Persecuted.

Mat_5:10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

In a perfect world no one is persecuted for righteousness' sake… no one. Ideally no one is unjustly accused or judged. Yet in our very imperfect world righteousness has been turned into unrighteousness so that it is extremely easy to be persecuted for righteousness' sake. We accuse people of wrongly judging the actions of the unrighteous so that they in turn become those thought to be righteous and the truly righteous are persecuted.

Satan has been playing the long game, not the short game. Satan knows he's lost the entire war but can still fool many people, in truth, the majority of people into believing in his lies. The Bible tells us this…

Mat_24:24  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

IF it were possible- even the very elect will be deceived.

Mat 7:13  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 

Mat 7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 

Many are walking the path of destruction.

Few are walking the path of life.

Joh 16:2  They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. 

Deceived. Thinking you are doing God's work but in truth…you are not.

Love is not shaking hands and embracing evil and calling it good and acceptable just be it exists and is a part of our lives. Being born with sin tendencies does not mean we must embrace our sin tendencies and call them righteous. You might be born with the heart of a coveting person- do you embrace that coveting and call it a good thing? Another might be born with a heart filled with self-gratification through lust, should they tell themselves that it was the way they were born so it must be a good thing? There could be a heart of a murderer in another, a thief in yet another and these are all things we agree are not acceptable yet if one person can say their sin tendencies are acceptable why shouldn't another be able to do so? When we call the unrighteousness' righteous we have nothing to stand on when all the unrighteous want their unrighteousness' called righteous. Where does it end? It doesn't end until our Savior say it is finished and the evil will remain forever evil and the just forever just.

Being persecuted for righteousness' sake, having tribulation in this world, this is the lot of those few finding the narrow path leading to life, this is the way of the elect, and yet… Satan would have us confused and deceived even on this so that we believe we are God's and our way is right because we are persecuted.

Our hope, our faith must be in God, it must be in the righteousness of Christ.

Whether we are caught up and unjustly accused or allowed to live peacefully we must seek salvation through Christ constantly. We must take our lives to Him and His word and live according to HIS word and no other's.

Mat_5:10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Persecution comes in many ways, do not be fooled. Spiritual persecution is real, and we have spiritual armor to possess and protect us.

In all ways, Lord, protect us from all EVIL. Do not let us be deceived! Open our blind eyes with the precious eye salve of you truth, cloth us in the white robes of YOUR righteousness, give us the riches of the gold that has been tried in the fire of faith- we would be YOURS all by YOUR power through YOUR love.  Thank you, Lord Jesus! Thank you.