Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it, and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. Luke 17:33
Will you die as a martyr for Christ? Unlikely! We are not living in North Korea, where one Christian dies each week on average for the ‘crime’ of having a Bible in their possession. We are not living in Sudan, where hundreds of Christian women and girls are flogged, some of them to death, for wearing ‘indecent clothing’, even though the term ‘indecent clothing’ is undefined by law. We are not living in China, where gatherings of Christians are routinely raided and where Christian leaders frequently ‘disappear’ permanently. We are not living in any of the Islamic lands where any perceived witnessing for Christ is a capital offense. Despite danger signs on the horizon, we are not in peril of our lives because of our faith. So if I as a Christian am to preserve my life by losing it, how do I lose it? I lose it by the choices that I make.
The first and greatest choice was trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. This choice places us in opposition to the vast majority of the people around us who remain under the direction and dominion of the devil. This choice marks us as children of God rather than children of wrath. This choice marks us as those who forsake the sinful pleasures and pursuits that mark the unregenerate world. To the extent that we allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our lives, our lives will be divergent from the vain pursuits of those around us. Our lives will be lost to the fleeting world and saved for the eternal purposes of God.
As we grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, we will encounter choices that need to be made. In particular, we must decide whether to subject ourselves to the authority of the Word of God. If we decide to obey the Word, we will clash with the world that is awash in rebellion against it. The Word directs us to holy living, to baptism, to the fellowship of God’s people, to the gathering to the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to so much more. The decision to obey means we become involved in the Great Commission to carry the Gospel to the unsaved. It also means we reject the evil doctrines of the world and its religions. Growing numbers of Christians are paying the price for this, for example, many are suffering loss and enduring persecution for refusing to endorse and promote homosexuality. The attacks on Christians and on the Bible will only grow and intensify in the days to come. Should we be surprised at this? Not if we believe the Scriptures. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12).
Of all the choices that we make, let us make this one, to trust our God for all that is to come. If we trust in Him, all that we lose of our life here on earth will be gained in the eternal life in the Glory. – Jim MacIntosh