FAITH, SUFFERING, MARTYRDOM, AND JOY

Will faith overcome all? In the long run, yes, by His mercies! However, now we have to endure many hardships. The Old Testament saints had faith, but they also had great hardships:

·       Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. (Hebrews 11:36-38)

Faith did not deliver them from misfortune, but they were heroes of the faith.

Here’s how Paul described the heroic Christian life:

·       But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (2 Corinthians 4:7-11; ESV)

According to Paul, we need such afflictions in order to make us more like Jesus. And the afflictions aren’t just a momentary sting. Paul claims that our lives “always carrying in the body the death of Jesus.”  We are “always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake.”

Yet the same Paul proclaims the very opposite:

·       Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

How is it possible that we are “always given over to death” and yet we can experience “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” – the joy that comes as we trust in our Lord?

·       May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13)

Evidently, we can experience blessedness even as we experience suffering. Jesus also presents us with portraits of these two extreme – suffering and joy:

·       Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27)

However, this is a peace that accompanies the most profound tribulations:

·       Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:32-33)

How can peace coincide with great tribulations? It comes through what we know and understand. Jesus taught us to “take heart; I have overcome the world.” This is a truth that we must embrace if we are to have peace.

Nevertheless, I must confess that I am not experiencing much peace now as my blood pressure has been skyrocketing. My heart is beating so hard that I cannot sleep. I think of my grandmother and father who both had experienced a series of strokes, which eventually took them down. I am terrified, but my eyes – not my feelings – are on my Lord.

Following the Lord is no guarantee against severe trials. Job, the most righteous man on the earth had experienced the worst trials. Even Paul had to suffer a “thorn in the flesh” to keep him from becoming proud (2 Cor. 12). In Psalm 119, King David wrote about all of these perspectives – the suffering, his obedience to the Lord and love for His Word, and even the blessedness of those who abide by His Word:

·       Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! (Psalm 119:1)

·       Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble. (Psalm 119:165)

This is perplexing. Despite David’s claim that the faithful experience “great peace,” it seems that he is not experiencing this peace:

·       My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word! (Psalm 119:25)

·       My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word! (Psalm 119:28)

·       Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good. (Psalm 119:39)

·       My eyes long for your promise; I ask, “When will you comfort me?” For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, yet I have not forgotten your statutes. How long must your servant endure? When will you judge those who persecute me? (Psalm 119:82-84)

·       I am severely afflicted; give me life, O LORD, according to your word! (Psalm 119:107)

·       Look on my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget your law. Psalm 119:153  

Is it possible to reconcile these seemingly contradictory verses found within the same Psalm? Yes! They work together. The Bible assures us that we can experience God’s peace in the midst of the worst afflictions. Elsewhere, David describes his suffering and also his blessedness in the same breath:

·       If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life. (Psalm 119:92-93)

We often find this curious association of suffering and peace in the lives of the martyrs. The martyr Stephen must have been experiencing great pain as he was being stoned to death. However, this did not deter his confidence and faithfulness:

·       And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (Acts 7:59-60)

Stephen’s heroic martyrdom was not unusual. They were common in the early church. “The Martyrdom of Polycarp” (edited) records:

·       All the martyrdoms which God allowed to happen…were blessed and noble. Who could not admire their honor, their patience, their love for the Lord? They were whipped to shreds till their veins and arteries were exposed, and still endured patiently, while even those that stood by cried for them. They had such courage that none of them let out a sigh or a groan, proving when they suffered such torments they were absent from their bodies – or rather that the Lord then stood by them and talked with them. By the grace of Christ they despised all the cruelties of this world, redeeming themselves from eternal punishment by the suffering of a single hour. The fire of their savage executioners appeared cool to them, because they fixed their eyes on their escape from the eternal unquenchable fire and the good things promised to those who endure – things ‘which ear has not heard, nor eye seen, nor the human heart imagined’ but were revealed to them by the Lord. They were no longer men, but had already become angels. In the same way, those who were condemned to the wild beasts endured dreadful torture. Some were stretched out on beds of spikes. Others were subjected to all kinds of torments, all in the Devil’s attempt to make them deny Christ. https://www.christianhistoryinstitute.org/study/module/polycarp/

·       The heroic Germanicus encouraged the weak by his own endurance, and fought bravely with the wild animals: when the Proconsul tried to persuade him to cooperate for the sake of his own youth, he drew the wild beast towards himself and provoked it, in order to escape more quickly from this wicked world.

