And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:1-12)

There are many interpretations on the Beatitudes. Many Christians (and also non-Christians) consider this as some kind of law. This is NOT a list of things that a believer must do to be included in the Kingdom of God. These are the features of Christ and His elect people of God.

What I’d like to focus on is the suffering of saints. God’s people are persecuted because of God. Everywhere in the world, especially in the Western countries, you can see many churches who claim they are true orthodox churches. Most Christians live a peaceful life in terms of religious freedom. But the elect people continue to be persecuted within churches. Those who do not know God hate the elect people without a reason.

But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’ (John 15:25)

In their depraved mind, they hate God and His people.

Their throat is an open grave;they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood;in their paths are ruin and misery,and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. (Rom 3:13-18)

The Apostles wrote about those who claim to be Christians and yet, oppose to them in NT. To understand more about the sufferings that the elect people go through, you need to read the prophets’ writings in the OT.

In the NT era, Christians are the Israel people in the OT. Through ceremonial baptism, we join a church and call ourselves Christians. Yet, just as in the OT, many of us do not know God and rebel. It is not about immorality. Immorality comes as a result of spiritual idolatry. Many of us are Christians and yet, are not Christians because they do not know God.

I think the Book of Jeremiah and the Book of Ezekiel show the current situation of Christianity. The two kingdoms(systems), Judah and the Northern Israel, existed in the OT. And we have the two systems – the Protestant churches and the Roman Catholic church. Many people in the OT rejected the prophets’ messages. They thought they were God’s people, and God would protect them despite their idolatries. But God rejected them. God poured wrath on them not as He trained them like silver but as dross. Only the remnant survived. But those remnant in the OT were not real remnant. Isaiah’s prophecy talks about the end time.

And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” And as Isaiah predicted, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.” (Romans 9:27-29)

Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your wrongdoings have caused a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. (Isaiah 59:1-2)

Christians say that they live in the era of grace. But they reject Sola Gratia and divine election. They reject sound doctrines of Christianity. God does not change. Whether in OT or in NT era, the way God saves His people is the same. God gives His Spirit to His elect people, and they believe in God by the power of God. Even now, many Christians go through persecutions not only in the world of the unbelievers but also in churches.