I would like to read our text
again, but I would like to read it with verse 9 first. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the
children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted
for righteousness sake. for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. It is not without significance
that verse nine comes before verse 10. You've never been persecuted
for righteousness unless you're first a peacemaker. And what
do I mean by that? How many people have treated
people wrong? And when the people they have
mistreated react or even retaliate for what they have, for how they've
been treated, the person thinks he's being persecuted for righteousness
sake. No, you're not being persecuted for righteousness sake. You're
being persecuted because you're a jerk. That's why. there's a big difference. It's
with great significance that it says first, blessed are the
peacemakers. And if I'm not a peacemaker,
I've never truly been persecuted for righteousness sake. Now,
it almost seems paradoxical, blessed are the peacemakers,
blessed are the persecuted. But all of these beatitudes are
very much like that. The believer is poor in spirit
and yet he's fabulously wealthy. A believer mourns over his sin
and he rejoices with joy unspeakable and full of glory regarding the
Lord Jesus Christ. A believer is meek. And a believer
is bold as a lion through the gospel. A believer hungers and
thirsts and yet he's full to the brim in Christ, complete. A believer is merciful and a
believer is someone who is given and obtains mercy. A believer
is pure in heart. And this one who has a pure heart
sees that in his heart is nothing but evil. Both of those things
are true. A believer is a peacemaker and
believer is engaged in conflict, persecuted and harassed. And
yet the Lord says, how blessed of God are those people, theirs
and theirs only is the kingdom of heaven. Those people who are
persecuted for righteousness sake. Theirs and theirs only
is the kingdom of heaven. Now, would this describe me? Am I somebody who am persecuted
for righteousness sake? Are you someone who is persecuted
for righteousness sake. Now first, what is meant by righteousness? Blessed are they who are persecuted
for righteousness sake. Now here the word is a noun. It's not an adjective. It's a
noun. Righteousness here is not a description
of behavior. If you treat another human being
rightly and justly, it would actually be out of the ordinary
for them to persecute you for that. They'll actually be glad
for the most part. Now, I know there are some times
where you might treat someone good and kind and fair and justly
and righteously, and they might get mad at you for it. But for
the most part, if you treat someone respectfully, kindly, and fairly,
if you do them right, they'll appreciate it. You appreciate
it. Don't you like it when people
treat you with respect and with kindness and fairly? Of course
you do. For the most part, if we treat
somebody well, we're not going to be persecuted for that. Righteousness. He's not talking
about behavior. He's talking about the righteousness
of God. He's talking about the righteousness
of Christ. Now righteousness is a perfect
standing before God's holy law. It means the Ten Commandments
look at you and say, He's never broke one of them. Now that's
what righteousness is. It's the righteousness that the
Lord Jesus Christ worked out when He walked on this earth
and kept God's holy law perfectly. To be righteous is to be without
sin. It knows no degrees. You cannot
be partially righteous. You can't be partially good and
partially bad. Righteous. Now, who is the only
one that this can truly describe? Someone who is righteous. Well, I know who it doesn't describe.
It doesn't describe any human righteousness because Romans
chapter three verse 10 says there is none righteous. No, not one. There is none that understands.
There is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of
the way. They are together become unprofitable. There's none that do with good.
No, not one. So this is not talking about
some kind of righteousness we perform in this flesh. Because the fact of the matter
is, the scripture says our righteousnesses are as what? Filthy rags. Now that's the scriptural testimony,
that's God's testimony of our righteousness. Our righteousness
is as filthy rags. In Romans chapter 1, verses 16
and 17, Paul said, I'm not ashamed of the gospel, for it's the power
of God, the gospel. It's the power of God unto salvation
to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the
Greek, for therein, in the gospel, is the righteousness of God revealed. In Romans chapter 10, verse 4,
we read Christ is the end of the law for righteousness
to everyone that believeth. And then in Romans chapter 14,
verse 17, we read the kingdom of God is not meat and drink,
but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. First Corinthians 1.30 says,
For He is made unto us, talking about the Lord Jesus Christ,
for He of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and
sanctification and redemption. Galatians 2 20 Paul said I do
not frustrate the grace of God for if righteousness came by
the law Then Christ died in vain now I want you to think about
what he said if righteousness came by the law by my personal
obedience to God's law Then Christ's death was utterly without point
in vain, but what that tells me also is that when Christ died? He may be righteous altogether
righteous. Now that's why the Lord said,
seek ye the first, the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
not yours. but is. Don't you find a desire
to simply be found in Christ only having His righteousness. That's the only righteousness
I want. That's the only righteousness
there is. David said in Psalm 71 16, I've made mention of thy
righteousness, even thine only righteousness. The reason He only made mention
of His righteousness, the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, is
it is the only righteousness there is. Do you believe that?
