It is a special thing to feel the fellowship of Jesus Christ in the midst of suffering, particularly persecution and reviling for Christ’s sake. We study further together the proper way that we should respond to reviling for Christ’s and righteousness’ sake, ensuring we respond to those attacks in a God honoring way.
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No doubt one of the most clear examples of the upside down (from the world) nature of the kingdom of God is that we can actually be blessed, happy, and rejoice when others persecute and revile us. While no one enjoys reviling, and verbal attacks, it is great opportunity to glorify Jesus Christ by us responding similar to Jesus, commending ourselves over to the Righteous Judge.
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God shows up powerfully for his people at the most precarious and fearful moments. He’s the Lord of the break throughs when things look the worst. Praise God for his deliverance for his people in the worst of circumstances!
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As we begin studying the sermon on the mount, Jesus begins his sermon with “blessings” upon certain attributes displayed in the kingdom, commonly known as the Beatitudes. There is also much to be gleaned from looking at the negative warnings of these (the “woe’s” as they are put in Luke’s gospel account). Let us lay hold on the blessings and joy in the abundant life in the kingdom of God, and avoid the woes, and unjoyful condition of the children of God who choose to act the opposite of these attributes.
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While the church at Phillipi had a lot of great qualities, and was generally commended by Paul, there was one brewing issue between two sisters in the church that has got so significant that Paul felt the need to address it publicly in his letter. Church unity is much more fragile that we realize, and we need to ensure we settle small issues in the church before they become large issues and cause more widespread division.
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In Jesus’ introduction to the Sermon on the Mount, he describes what we commonly know as The Beatitudes, the blessings upon those who display the attributes of God’s children. To the disciples of Christ, it is very reassuring to know we are in a blessed state if we have a desire for these spiritual things, and also an encouragement to know the kingdom blessings if we are faithful to walk in each of these attributes. However, there is much to be gleaned from considering the opposite side of each of these beatitudes. Blessed primarily means “happy” in this context, so the opposite of that would be “unhappy”. Since we will primarily be discussing the state of God’s children who might not walk in the manner that they ought to, we will primarily describe the opposite state as “unjoyful”, which speaks more of us not laying hold on the joy we ought to have in the abundant life, rather than just unhappy, that is more closely associated with variable circumstances of life.
“Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:” (1 Pet. 2:23)
One of the most challenging things to do in our lives is to follow the example of Jesus Christ when we are reviled, slandered, and bore false witness against. The Savior did not render railing for railing (1 Pet. 3:9), but as a lamb dumb before his shearer, he opened not his mouth (Isaiah 53:7). Instead of defending himself against every false witness, Christ “committed himself to him that judgeth righteously”. We see from Christ, Stephen, and Paul’s examples that false witnesses are a house of cards that will eventually fold in upon themselves. As with Christ, the false witnesses did not agree together and even Pilate could see these were just unfounded lies. If we commend ourselves over to the righteous judgment of the Lord, then he will ensure that the lies of the devil collapse under their own weight and our righteous character is defended.
These messages were delivered by Pastor David on the Gospel of Grace Radio Broadcast from May to July 2026. We study together the verses where the Lord tells his people that this is a “faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.”
Click on each sermon link below to listen to the message in another window.
Faithful Sayings – Christ Came to Save Sinners – 1 Timothy 1:15
Faithful Sayings – Savior, Specially of Those That Believe – 1 Timothy 4:9-10
Faithful Sayings – We Shall Live With Him – 2 Timothy 2:11-13
Faithful Sayings – Careful to Maintain Good Works – Titus 3:8
The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart in the ten plagues against Egypt is a very interesting study in the intersection between God’s sovereignty, God’s will, and also man’s responsibility and man’s sin. We are told that God turns the king’s heart whithersoever he will, and this is very clear with Pharaoh. “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” (Prov. 21:1) Who is responsible for the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart – God, Pharaoh, or just the general disposition of stubborn men and the unregenerate in this world? The answer is “Yes”. All three are true.
For the disciples of Christ who Jesus called to follow him, he had to teach them what life was supposed to look like in the kingdom of God. He had to tear down the misconceptions of these Jewish men that the general culture of the outward show of religion of their day was actually diametrically opposed to how they were supposed to live serving God in the kingdom. In the summary introduction of the sermon on the mount, we consider the overall theme of the astonishing message to his disciples of how they were going to serve the Lord in the kingdom.
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