HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 252
page A250
Peace continued
spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war
anymore.
War is an inevitable consequence of human sin. But when Jesus returns, there will be
peace forever.
• MAT T H E W 5 :9 | “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children
of God.”
Christians are called to work and pray for peace in the world and for others to make peace
with God. With God’s help, you can make a difference!
PROMISES FROM GOD
• PSA L M 3 7 :3 7 | Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful future awaits
those who love peace.
• I SA I A H 2 6 :3 | You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are
fixed on you!
• J O H N 1 4 :2 7 | “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give
is a gift the world cannot give.”
Persecution See also Spiritual Warfare; Suffering
P
HelpFinder
God promises special blessings to those who hang on to their faith in him, no matter
what happens. For your faith to become strong and genuine, you will likely need to
endure testing. Sometimes the hardest test is being scorned, mocked, or ignored by
others because of your faith in God. It is during these hard times that your character is
revealed and forced to grow. How you handle persecution shows who you really are on
the inside, and it reveals your level of commitment to God. By enduring persecution,
you show that your faith and trust in God is real. The Bible tells us about many people
who never stopped trusting God even though they were mocked, persecuted, and even
killed for their faith. You may never face martyrdom for being a Christian, but is your faith
strong enough to endure even a little derision or scorn? Those who live boldly for God
despite opposition make a great impact for eternity.
Why are Christians persecuted?
• J E R E MI A H 2 0 :1 -2 | Now Pashhur . . . heard what Jeremiah was prophesying. So he
arrested Jeremiah the prophet and had him whipped.
• 1 K I NG S 2 2 :1 6 -2 6 | “How many times must I demand that you speak only the truth . . . ?”
Then Micaiah told him . . . “Arrest him!” the king of Israel ordered.
Sometimes believers are persecuted simply for speaking the truth. Those who don’t
believe in God, or don’t believe God has established absolute truths and communicated
them through the Bible, obviously don’t recognize truth. To them, truth sounds rigid and
intolerant. Others recognize truth but don’t want to live by it. In either case, those who
don’t live by the truths of the Bible will resist and attack those who do.
• J O H N 1 5 :2 1 | “They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one
who sent me.”
Persecution comes from those who are ignorant of God and his will.
• J O H N 1 5 :1 9 | The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are
no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. (See note on
page 971.)
Spiritual warfare brings persecution.
• A C T S 7 :5 4 | The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation. (See note on
page 987.)
• MAT T H E W 1 5 :9 | “Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands
from God.”