03 June 2011

RUMINATIONS: Raymond BillyWednesday marked an event commemorated annually by millions of Christians worldwide. That event is the death of Justin, a second-century defender of Christianity who was executed in Rome in A.D. 165 for refusing to worship any god other than Jesus. Since then, he has been venerated as Justin Martyr because of his steadfast loyalty to Christ even though he knew it would cost him his life.

Although most Christians don't realize it, they too are commanded in the Bible to honor their faith by becoming martyrs. That might be a difficult reality with which to cope, but Christians — whether living for their savior or dying for him — are clearly instructed to become martyrs. A literal demise is not necessary in order for one to die for the cause of Christ.

Tony Herring, pastor of Soma Church in Tyler, Texas, crystallized this reality for me when he said last year during a sermon “You don’t have to die to become a martyr” for Christ. The accuracy of this statement is substantiated by New Testament Scriptures.

Christians are first exhorted to die for their faith by Jesus himself. One of his apostles, Matthew, quotes him as saying “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” With these words, Jesus introduced his followers to the concept that they must relinquish — “die to” — their wants and desires, submitting themselves fully to his authority. Every time someone abandons personal prerogatives in favor of Christ’s, that person is dying to selfishness and becoming a martyr. Scripture enumerates specific circumstances in which believers are commanded to become martyrs for Christ in this figurative manner.

The Bible says that a person who becomes a Christian obtains character traits that are unrecognizable to nonbelievers. Those who are not a part of Christendom see the differences and are often offended by them, just as they were offended by Jesus. Early Christian leaders were concerned that believers would try to ward off such scorn by conforming to un-Christian customs.

The Apostle Paul warned the Christians in Galatia — part of modern-day Turkey — not to fall prey to this inclination, which was being encouraged by Jewish Christians who wanted believers to be circumcised. The Messianic Jews there hoped that by maintaining a certain degree of adherence to Judaic traditions, they could avoid being persecuted for Christ's sake by local Orthodox Jews. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul admonished believers — including himself — to live in a manner that aggrandizes Christ instead of seeking personal affirmation.

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world,” he wrote.

Of course, Christians often want things that are in conflict with Jesus' teachings because of human nature, not societal pressure. The Bible challenges believers to kill every desire that is not aligned with those of Jesus. In one correspondence, Paul communicated this challenge as he focused on the danger that sensuality posed to the nascent faith.

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: Sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry,” Paul wrote to the church in Colossae, also part of modern-day Turkey.

Christians are also admonished to become martyrs by placing the welfare of others ahead of their own gratification. We know from Scripture that Christ agonized over his impending crucifixion. But, according to the Apostle John, Jesus loved mankind so much that he was willing to endure a torturous death to save souls. Christians are commanded to sacrificially love as well.

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers,” John wrote, speaking metaphorically of the way believers should dedicate their lives to one another's benefit.

Thus, we see three important principles for metaphoric martyrdom which are all marked by dying to self-centered desires. Christians must die to the desire for social acceptance and be willing to suffer rejection for Christ’s sake. They must put to death lustful conquests and put the needs of others before their own. It's a daunting challenge, to be sure. But, the Scriptures are clear: Martyrdom is the essence of Christianity.

Raymond Billy is the assistant editor of Resonate News. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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