The final beatitude brings discipleship to its highest point—and its most surprising test. In this episode, Pastor John DeVries shows how persecution for righteousness’ sake is not a sign of failure, but of faithful growth in Christ. As disciples live out the humility, mercy, purity, and peacemaking shaped by the gospel, opposition becomes inevitable. Yet Jesus promises that this path places us in the company of the prophets and grants a deep assurance of faith and joy. To follow Christ faithfully is to accept both the cost and the reward of bearing his likeness in a world that resists his righteousness.

What kind of peace does Jesus call his disciples to pursue? In this episode, Pastor John DeVries revisits the Beatitudes as a growth chart of discipleship and shows that biblical peacemaking is far more than conflict avoidance or surface harmony. True peace is rooted in righteousness and centered on reconciliation—first with God through the gospel, and then with one another through repentance and forgiveness. This kind of peacemaking reflects the work of Christ himself and marks those who bear the family likeness of the Son of God, even when it leads them into suffering rather than applause.

What does it mean to be pure in heart? In this episode, Pastor John DeVries explores the sixth beatitude as a call to true devotion—not sinless perfection, but an undivided, authentic heart set on Christ. Drawing on the biblical picture of marriage and the parable of the soils, this message shows how purity of heart is revealed over time as disciples choose devotion to Christ over comfort, approval, and the promises of the world. The reward of such devotion is intimacy with God now and the promise of seeing him fully in the life to come.