The only righteousness there is. In Isaiah chapter 61, verse
10, it says, He hath covered me with a robe of righteousness. I don't wear this robe, don't
you? He hath covered me with a robe of righteousness." Now
I'd like you to turn to Matthew chapter 22. And Jesus answered and spake
unto them again by parables and said, The kingdom of heaven is
like unto a certain king which made a marriage for his son. And he sent forth his servants
to call them that were bidden to the wedding, and they would
not come. And he sent forth other servants, tell them which are
bidden. Behold, I prepared my dinner. My oxen and my fatlings
are killed, and all things are ready. Come unto the marriage. But they made light of it and
went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise. And
the remnant took his servants and treated them spitefully and
slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth.
And he sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers
and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants,
the wedding is ready. But they which were bitten were
not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways
and as many as you shall find bid to the marriage. So those
servants went out into the highways and gathered together all as
many as they found, both bad and good, and the wedding was
furnished with guests. Now, in the weddings in those
days, when you came to the wedding, a wedding garment was provided
for you. You didn't have to worry about
what you were wearing. When you got to the door, the wedding
garment was provided. And when the king came in to
see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding
garment, this robe of righteousness. Perhaps he thought, well, mine
is just as good. Perhaps he'd made one that he
thought was just as good or looked just like the ones everybody
else was wearing. But he went into the wedding with his own
wedding garment, with his own clothing, and he did not have
the wedding garment. Remember, there's only one wedding
garment. There's only one robe of righteousness,
the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what made
someone fit to be in this wedding. Verse 12, and he saith unto him,
friend, How camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. And I
imagine that's the first time he was ever speechless. He didn't
know what to say. And look at the king's response.
Then said the king to the servants, bind him hand and foot and take
him away. and cast him into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing
of teeth, for many are called, but few are chosen." There's
only one wedding garment that makes me fit. Turn to Revelation
chapter 19. Verse 7. We read of this marriage
feast again. Let us be glad and rejoice and
give honor to him. For the marriage of the lamb
has come and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was
granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white. For the fine linen is the righteousness
of saints. And notice what it's called.
It's not called Christ's righteousness imputed to saints. It's called
the righteousness of the saints. Now I've heard people, a whole
lot of people, say this is talking about the righteous deeds of
the saints. Oh. You got any deeds that you would
call fine linen, clean, and white? The righteousness of the Lord
Jesus Christ is the righteousness of the saints. Believers have one righteousness,
His. And they preach one righteousness,
His. And they exclude all other righteousnesses,
calling them what they are. filthy rags. When I stand before thy throne,
dressed in beauty not my own, when I see thee as thou art,
love thee with unsinning heart, then, Lord, shall I fully know,
not till then, how much I owe. Now this is the righteousness
the Savior is speaking of when he says, blessed are they who
are persecuted for righteousness sake. He's not talking about
behavior. Now we ought to have righteous
behavior. I'm not saying anything against that. We ought to never
sin. We ought to be filled with good
works, but that's not what the savior is talking about when
he's talking about being persecuted for righteousness sake. Like
I said, if you treat somebody well, they'll appreciate it.
He's talking about His very own righteousness. Blessed are they
who are persecuted for righteousness sake. Now this began early. Remember
in Genesis chapter 4? Turn with me there please. Genesis
chapter 4. The first story of what took
place after the fall of our first parents in the garden. And Adam knew Eve, his wife,
and she conceived and bear Cain. and said, I've gotten a man from
the Lord. I believe that she thought that he was the promised
seed. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a
keeper of the sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And
in process of time, it came to pass that Cain brought of the
fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of
the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof, And the Lord
had, this is a very powerful word, respect. Respect unto Abel and his offering. As a matter of fact, Hebrews
11.4 says, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous.
This offering made Abel righteous and God respected him. Now that's powerful, isn't it?
For God, the living God, to respect a man. But through the sacrifice,
Abel was a man worthy of God's respect. A righteous man, having
the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what that
sacrifice represents. The sacrifice of Christ that
made Abel righteous. Verse 5, But unto Cain and his
offering He had not respect. Now when are you offended? When someone doesn't respect
you. When someone treats you disrespectfully. And Cain was
offended by the way the Lord treated him and his offering.