Paul had written that where sin abounds, grace abounds even more (Romans 5:20). While he wrote this in regards to our sins, I think it also applies to our suffering so that when suffering abounds, grace abounds even more. This had been the lesson Paul had learned in regards to his afflictions:

·       But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

We regard suffering as an enemy and a threat. However, in God’s hands, they become friends bearing healing medicine.

Sometimes, I am frightened and wonder what’s going wrong. However, I remind myself that I am in His lovingly protective hands:

·       What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32)

I will, therefore, trust in the Lord even as I pass through strange and often incomprehensible valleys of the shadow of death.

WHEN THE WORLD – OUR NATION, OUR LIVES – IS COLLAPSING

Much of Western Europe seems to be walking the tightrope between civil war and accommodation to the demands of Islam. Now that Islam’s militant agenda is becoming increasingly clear, will the West find the moral courage and conviction to take a costly stand?

The USA is facing an unprecedented and acrimonious election characterized by allegations of fraud and threats of possible violence. We desperately want the anger, fear, and uncertainty to pass, but no simple reconciliation is in sight. Instead, whatever the outcome of the election, it seems that our foundations are crumbling.

Where then must the Christian stand, and what principles must serve as our foundation? These are questions to which I continue to return. Here are biblical boulders upon which we must plant our feet:

OUR GOD REIGNS: Psalm 46:1-2, 10-11 (ESV)  God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea…“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

NO ONE CAN HURT US WITHOUT HIS PERMISSION: Psalm 91:7-10  A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.

NEVERTHELESS, WE MIGHT HAVE TO FACE MARTYRDOM: John 16:2  They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.

EVEN IF WE ARE MARTYRED, WE ARE BLESSED: 2 Corinthians 5:1  For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

WE HAVE AN ETERNAL KINGDOM AWAITING US: John 14:1-3  “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

WE MUST NOT FEAR OR HATE OUR ENEMIES: Philippians 1:27-29  Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,

WE MUST EVEN LOVE OUR ENEMIES: Romans 12:14, 17-19  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them… Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

BUT INSTEAD, MAKE USE OF THE GOVERNMENT, AN INSTRUMENT OF GOD’S VENGEANCE/WRATH: Romans 13:3-5  For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.

OUR ENEMY IS NOT OUR PRIMARY ENEMY: Ephesians 6:12  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

NEVERTHELESS, THEY ARE STILL GUILTY BEFORE GOD, SINCE THEY WILLINGLY REJECTED THE LIGHT IN FAVOR OF THE DARKNESS:  John 3:18-20 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

NEVERTHELESS, WE MUST SHOW THEM COMPASSION, SINCE WE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO BETTER THAN THEY, HAD WE NOT BEEN GIVEN CHRIST’S GIFT: 1 Corinthians 1:28-31  God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

I have found nothing as liberating as knowing these truths. I need to know that I am eternally and incredibly rich in Him(1 Cor. 3:20-22; Rom. 8:17), and that I have been privileged to love my enemies. As soon as I clothe myself with these truths, I feel unburdened by fears and angers. I am serving my Savior, and that’s all that seems to matter.

I am not saying that we shouldn’t be concerned about the threats encircling us. However, we must address them in ways that honor our Lord. Lift your voice, expose evil (Eph. 5:11), vote, champion justice, and be the light of the world, but in the confidence and equipping of our Lord.

