With the Presidential Election right around the corner, there has been a plethora of sermons and messages by many pastors, both mainstream evangelicals and reformed, even (dare I say it) Calvinists, who are again preaching God’s ultimate sovereignty. Let me stress this point immediately: I agree whole heartedly! There is no argument against God’s sovereignty here. But while I agree with that message there is still an undefined and, for reasons still unknown to me, pervasive refusal on the part of these pastors and men of God to preach that there is no Biblical mandate for any of us to become dead martyrs.
While dying rather than denying our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a Christian duty, we don’t have to willingly drink the Kool-Aid or walk the plank. Certainly, there may come a day when we are called to become martyrs for Christ and it is my fervent prayer that the Holy Spirit would then bless us with the fortitude to suffer torture and/or death, even a terrifying death for the sake of our faith. But if fighting for our lives is a viable option then I would also pray that all of us would be willing to do so. “A righteous man who falters before the wicked is like a murky spring and a polluted well.” - Proverbs 25:26.
God has called us to do many things in this life, our present life in the flesh. From mankind’s very beginning God commanded us to “live,” not die - “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” - Genesis 1:28. And what was man to do here in this earthly life?
The very first question posted in the Westminster Larger Catechism is -
Q. 1. What is the chief and highest end of man?
A. Man's chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him forever. To glorify and enjoy God, breathing life is an absolute requirement for us if we are to carry out this commission - “Will You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise You? Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave? Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction? Shall Your wonders be known in the dark? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?” - Psalm 88:10-12.
One of our primary duties in this life is to praise Him. And while we will certainly sing praises to God when we are glorified we are also called to do so now, in this life of the flesh. If we are dead and in the grave we can no longer witness to those who remain - “The dead do not praise the Lord, nor any who go down into silence.” - Psalm 115:17. “For in death there is no remembrance of You; in the grave who will give You thanks?” - Psalm 6:5.
So it is clear from Holy Scripture that man is not called to be a sacrifice for the Gospel . . . but to live and preach it! But what of the coming persecution of the Church? We have ISIS murdering Christians by the thousands in the Middle East while one of the candidates running for the Presidency of the United States said the following on 6/10/16 at a Planned Parenthood fund raiser -
— "I would like to see Planned Parenthood even get more funding."
— "Deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs, and structural biases have to be changed."
— "The unborn person doesn't have Constitutional rights."
— "The only people that I would ever appoint to the Supreme Court are people who believe that Roe V. Wade is settled law."
Persecution is a real possibility . . . even in this country. So what are we Christians to do? The Bible offers us these words of wisdom - “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” - Romans 12:18. The issuance is certainly clear: as long as we find it possible to remain at peace, we should do so. But what if we are finally pushed against the wall and told to surrender our belief in Jesus Christ . . . or die? Well, our Lord Jesus has His own words of advice for us as per Luke 22:36 - “Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.” A sword? What are we to do with such a weapon of war? “And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, ‘Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.’” - Nehemiah 4:14.
In a post from 1/8/16 on the blog, “Answers In Genesis,” author Steve Ham (brother of Creationist, Ken Ham) wrote - “This is not to say that the only option a Christian has when being faced with persecution is to kneel and die. Seeking appropriate aid or fleeing, for instance, are options, and other times Christians may need to take up arms to defend the weak. But when the only option left is renouncing one’s faith in Christ or facing death, a true Christian, as many have in the past, would be enabled by the Holy Spirit to face the consequences as a possible martyr for Christ.”
What we Christians may face in the very near future could be a level of persecution not seen since the genocide committed against our Jewish brothers and sisters in Nazi Germany. Should defensive options be denied us and we be called to lose our lives rather than deny our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, then may we be empowered to give our lives for our faith! But should we find the opportunity - “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.” - Ecclesiastes 9:10. And praise our almighty God - “For Sheol cannot thank You, death cannot praise You; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your truth. The living, the living man, he shall praise You, as I do this day; the father shall make known Your truth to the children.” Isaiah 38:18-19.
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