He thought it was a good offering. He brought the fruit of the ground.
Now he brought that which God never commanded him to bring.
the fruit of the ground, but he thought it was good. And Cain
was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto
Cain, Why art thou wroth? And why is thy countenance fallen?
If thou doest well, if you bring the right sacrifice, shalt thou
not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin
lieth at the door. Now here's the first time sin
is mentioned. And what does it have to do with?
Bringing the wrong sacrifice. Bringing your works. Bringing
your best. First time sin is mentioned.
And unto thee shall be his desire and thou shalt rule over him.
And Cain talked with Abel. And that word talked is not just
having an amicable conversation. They were arguing. That's what
the word means. They were arguing. And they were arguing about the
sacrifice. I know that's what they were
arguing about. Cain was mad. Do you think you're better than
me? Why does he have respect to you and not me? You think
you're better. I can just imagine all the things that he was saying. And Cain talked with Abel, his
brother, and it came to pass when they were in the field that
Cain rose up against his Abel, his brother, I can just hear
Abel said, Cain, the only way we can be accepted is through
the death of the coming sacrifice. And he thought, I'll show you
death. And he rose up and he slew him. He murdered him. Now
here is someone who was persecuted for righteousness sake. Abel was someone who stood for
the righteousness of Christ as his only peace, as his only ground
of acceptance, the righteousness of that one who was to come,
and Cain murdered him over it. Now this is what the Lord is
referring to when he says, if any man will come to me, let
him deny himself, take up his cross. The persecution that will
be involved if I'm somebody who stands only for the righteousness
of Christ. That's what you do when you take
up your cross. You're taking up the confession
before the world that His righteousness is the only righteousness there
is. It's the only ground of peace. It's the only thing that gives
you any peace. Simply being found in Him. And the Lord says, blessed
are they Blessed are they, blessed are the poor who have no personal
righteousness and they look to his only. Blessed are they who
mourn, they mourn over their sinfulness and they know that
the righteousness of Christ is the only righteousness they have.
Blessed are they who are meek and look to his righteousness
only. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness,
because they know they don't have any personal righteousness,
and they're hungering and thirsting for His. Blessed are they who've
obtained mercy, and they know the only reason they've obtained
mercy is because of His righteousness, for His righteousness' sake.
The pure in heart are they who see the filthiness of human righteousness,
and they look to his only. The peacemaker preaches his righteousness
as the only peace, and he excludes all others. Now, if I'm not being
persecuted in some way because of what I believe concerning
Christ's righteousness, the kingdom of God is not mine. That's what
he says. Blessed are they who are persecuted
for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God. And I'm
certainly not being a faithful witness of Christ if I'm not
being persecuted for his righteousness sake. Now, if I know that the
only way to heaven is his righteousness only, What would that say of me if
I didn't tell you that? What would that say about me? If you had a personal righteousness,
so you thought, that was not his, but you thought it was enough,
and if I didn't tell you that it was nothing more than filthy
rags and it won't get you into heaven, what would that say of
me? I tell you what it would save
me. It'd save me that I don't really love your soul. It'd also
save me that I don't know the truth. It'd also save me that
I'm not willing to tell the truth. There's no love to the souls
of men. There's no faithfulness to God
there. However, when we maintain His righteousness as the only
righteousness, men will become offended. men will become offended. If you tell somebody that their
righteousness is nothing more than filthy rags, yeah, they'll
be offended. But if we ever see that, If we ever see that our righteousness
is as filthy rags, we will trust His righteousness only. Now the Lord said, I have preached
righteousness in the great congregation. Psalm 40. That was his message. That was his preaching. Noah
was called a preacher of righteousness. This is the righteousness we're
speaking of that made Lot a righteous man. That's God's testimony of
Lot. He's a righteous man. You know,
people always like to slam Lot. And I understand that. What he
is is of himself. He ought to be slammed, just like I ought
to be slammed and you ought to be slammed. But God's testimony
of him is he's a righteous man and he has a righteous soul.
That describes every believer. Now, why is there persecution? Now listen real carefully. Persecution
will come when a man perceives that what you're saying will
cost him something. That's when persecution will
come. Let's say there's an organization
that there's some corruption going on, wrong business practices,
and somebody blows the whistle on them. There's a whistleblower
in that organization. Who's gonna get mad about it? Well, the people who are skimming
money, the people who are practicing corrupt practices, they lose
by that whistleblowing and therefore they are upset. Now some will
love that whistleblower for what he's done and they'll be thankful
for it, but there will be others who will be upset because of
what they perceive they will lose by it because they've been
exposed. Now if I preach righteousness,
Christ's righteousness, as the only righteousness there is.