THE PROPHET DANIEL AND A THEOLOGY OF SUFFERING

The most righteous man, Job, had to suffer that most grievously. Paul, perhaps the Lord’s greatest missionary, had to endure 49 beatings, but all of this had been according to the will of God, as He had informed Ananias: “I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name” (Acts 9:16).

Suffering is not accidental. As God had informed Daniel, it is actually programmed into our lives:

• “And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished.” (Daniel 12:7)

When evil didn’t have a face and had seemed far away in another place and time, it was easier for me to accept. But now, as evil seems to be ready to pounce, it’s another thing:

• As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom. (Daniel 7:21-22)  

• “He [the evil king] shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time... And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’”(Daniel 7:25, 27) 

There’s no mistake about it. We are to be an offering to evil:

• His [the wicked king’s] power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. (Daniel 8:24) 

Everything within me cries out against this, even though we are promised a glorious everlasting kingdom. However, as I watch the growing decimation of the brethren along with our prophesied internal decay (Matthew 24:6-9), I am not finding much consolation, even in light of our promised resurrection:

• “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel 12:2-3)

Instead, I want to fight. However, Daniel often reminds us that the Lord is in perfect control of these horrid but necessary circumstances:

• “And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed.” (Daniel 11:27, 29, 35)

In the hands of this master surgeon, nothing can go wrong, but we are the objects of His surgery:

• “He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder...  and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time.” (Daniel 11:32-33, 35)

The noted preacher, Charles Spurgeon wisely wrote, “If the road to heaven were smooth, heaven wouldn’t be so sweet in the end.” His words mirror those of Peter:

• Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:12-13)

Can I rejoice? Couldn’t our Savior have found a less horrific way to bring us home to be with Him? However, Jesus also prayed for a different way, but submitted Himself to His
Father. I must do likewise.

If purification begins with us (1 Peter 4:17), what will be the fate of the wicked?

• Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.” (Daniel 12:10)

With what understanding must we endure? For one thing, I remind myself that I too require His purifying surgery. For another thing, our calm trust in the Lord in the midst of adversity is our love offering to the world. Daniel’s three friends offered their lives through their faithfulness. They would not worship the King and were therefore thrown into the fiery furnace, from which they were miraculously rescued. As a result

• [King] Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” (Daniel 3:28-29)

Our God accomplishes great things through the faithful witness of His people. Daniel was thrown into a den of lions because he worshipped his God. However, God miraculously speared him:

• Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.” (Daniel 6:25-27)

Our God brings forth good out of evil. He not only speared Daniel but used his faithfulness to bring salvation.

You probably realize by now that I am preaching to myself. I need to! I want to be prepared, even if it means my martyrdom. Paul wrote that when we remain confident, this will serve as a powerful sign of our salvation and the damnation of our oppressors (Phil. 1:27-29). And it might even lead to their repentance.

I also want to be like Daniel. After he finished praying, the archangel Gabriel came and informed him:

• “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved.” (Daniel 9:22-23)

Please understand, I do not want to be a martyr. I’d rather be a warrior, but we are told that when we are persecuted in one place, we should flee to another. Lord, help us to learn your lessons.

Things that Prayer cannot Change

There are things that are unchangeable – things that we simply must accept. James and John requested that Jesus would appoint them to reign at either side of Him once He came into His “glory.” However, He could not grant this request:

• To sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared." (Mark 10:40)

There are many other things that cannot be granted to even our most fervent prayers. The length of our lives has also been determined:

• Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:16)

This can be very discouraging, especially when this pertains to the death our young children, or even miscarriages that God allows in the face of fervent prayer. However, the Psalmist took comfort in the fact that there are certain things that God has written in stone, His pre-ordained stone. Therefore, he continued:

• How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! (Psalm 139:17) 

We find it so comforting to know that our Lord has a precise plan for our lives. This mitigates the worry and the second-guessing – should I have done this or that or… However, this assurance does little to help us accept the loss of our infant. It staggers our understanding, and we grope to find meaning.

