Romans 12:14, Bless Them Which Persecute You

Romans 12:14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.

D. L. Moody saw that the blessedness of trials was a heart of rejoicing when he observed, “Happiness is caused by things that happen around me, and circumstances will mar it; but joy flows right on through trouble; joy flows on through the dark; joy flows on through persecution and opposition. It is an unceasing fountain bubbling up in the heart; a secret spring the world can’t see and doesn’t know anything about. The Lord gives his people perpetual joy when they walk in obedience to him.” This is the comfort of every persecuted saint. The Lord is with you, press on!

Jesus endured suffering by accepting His Father’s will for Him to be betrayed by Judas Iscariot, hated by Caiaphas the high priest and sent to die by crucifixion. He knew that it was through no fault of His own. It was a total surrender and a quiet submission to the will of God, as the prophet Isaiah recorded, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not His mouth (Isaiah 53:7).”

This quiet confidence of the believer in the midst of persecution is the strength of a trusting heart. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews concludes with this promise, “So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Hebrews 13:6).

Our Lord Jesus gave this sobering truth to His disciples in John 15:19b-21, “… I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.”

Jesus prayed for His persecutors, Luke 23:34 “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.” So did Stephen the first martyr in the early church setting for us an example, Acts 7:59-60 “And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.“

May God grant us His grace in the face of persecution. Amen.