The devotion that we will look at today is again a counter cultural call that Christ has placed on us as Christians, it is the last in the beginning of the Beatitudes that speaks about our attitudes. We are going to look at four verses today, Matthew 5v10-12. It is possible to split up verses 10 and 11+12, but there is merit in looking at them together, as we’re going to do today.

Let’s all just get along…
“Blessed are the peacemakers…” What do you think of when you hear the word “peacemakers”? For myself it was the idea of a weak person who really hates conflict, and is willing to do pretty much anything to avoid it. Many think of peace as meaning the absence of war, but is this really what Jesus means when He talks about peace? It isn’t; Jesus said that He didn’t come to bring that kind of peace (Matthew 10v34-39), but it was prophesied (Isaiah 9v6) that He would be called “Prince of peace”. So then, obviously Jesus has a different definition of peace to us, what then is peace?

Peace?
The peace that Jesus brings, is not a “…why can’t we all get along…” peace, but rather a peace that resolves the conflict between God and us. Through what Jesus did on the cross, taking the undiluted wrath of God on our behalf, He bought peace between God and us. This peace is such that not only is there no more enmity between God and those who have accepted Him, but now we are called His children, He has adopted us! So when Jesus says blessed are the peacemakers, He is saying those that take the message of the peace that God is offering to humanity (the Gospel), they are sons of God.

War!
In the verses following this (V10→12) Jesus gives us a clear warning; when we become Godly peacemakers, when we take the Gospel to the world, we will suffer for it! This is hard, we have this difficult tension, we desire to see God’s grace spread in the places where we are, but we know that some people hate it. However, as people who are living out this counter cultural revolution call of Jesus here in the beatitudes, we desire to please God more than we fear people, and therefore Jesus comforts us. Suffering will come in many different forms, some of it is severe physical suffering, like Gao Zhisheng is currently suffering for Christ, for others it may not be so severe, but as Paul wrote to Timothy: all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2Timothy 3v12).

But…
He doesn’t deny the difficulties that we will face in this world, but in order that we can get through them, Jesus reminds us that we aren’t living for the here and now, our home is in heaven with Him. We aren’t the first people to suffer on God’s behalf, and we probably won’t be the last. So when that opportunity arrises for you to share the Gospel of God’s peace with those who have not received it, don’t be shy, remember that this is what God has called us all to. Although you may suffer, although you may get ridiculed, don’t be not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes!

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If someone makes us a promise, we expect them to keep it. When God makes us a promise, we know that He will keep it. We, as Christians, love the promises of God, go into any Christian bookstore and you will see how many books you can find written about the promises of God. I went in recently and managed to find eleven in a short space of time.

Do you promise me?
As Christians it is important that we treasure the promises that God has given to us, but we need to ensure that they are for us. It’s important to remember that the every book of the Bible was written to a specific people in a specific place, at a specific time, so when we read it we must keep this in mind. Also, we need to try and realise that we live in a specific place at a specific time, and we understand things in our own specific way, and this affects our understanding of what we read in the Bible. It is important to read a verse in its context, so instead of just reading a single verse, read a few before and a few after.

I promise you.
Read through 2Timothy 3v5→10 and see if you can identify the promise that God is making to us… It’s in verse 12; Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted… The only requirement for this promise is that you desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus, if that is the case for you, then God promises you that you will suffer persecution. We spoke briefly about this verse in last weeks devotion, but this week it will be good for us to look at the comfort and the conviction that this verse brings us in our walk with God.

Believe this.
This verse is convicting for us if we live a life calling ourselves Christians, and we have no idea what persecution actually is. Many Christians have given in too the cultural teaching that we must avoid persecution at all costs, but this is not the case. God is calling us to be a witness where we are, in our office, school, with our friends, and in our families, wherever we find ourselves. We are not supposed to seek out persecution, rather we should seek to live a godly life in Christ Jesus, and persecution will find us. There is comfort here, for those who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus, and are suffering for it, take comfort! You are living as God would have you to live, persecution is not a curse from God, no, rather it is a blessing (Acts 5v41), through persecution we grow stronger in our walk, and closer to God. Remember this, God has promised us, that all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer some form of persecution, check your life.

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