The Word is clear, no one can enter heaven without facing tribulations.
How is the life of a Christian?
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. (2 Corinthians 4:7-10)
What is the Christian’s attitude in the midst of much persecution?
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39)
Jesus stands tall as the greatest testimony for the sake of all believers. When we love God and walk in His righteousness, the power of His resurrection will manifest Christ in our life daily.
