The Christians who have been persecuted

for the sake of righteousness ...

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Mt. 5:10).

The Christians who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness  ...

1. Know that it is blessing to be persecuted for the sake of Jesus (Mt. 5:11).

Therefore, they rejoice even when they are persecuted (v. 12).

2. Participate in Jesus’ suffering (Rev. 1:9).

They learn obedience through suffering (Heb. 5:8).

3. Enjoy the benefit of suffering (Ps. 119:71).

They know that it’s God’s will to suffer for doing what is right (1 Pet. 3:17).

They return from going astray through affliction and obey God’s word (Ps. 119:67).

4. Long for future glory that cannot be compared with our present sufferings (Rom. 8:18).

They look for great reward in heaven (Mt. 5:12).

Therefore, they chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time (Heb. 11:25).

[As I was reading Iain M. Duguid;s “Hero of Heroes”]