This morning, the question that was raised concerning certain Christian martyrs was: what exactly is it that would be worth your life? I want to build up the idea from scratch until it reaches a minimum threshold to be worth my life.
The starting point was faith. Is faith worth my life? Well, faith in what? Is all faith the same? The word faith in the Bible has a very specific meaning, but that word has been usurped by the culture and stripped of its textual richness, made bland by liberals and ecumenical movements. What faith means now is belief in something, anything. That something could be a naturalistic view of spirituality, where divinity resides in all things, including rocks and air. That faith could be in humanity in general or the self specifically. The word has lost its Biblical context. No, I would not die for faith.
Faith needs an object, so it would seem. Let’s try this one: Faith in Jesus. I have faith in Jesus…to do what? To just be there for me? To make the sun rise? To endow me with blessings in this world? To be my own personal advisor? I’m sorry, but none of those things are big enough for my life. Jesus has to do a whole lot more than be my own personal counselor, advisor, physician and spiritual mentor. I can get all of those things without going to Jesus; therefore, this faith in Jesus is not enough for my life.
What if Jesus were the Son of God? I’ve read in the Bible, in the synoptics in fact, that demons and the devil himself know that Jesus is the Son of God, the second part of the Holy Trinity. This knowledge does not seem to alter their behavior. Is this enough to alter mine? Let’s assume that this is true. So, what does this mean to me? Is this fact worth my life? No, not yet, but at least you have my attention.
What if Jesus was the Son of God who died, was buried, and on the third day, rose from the dead, and is seated at the Right hand of the Father, reigning in heaven? OK, that’s spectacular news. What does it have to do with me?
What if Jesus died to save sinners? If He died, how did He save anyone? Is Jesus a great example that I’m supposed to follow? Do I have to die a martyrs death for salvation? No, I’m not buying that one either. Christianity wouldn’t have survived for 2000 years if the only road to salvation was martyrdom. Perhaps there is a connection between this death and resurrection of Jesus and my own salvation.
What if Jesus died for me, as a sacrifice on my behalf to a justly angry and Divine God, to expiate my sins, to reconcile me to the God of the Universe, to provide for me righteousness so that I may join Him justly on the Last Day? What if the Holy Spirit gave me the knowledge of this transaction through the testimony of witnesses to Jesus’ life, death and resurrection as recorded in scripture, and the belief that this account was True? What if I had faith, or belief, in this knowledge of Christ’s work on the Cross for me as revealed in the Bible, with knowledge also of all of the richness, fullness and nuance of this transaction, would that be enough for my life? Would that be enough for your life?
Jesus is the Son of God, the second part of the Holy Trinity. He did condescend to temporarily leave His heavenly throne and become incarnate as both fully God and fully man, thereby taking on the burden of the Law, so that He could fulfill the Law as no other man had done, and no other man could do since the fall of Adam. By fulfilling the Law, He became a worthy sacrifice to a just God, Himself, being all parts of the drama for us. He was the priest who made the sacrifice. He was the sacrifice. He was God to whom the sacrifice was made. He sent the third part of the Holy Trinity afterwards, to reveal to His elect, to those who would belief, the truth of the knowledge contained in the scripture, the knowledge of the work of Jesus on the Cross. He has ascended back to heaven, where He sits until He comes again in Glory to judge the living and the dead. The only hope of me or any man for salvation is faith, faith in all of this and more as revealed in the Bible.
Yes, that is enough. For that truth, for that faith, I would become a martyr. When we take the shorthand instead of spelling out the whole formula, it is important that at least we know that it is shorthand, and that we know for what the word is shorthand as well. Is this enough for you?
--Ogre--
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