Persecuted For Righteousness Sake - Part Two
The prior part of this consideration dealt with the persecution Jesus faced in His time on earth. It was persecution from those devoted to the Law and threatened by His relationship with the Father.
Jesus and the early apostles faced tremendous persecution from the religious order of the Jews, as did the early church. They were being persecuted for righteousness’ sake, too.
Matthew 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
So, how would this play out within pagan non-Jewish cultures?
Why would a pagan culture have an issue with righteousness as presented in New Covenant Truth?
The answer is not so complicated when you think about it. Even in pagan cultures, devotion to gods was something clearly understood. The idea of working to be blessed was common to everyone; if someone were disloyal to or displeased the gods, it was believed they would be punished. Often, the punishment would not be believed to just fall on that person but also on the people in the culture they were a part of. So, the perception of danger went beyond an individual application.
To promote the righteousness that comes by grace through faith in Christ alone was to call someone away from their loyalty to other gods and into a singular belief and trust in Christ Jesus to have a relationship with the only true and living God. This might threaten not only the individual but also the family and possibly the entire community in the people’s minds.
New Covenant Good News denounces all other gods and brings attention to the one true God revealed in Jesus Christ. Paul pointed this out on Mars Hill when he mentioned the inscription to the unknown God. The people were so afraid of offending a god that they also made sure to mention any god they may have missed. Any unknown god had to be covered as well and have an altar.
Acts 17:23 for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:
The idea of earning privilege and position is not foreign to any culture. It is commonplace whether they are under the Law or not. So, to come with a message of a righteousness offered from the One True and Living God that cannot be earned but is His own righteousness given as a gift by a specific means was no small matter.
This is why a person can be persecuted for righteousness sake, even among those claiming no religious affiliation or affection. This is what is being explained in,
2 Corinthians 2:14 Now, thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.
Our fragrance of Christ will be most welcome and pleasant to a person drawn by the Holy Spirit. But to the one who is disinterested and not being drawn, we will not be welcomed and thought of as something pleasant. We will be persecuted for righteousness’ sake in the many different ways persecution manifests in this world.
But never forget, such persecution is our blessing! It is a sign that ours is the kingdom of heaven! It is evidence of our relationship to God and His devotion to us. Be encouraged whenever you suffer persecution from anyone because you are promoting the good news of Jesus Christ and the free gift of righteousness He offers that cannot be earned. It is a great reward.