Now don't you believe that His righteousness is the only righteousness
there is. It's the only way you would approach
God is simply in His righteousness. If you're a believer, you believe
that. You really believe His righteousness is your personal
righteousness before God. You believe when you stand before
God in judgment that you'll be justified because you have His
righteousness and there's nothing to condemn you for. You have
the perfect righteousness of God. You have the righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, if I would preach righteousness,
Christ's righteousness only, but I would say to a man, well,
even if you don't believe this, you're still saved. Even if you don't believe in
his righteousness only, you're still saved. Well, that man's
only getting mad at me because he's not losing anything. I mean,
he's going to heaven. I'm going to heaven. We're all
going to the same place. Everything's okay. I'm okay. You're okay.
We're all fine. If I preach righteousness and
I say, well, if you don't preach this, you'll be all right. I mean, I'm not saying you're
not saved if you don't preach something like that. I'm not
saying anything like that. If that's the way I preach, nobody's
going to persecute me because they're not losing anything.
They're still saved. But if I preach righteousness,
His righteousness as the only righteousness there is. And someone
who does not possess His righteousness will not be saved. And someone
who does not believe His righteousness is their only righteousness before
God, they're not saved. And if someone does not preach
His righteousness as the only righteousness before God, he
does not preach the gospel. Now when I preach that way, People
will get mad because they feel themselves to be the loser by
it. Because they're trusting in their
own personal righteousness. So this is where persecution
for righteousness sakes comes from. Now, notice back to Matthew
chapter 5. The Lord says in verse 10, Blessed are they which are persecuted
for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed
are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall
say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Now these men who persecute people
for righteousness sake, here's what they do, they revile. They
revile. They upbraid you and they reproach
you and then you say, well, you don't care anything about good
works. You don't care anything about holiness. You don't care
anything about personal obedience. while what you are saying will
lead men to sin. What you're saying will lead
men to life of indifference and fatalism. If you preach His righteousness
as the only righteousness, what motive do you give somebody for
obedience? What reason do you give them for good works while
you're just destroying Morality. You're destroying good works.
You're an antinomian. I love what Martin Luther said. He said, a man's never preached
the gospel until he's been called an antinomian. And I believe
that. You don't care anything about good works. Why, you're
lawless. Something's wrong with you. His
righteousness has the only righteousness. Why, they revile you and they
persecute you, mistreat you, and ostracize you. And there's
false speaking going on, defaming your character, saying things
that are not true concerning you. No matter how painful they
might be to you, but this is what goes on when someone's persecuted
for righteousness sake. They're going to be made out
as some kind of immoral person who doesn't care about good works. They're reviled. They're persecuted. They say
all manner of evil against you falsely. for my sake. Now, the Savior says, notice, they
do this thing, they revile you, speak all manner of evil against
you falsely for my sake. Now here's what the Lord says,
and this is so comforting. The Lord is saying, their problem
really isn't with you, it's with me. That's why they're saying
this. It's not really with you, it's
with me. They're saying these things because
of me, for my sake. You know, the Lord did say, He
that heareth you, heareth me. You preach the gospel. You preach
the gospel. You tell the truth. You stand
for the righteousness and the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ.
His righteousness only. His righteousness imputed. His
righteousness imparted in the new birth. but His righteousness
only. You preach His righteousness,
you'll be reviled, persecuted, people will say things falsely
about you, say, defame your character, but the reason they do this is
for His sake. They really don't love Him. It's not you they have a problem
with, it's Him. And beloved, if I have a problem
with Him, I have a problem. I have a real problem. but how
blessed you are. He says in verse 12, rejoice
and be exceeding glad. That's hard to do, isn't it?
When you have men reviling you, when you have men persecuting
you, when you have men defaming you and saying all manner of
evil against you falsely for his sake, it's kind of hard to
get happy about that, isn't it? But the Lord says, rejoice. rejoice and be exceeding glad
Peter put it this way in 2nd Peter 4 verse 14 if you be reproached
for the name of Christ happy are you for the spirit of glory
and of God resteth on you now you hear that On their part, he's evil spoken
of, but on your part, he is glorified. Rejoice and be exceeding glad,
you're right there with the prophets. So persecuted they the prophets
which were before you. Now, remember, first, I'm a peacemaker. It's gotta come first. Because
I've known people who want, it seems like they want to be persecuted,
and they're not really wanting to make peace. Do people want
to stir things up? That's not what I'm talking about. I don't
want to be somebody who just likes conflict and likes a fight.
