In Matthew 5 Jesus gives us a list of
personal “attitudes” that will cause us to be “blessed” or
“happy”. These are directly counter the usual humanistic way of
thinking.
Radical Concept #8
"Blessed [are] they which
are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven." [Matthew 5:10 KJV]
To be “righteous” means to be in a
“condition acceptable to God.” In a broad sense, this means that
a person is in a state of being as they ought to be.1
With this statement, Jesus is countering our innate desire to be
accepted and rewarded for being good. He is pronouncing us “blessed”
when we are rejected by the World system because we align ourselves
with him.
- Is it our natural inclination to seek the approval of other people?
- How does this manifest itself in our lives? Is there such a thing as “adult peer presser?
- With the people we know…
- With the people we don’t know…
- How does the Bible address the issue of “conforming” to this world? See Romans 12:1-3
- What are some real life ways in which we should “dare to be Godly”? What are the real life consequences?
- If I am popular/cool/hip with the prevailing culture around me, should I be concerned? Is there a difference between being accepted and being respected? See Luke 6:26.
- When Jesus refers to “false prophets” to whom is he referring? [as an example see 1 Kings 22].
- Make a list of the Godly prophets who were well received and well compensated for their ministry.
- True/False. Jesus was only followed by a few fishermen and the ignorant masses. [see John 12:42-43, Luke 8:1-3, Matthew 8:8]
- Is it possible to believe in Jesus without confessing him? Can we be saved if we refuse to confess him as Savior?
"Whosoever
therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before
my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men,
him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."
[Matthew 10:32-33 KJV]
"…
if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your
heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with
the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one
confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, "Everyone who
believes in him will not be put to shame."" [Romans 10:9-11
ESV]
1
Vine’s Expository Dictionary
referenced at
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1343&t=KJV