Is there a divine wisdom in loss? What sense did it make to Peter when the Lord informed him that he would have to be martyred?

• I [Jesus] tell you [Peter] the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!" (John 21:18-19)

Why instead didn’t Jesus tell Peter to pray about this as He had about the trials that preceded His crucifixion? Why could not Peter escape martyrdom? Why would not prayer prevail in this instance? Instead, Peter would have to glorify God in this manner. His fate was set.

Likewise, the Spirit informed the church at Smyrna that they too would have to die horrifically:

• Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Revelation 2:10)

Once again, there was no mention of a prayer technique that could reverse this horror. Instead, these martyrs would have to prepare themselves for their pre-ordained fate.

However, I do think that some understanding is possible. In another perplexing verse, Paul writes:

• Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. (Colossians 1:24) 

Paul would have to face afflictions similar to that of his Master, and so also the other Apostles. This verse should not be understood to suggest that there was anything lacking in Christ’s atonement on the Cross. Instead, it points to the necessity of Apostolic martyrdom to advance the church, not atone for it. It is because they died the death of martyrs for what they believed that the Apostles are credible witnesses. This is also true for the martyrdom of many of the Church Fathers.

In direct contrast with these martyrs were the “Christian” Gnostics who evidently knew that they had nothing worth dying for. The Honorable Joseph Addison wrote”

• I think it is very remarkable, that there was not a single Martyr among those many Hereticks, who disagreed with the Apostolical church, and introduced several wild and absurd notions into the doctrines of Christianity. They durst not stake their present and future happiness on their own chimerical operations, and did not only shun persecution, but affirmed that it was unnecessary for their followers to bear their religion through such fiery tryals. (The evidences of the Christian Religion)

With their death, the Apostles and the Fathers showed the world that they had something that was worth dying for. And it wasn’t just for a future hope, like the Jihadis who die for their unfounded faith. Instead, Christian martyrdom was also a powerful assertion that what the Apostles had recorded had actually happened!

Peter’s martyrdom would place a seal of truth open everything He had taught. He proved this by dying for the faith.

Certain prayers will not be answered the way we want. Jesus’ wasn’t! He prayed that He wouldn’t have to go to the Cross. However, He was willing to submit to the will of the Father:

• "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42)

Clearly, we cannot expect all of our prayers to be answered. However, how can we accept the death of an infant? What possible purpose could this have in God’s plan?

I cannot answer this with any satisfaction. However, associate professor at Biola University, Clay Jones, offers some suggestions. He and his wife suffered five miscarriages. Consequently, they have remained childless. Jones writes:

• Many important spiritual lessons are learned from the suffering and/or death of children – courage, patience, compassion, selflessness, humility… we learn that we can never base our ultimate happiness on this world. The American Dream – that we can have our kids grow up, graduate, achieve successful careers, marry great spouses, and have wonderful children… - is forever in danger. There is nothing worldly that we can count on, including what most people love most: their children. Instead, we must look to God for our ultimate and eternal fulfillment. (Christian Research Journal, Volume 38, Number 01, 14)

Although there are still many unanswered questions, I can accept this because I accept my Lord. Presently, I am tormented by the reports of grave injustices, especially those committed by ISIS and Boko Haram – the slaughter, kidnapping, and sexual abuse of tens of thousands of Christians and other non-Muslims. Although I had been raised on the Holocaust, I could barely conceive of such horrors or that the “civilized” world would once again allow them.

I am not comfortable in the world. This is not my home. This is increasingly clear. I pray for the end of these horrors, but they continue. For my own sanity, I can do little else but to immerse myself in Scripture and cry out, “Lord Jesus, come quickly!”

I certainly haven’t abandoned prayer. If I had, I would have purchased an AK47 and a one-way ticket to Iraq. Instead, I continue to pray, knowing that our only hope is in our Savior, who strangely is allowing these horrid abominations to continue.

There is so much that I don’t understand, but I do know the Lord and know that He is faithful, whether in martyrdom or in mayhem.