Why Are We Persecuted?

“Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted for Righteousness’ Sake”

Today, we will look at the words of Jesus:

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10)

Jesus also said, “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” The scribes and Pharisees sought to become righteous by keeping the law, but Jesus made it clear that such a path could never lead to heaven.

How Can One Become Righteous?

First, we must abandon the thought that we can become righteous by keeping the law. Most people attempt to live by the law only superficially; but if one truly tries to keep it, one realizes, “I cannot keep the law. It’s impossible for me to be righteous through it!” When a person comes to that realization and gives up on the law, only then can they see the world of righteousness that comes through the grace of Jesus Christ.

Human beings take pride in what they do and expect to be rewarded for it. Thus, even in spiritual life, they prefer to achieve righteousness by their own effort rather than receiving what Jesus has already done. It’s like a woman choosing between two men, A and B—if she wants to marry B, she must give up A. In the same way, unless we give up the law, we cannot receive the grace found in Jesus Christ.

The Meaning of Persecution for Righteousness

What does it mean to be persecuted for righteousness’ sake? Looking at Christian history, many have suffered persecution because they followed the Lord in true faith. Strikingly, they were often persecuted by those who also claimed to believe in Jesus.

Why did that happen? Because of the issue of righteousness.

Some try to live their faith through their own works; they can never truly become righteous and therefore cannot call themselves righteous. They remain in the position of sinners. Others, however, recognize that no one can be righteous through the law and instead receive the righteousness of Jesus through faith. When these two beliefs collide, the sinner persecutes the righteous.

Noah testified of righteousness, and so did the Apostle Paul. Paul said, “If I still preached circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? Then the offense of the cross has ceased.” In other words, preaching the law never brings persecution—but preaching the righteousness that comes through faith does.

The Root of the Conflict: Law vs. Grace

Even today, in many churches, those who have not accepted the righteousness of Christ emphasize good deeds and human effort. If the gospel flows that way, there will never be persecution, because people like hearing such messages. But the truth of the Bible declares that to obtain the righteousness of Jesus Christ, one must give up trying to be righteous and good through human means.

Those who testify of Jesus’ righteousness urge people to forsake their own goodness. To those who cling to the law, such teaching sounds like a call to moral corruption. As a result, they regard it as heresy and persecute those who preach grace.

Paul’s Conflict in Antioch and Jerusalem

Acts 15 records one such conflict. In Antioch, Paul preached that people are made righteous through faith in Jesus Christ, and many believed. But some men came from Judea and insisted, “Unless you are circumcised, you cannot be saved.” Circumcision represented obedience to the law, and this sparked sharp disagreement with Paul.

When the dispute could not be resolved in Antioch, Paul and others took the issue to the Jerusalem church. After much debate, the church affirmed that salvation comes through the grace of the Lord Jesus, not through keeping the law.

True Faith: Trusting in Christ, Not in Ourselves

There are two kinds of believers: those who try to become righteous by doing good and keeping the law, and those who accept righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. The Jesus we believe in does not teach self-righteous living. Because man cannot be good on his own, Jesus died for our sins.

It is not we who should try to live rightly by our own effort—Jesus must do it in us. True rest comes when we stop striving and receive what Jesus has already accomplished. Faith is not about what we do, but about receiving what He has done.

The Blessedness of Persecution

Many people are caught up in their own zeal, turning away from the grace that can be received freely. Therefore, it is natural that those who believe in righteousness by faith are persecuted by those who strive for righteousness by works. Jesus said,

“Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Faith in Jesus Christ does not come through our actions or effort. To receive His grace, we must lay aside our attempts to be righteous through good works or law-keeping.

A Prayer of Faith

“Lord, I am a wretched sinner. No matter how hard I try, I cannot cleanse even a single sin of mine. I can do nothing, so I seek Your grace. Beloved Jesus, please wash me with Your blood. I believe that through the work of the cross You have already accomplished everything needed for me to enter heaven. There is nothing left for me to do but to believe.”

This is the faith that must dwell in us. When we testify of such faith, some may misunderstand and persecute us—but Jesus said that those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake are blessed.

The Righteousness of God Revealed Apart from the Law

Humans possess no righteousness of their own. Even what we consider righteous is not righteous before God. We must receive the righteousness of God. Paul explained this clearly in Romans 3:

“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore, no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” (Romans 3:19–22)

This righteousness is not achieved by keeping the law. Jesus Christ came to this earth to give us His righteousness. Through His death on the cross, He completed all righteousness for us. We no longer need to strive to become righteous; we simply receive it by grace. And when we testify of this righteousness, we are persecuted by those who have not received it.

Do you possess the righteousness of Jesus? Have you become righteous through His righteousness? Even if your life and actions are full of flaws, if you can boldly declare, “I am righteous because of Jesus,” then you may be persecuted for righteousness’ sake—but you also possess the blessing of being a child of God and heir to the kingdom of heaven.