Some Thoughts On Martyrdom

Some Thoughts On Martyrdom

Afraid? Of What?

Afraid? Of what?
To feel the spirit's glad release?
To pass from pain to perfect peace,
The strife and strain of life to cease?
Afraid? Of that?

Afraid? Of what?
Afraid to see the Saviour's face,
To hear His welcome, and to trace,
The glory gleam from wounds of grace,
Afraid? Of that?

Afraid? Of what?
A flash - a crash - a pierced heart;
Brief darkness - Light - O Heaven's art!
A wound of His a counterpart!
Afraid? Of that?

Afraid? Of what?
To enter into Heaven's rest,
And yet to serve the Master blessed?
From service good to service best?
Afraid? Of that?

Afraid? Of what?
To do by death what life could not -
Baptize with blood a stony plot,
Till souls shall blossom from the spot?
Afraid? Of that?

Written by E.H. Hamilton, after hearing of the death of his missionary colleague, Jack Vinson. Vinson was martyred in 1931 and showed no fear of death to his Chinese captors, telling them, "Kill me, if you wish. I will go straight to God."

Some Thoughts On Martyrdom

1) In the Bible, the Greek word for "witness" is "martus", where we get our word martyr from. So, a martyr is someone who died because of their witness (or testimony) of Jesus Christ.

If you won't live for the Lord here and now, you will not "die" for Him! You may face death, and even be killed, but it won't be as a martyr. The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:3, "...and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." Charity means "love" - love for God as well as love for man. If you don't love the Lord, your death as a "martyr" will not profit you anything. I have paraphrased a saying I've heard before:

The Final Proof of our Love is in the Faithful Pattern of our Living.

2) If you are a born-again child of God, through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, then you need not fear death, even the cruel death of martyrdom. Romans 8:38-39 says:

Romans 8:37-39 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Nothing can separate us from the love of God (and from God Himself), not even death - which as you may note, is the first thing listed. In fact, death for the children of God only brings them home to be with the Lord, to live in His presence forever! Why fear that?

3) Finally, Paul makes another comment which is very appropriate to the trials and sufferings we face as a Christian, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Romans 8:18. Nothing we go through can compare to the glory that will be revealed in Heaven!

Just some food for thought. May we all be faithful in our walk with the Lord.

December 21st, 2004
Jerry Bouey