Christians Living Under Freedom
Here in America, preachers call us to make a deeper commitment to Christ. The question is worded two or three ways:
- “What are you willing to sacrifice to follow Jesus?”
- “What is the Lord calling you to surrender?”
- “What will you put on the altar today?”
The Holy Spirit convicts us and we surrender a new part of our lives to Christ. This surrendering process is life-long. From my own experience, I know there will always be something new for the Holy Spirit to tap me on the shoulder about.
But how well would I do if I was called to suffer for my faith?
Turns out I’m asking the wrong question.
The Deeper Question
Believers under persecution ask themselves a deeper question. “What am I willing to lose to follow Jesus?” Because in their society it’s costly to be a Christian.
What can a persecuted Christian lose?
- A promotion or a good job.
- A college education for their children.
- The ability to provide food, clothing and a home for their loved ones.
- Family, either through rejection or physical violence.
- Freedom. In certain countries, imprisonment is a very real threat.
- Their life.
Knowing what could happen, these believers settle this question in their hearts before life turns bad. They know persecution will come, so they prepare ahead of time.
Because the only people not harassed and persecuted are those who cave in to society’s pressure and turn away from following Christ.
Peter’s Denial vs. Daniel’s Strength of Character
Why did Peter deny Christ? This is my hunch; sitting with his friends and enjoying the Passover feast, he didn’t know how dangerous life was going to become in the next few hours.
The Apostle Peter:
- Didn’t prepare his heart ahead of time.
- Under sudden threat, he panicked and made the wrong decision.
- Repented immediately with bitter tears.
- Grew strong in his faith.
- According to tradition, he eventually died a martyr’s death.
However, I don’t believe Daniel was a braver man than Peter.
Living in a pagan land, Daniel had determined that no matter what it cost him, he would not deny his God and bow down to foreign idols. His decision was set in concrete decades before the trial came (Daniel 6).
My Spiritual Point
Why not start asking the question?
What am I willing to lose in order to follow Christ?
This image came from Pixabay.com.
