In Matthew 5:7-9 the Lord spoke of being merciful, pure in heart and lovers of peace. Then in verse 10 He began speaking about a Biblical fact that professing Christendom refuses to accept–that if one is not hated, despised and persecuted by those in institutional religion (Catholicism/Protestantism) one is not a child of God. Because the emphasis is on being accepted by the religious community, such persecution is not experienced by 99.9% of professing Christendom. The people comprising the various and sundry sects within “the church” are accepted as “Christians” by those in other sects. Though one of another sect is not as “Christian” as he/she would be if he/she belonged to the “right” sect, he/she is nevertheless labeled a “Christian.” Within the “Christian Community” one does not see the hatred, etc. God said would be displayed toward “Christians” who belonged to other sects. But did not God say that ALL WHO OBEYED HIM WOULD BE HATED, ETC? See Persecution. Has the church caught the Biblical God in yet another lie? Or is there another reason why those in “the church” do not hate one another?

God makes it abundantly clear throughout both the Old and New Testaments that His people always have been and always will be hated, despised and persecuted by those in conventional religion. That fact being established, why are those in Institutional Christendom not so treated? Because they do not meet the behavioral requirements for such treatment–they do not live, speak, write, etc. in such a way that would bring on the wrath of others in the Institutional Church. Because the Counterfeit Church has rejected the Biblical God and His Way of Truth, she is not persecuted by others in professing Christendom “… for righteousness sake;” “… for My (Christ’s) sake” (vss 10,11) or “… for My name’s sake” (Mat. 10:22). The message from Jesus is clear: only those who are hated, persecuted, reviled and have all manner of evil said about them because they believe and obey God’s Word are in the Kingdom of Heaven–the New Covenant Church. Those in the church are not treated as were the prophets and apostles, they are not God’s children and are not blessed with sonship (Mat. 5:12)–they are fake Christians. We are told to rejoice and be exceedingly glad when we are treated with hatred and derision “… for righteousness’ sake” because such treatment is proof of who and what we are and what our future holds. Jesus tells those who are persecuted for righteousness sake that: “… great is your reward (now located) in heaven” (vs 12). See Persecution.

In verse 13 true Christians are called “… the salt of the earth.” Salt is a preservative. When I was growing up in southern Missouri my family produced almost all of our food. Each summer we raised a large garden which fed us for the rest of the year. Though we were poor, we did eat well, due in large part to my mother’s canning skills. We also raised animals for food. We would kill a couple of calves and a hog or two in the fall which provided meat for us until the following fall. The preservation of the meat involved salt. After cutting it up we would rub salt into it and hang it from rafters in the “smoke house.” Though we did not have refrigeration, the meat stayed good until the next killing season.

By serving as spiritual salt, God’s saints preserve the part of the world in which they live (vs. 14-16). Recall that when God (the Word Who became Jesus Christ) came to Sodom and Gomorrah to destroy it He agreed to spare all of the cities of the plains if He could find ten righteous people within those homosexual populations. Those ten righteous people would have been serving as LIGHTS (examples of God’s Way) to the people and, as SALT, would have preserved them (kept them from being killed). But such was not the case. In all of those cities combined the Lord could not find ten righteous people. Actually, there was only one. As soon as Lot left Sodom the Lord began to rain down fire and brimstone on the city and its inhabitants. Recall also that the only city in the area that was not destroyed and whose citizens were not killed was Zoar, which was spared only because God’s light and salt in the person of Lot chose to stay there while God poured out His wrath on all the other cities in the area as punishment for their rampant homosexuality (Gen. 18,19). Recall also that due to the presence of Moses, the Israelites were spared the wrath God poured out on the Egyptians during the exodus.  To be continued. L.J.