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Will You Die For Jesus?
Growing up on the plains of New Mexico, I was told that we lived in a Christian Nation. I thought everyone believed in Jesus and most people went to church. We were taught what was right and what was sinful.
The schools taught us the basic subjects we needed and about our country’s History. We studied why and how we won our freedom from the British. The Constitution was taught to us and how it came to us at a great cost in lives.
We were taught to respect those who had paid with their lives defending that Constitution. It was understood that our country was unique in protecting our God given rights.
You may have memorized the preamble. “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
The Bill of Rights
We were also taught the Bill of Rights which protects us from the government taking away basic God-given rights. Rights such as the First Amendment, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
The Second Amendment was to protect us if our government was to become corrupt in the future. It states, “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
This is just the first two. However, these are the first two that totalitarian governments take away. We have seen a concentrated effort to remove these rights over the past thirty years by men and women in our government.
Why do I mention this in an article about your willingness to die for Jesus?
Over the past years, I have seen this country change drastically. There has been a change in the way we look at our government. We now see more and more people willing to give up their freedoms for a government handout.
Once children in our nation’s schools were free to pray and had the Ten Commandments posted. Today, every Biblical value is under attack by special interest groups and often by our government. First prayer and the Ten Commandments were removed from schools. Many schools became indoctrination centers teaching and promoting all kinds of activities contrary to God’s Laws.
Children have even been taken from parents who are not willing to support the child’s idea of what sex they are. Schools have also invited sexually perverted individuals to help indoctrinate the children.
Churches have stopped preaching God’s Righteousness and even accept the worldview over God’s Commands. Some believe that your choices are more important than God’s Laws.
Hate groups are rioting in the streets and chanting “Death” to those they are targeting. Police, Jews, Christians, and people with conservative views are targeted because they will not yield to evil. When Police arrest lawbreakers, they are released by evil officials who have rejected law and order.
A Grandmother was jailed for praying in front of an abortion clinic. Churches have been spied on by the FBI and looked upon as terrorist organizations. People lost their First Amendment rights during COVID-19. Christians were illegally ordered not to assemble and it was enforced in some cities.
When I look at our wickedness, I am reminded of King Nebuchadnezzar.
This is the Bible’s account of a government gone out of control. God allowed King Nebuchadnezzar to conquer all the nations known to him. He was in a position where he could do good or evil. He established order within his empire and built a large and efficient government.
Each of the conquered people worshiped the gods they made. He decided that he would unite the people in one religion to give him even greater control. So, he built a 90-foot tall and 9-foot wide statute of gold and ordered all those under his control to worship it.
I find this much like our government trying to force us to accept evil acts that God forbids. They label them as normal and protect those guilty of moral sins. If we speak of some sins, it is considered hate speech.
Should Christians obey laws that are contrary to God’s Law?
God gives us a good example of how we should act in Daniel the third chapter. Everyone was told to bow down and worship the king’s golden idol every time they heard music played on certain instruments.
God’s people refused!
Pay close attention to the following Scripture.
Daniel 3:16-18 NIV says, 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
The penalty for not bowing and worshiping was to be thrown into a furnace. We have not faced anything like that yet. However, unless something changes, we may shortly. In some countries, Christians are beheaded for their faith by Muslims.
Recently I received a mailing to raise funds to fight terrorist organizations. When I looked at the list I was shocked to see Christians listed as one of the terrorist groups. Others, like Hamas, are terrorist groups. However, does following Jesus make us terrorists? Does it put us in the same category as the Hamas murderers and rapists? Certainly Not!
Will God deliver you?
He may or may not deliver us. Scripture is clear that we will face tribulation. Many early Christians were put to death and we still see it happening today. Will it happen in our country? It may if sin is allowed to flourish. Our faith requires us to take a stand against evil.
When we take a stand against evil we can expect the forces of evil to come after us.
My prayer is that we will be able to stand up like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Our God is still able to deliver us and we must walk in faith that He will.
However, if it is not God’s will to deliver us, our testimony should be the same as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
They said, “But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
We must stand against evil regardless of the earthly costs! Our Salvation is sure and we need to have no fear of death or imprisonment.
Yes, you may have to die for Jesus.
Men and women have died for Jesus ever since He was crucified and rose from the grave. All of the Apostles except John were executed for their faith and John spent years on the prison island of Patmos. Rome fed Christians to the lions and many other governments persecuted them.
Recently, Muslim radicals have slit the throats of believers for their faith in Jesus. Even when not killed many are thrown into prisons. I need to point out that many Muslims believe this is wrong but are afraid to take a stand against the radicals.
Followers of Jesus must be willing to stand by our faith even if it becomes illegal! We must stand even if it costs us prison or our lives.
Would you save your life at the cost of your soul?
Some people surely will. Jesus says in Matthew 16:25 NKJV, For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
God does not promise that He will deliver us from horrible events in life. He promises to be with us and that we will have eternal life in Him.
Will your faith be like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? There was no question that their lives were in danger and they were willing to die if necessary before denying God. In their case, they were thrown into the superheated furnace. God was there with them and they were delivered.
Is your faith as sure as theirs? Will you be able to say, “Even if God does not deliver me I want you to know, that I will not disobey God.
You need to make that decision now before you face it. As we stand against wickedness and evil in our country and even in our churches, we will be attacked by the enemies of God.
Our prayer should always be, Your Will, Oh God, be done in all things.