There are some people who like a fight. I don't want to be somebody
who likes a fight. I want to be a peacemaker. I
want to preach the gospel of peace. I want to treat you in
a way that's peaceful. That's the wisdom that's from
above. Peaceful. I'm to be a peacemaker. I'm to
be actively involved in this thing of making peace. Oh, be peaceful, men and women.
Be quick to forgive. Be quick to confess your faults
one to another and to apologize. Be a peacemaker. Seek peace. Be a peacemaker. That being said,
you stand for the gospel of peace. The only peace there is, I know
this is so. The only peace there is, is the
righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. The only peace I have
is His righteousness only being my only righteousness before
God. That gives me peace. That really
does. That gives me peace. I'm good
to go. All God requires I have in the Lord Jesus Christ gives
me peace. Now, if I preach His righteousness, I will be persecuted. But what a blessing that is.
Turn to Acts chapter 5. First, Acts chapter 4. Let me
read a few verses out of Acts chapter 4. I love this passage of Scripture
because this is the early church. Now, they hadn't been believers
but for a few weeks. If you want to know how the early
church was, I think this is very interesting. Listen to the church
at praise. At verse 23, in being let go,
they went to their own company and reported all that the chief
priests and elders said unto them. And when they'd heard that,
they lifted up their voice to God with one accord and said,
Lord, thou art God. Which hath made heaven, and earth,
and the sea, and all that in them is? Who by the mouth of
thy servant David hath said, Why did the heathen rage, and
the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood
up and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and
against His Christ for the truth against Thy holy child Jesus
whom Thou hast anointed. Both Herod and Pontius Pilate
with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together
for to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before
to be done." And they believed that back then, didn't they?
We believe it now too, don't we? Let's go on reading. And
now, Lord, behold their threatenings, and grant unto thy servants that
we might be delivered from all this persecution. No, grant unto
thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching
forth thine hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be
done by the name of thy holy child, Jesus. Now, after a bunch
more conflict in Matthew chapter 5, we read in verse 40, after they
had figured out what they were going to do, to him they agreed,
and when they had called the apostles and beaten them. Now, how were they beaten? I
don't know. Were they beaten with the cat of nine tails? Were they
beaten with rods? Were they beaten with fists?
Did they just have a bunch of people knocking them around?
I don't know. But they put on the physical
pressure. They beat them up. They commanded
them that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let
them go. Now, I have no doubt that they
were sore, that they were hurting from this beating. But look what
it says about them. And they departed from the presence
of the council rejoicing. that they were counted worthy
to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple and in
every house, they cease not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. That was their message. Let me show you one other scripture,
Philippians 1. Verse 27. Only let your conversation be
as it becometh the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and
see you or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you
stand fast. in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for
the faith of the gospel, and in nothing terrified by your
adversaries, who are going to be opposed to this message, which
to them is an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation
and that of God, for unto you it is given in the behalf of
Christ, Not only to believe on Him. Isn't that a precious gift?
To be able to believe. That's the gift of God's grace.
By grace are you saved through faith. And that, now yourself,
is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should
boast. For unto you it's given in the behalf of Christ, for
Christ's sake, not only to believe on Him. but also to suffer for
His sake. And this is a reference to being
persecuted for righteousness. Taking up your cross daily, taking
up the cross of persecution because you stand for what the cross
says, salvation by Him, by His righteousness, by His precious
blood. So I hope that you and I even
now, by the grace of God, will not only pray for the gift of
faith, but that the Lord will give us the honor to be faithful
in preaching his gospel in our generation and to suffer for
his righteousness' sake. I want to be a faithful witness
of His righteousness. Don't you? May God give us grace
to be just that in this generation in which we live. May this be
our message, His righteousness. Remember, the Gospel. What does
it do? Paul said, I'm not ashamed of
the Gospel of Christ, for it, the Gospel of Christ, is the
power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. Jew first,
and also to the Greek, for therein, in the gospel, is the righteousness
of God revealed. Yes, His mercy is seen. Yes,
His love is seen, but that's not the word Paul uses. In the
gospel is the righteousness of God revealed. Let's pray.