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

Throughout the new testament Christian’s are told to endure because they will be persecuted (1 Peter 4:12, Luke 6:22, 1 John 3:13). The one that has had me thinking lately is 2 Tim. 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (NASB). I think the truth found in this verse should make us all look inward.  If we are living godly, trying to live godly, or even want to live godly we should be going through a certain amount of persecution from the world.  Before this verse Paul wrote starting in verse 10, “Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconic and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me.” Has the Lord had to rescue you out of any persecution?  If not, why not? Are we just going through the motions? Do the people we encounter everyday even know that we are members of the Lord’s church? Fortunately, our lack of physical persecution comes from the fact that we live in a country that has freedom of religion, but a certain amount of persecution should still exist in our lives. I know that seems radical or un-patriot even but that’s what the scriptures say.  The only question that remains is are we following the scriptures and desiring “to live godly in Christ Jesus”?  


In his Service,
​Steven Hugley