Don't Be a Secret Christian - What Would it Take to Shut You Up?

Several years ago, my husband preached on the passage Matthew 28:11-15. He spoke of how the guards at the tomb of Jesus were paid off to lie and say that Jesus did not rise from the dead. And as I thought on this I wondered how many believers could be shut up about their faith by some means or other. Thus the title "Don't be a Secret Christian-What Would It Take To Shut You Up?"

The history of Christianity is filled with stories of those who loved Jesus enough to keep speaking out. They didn't back down on their faith. I think of all the martyrs who gave their lives, and others whose mouths would not be shut, even in the face of persecution. 

Just to name a few:

• Stephen, stoned

• James the son of Zebedee, beheaded

• Philip, crucified

• Matthew, killed with a halbert

• James the Less, At the age of ninety-four he was beaten and stoned; and his brains were bashed out 

• Matthias, stoned and beheaded

• Andrew, crucified on an X-shaped cross

• Mark, dragged to death

• Peter, crucified head down because he told his executioners he was unworthy to die as his Lord did

• Paul, persecuted many times over and finally beheaded

• Jude, commonly called Thaddeus, crucified

• Bartholomew, beaten and crucified

• Thomas, thrust through with a spear

• Luke, hanged

• Simon, crucified

• John, boiled in oil but survived miraculously, exiled to the Isle of Patmos

There are countless others. For instance, Polycarp, a student under the apostle John, when asked to renounce Christ and say that Caesar is Lord said, "Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?" He would not recant and thus was burnt alive. Peter and John were commanded to shut up in Acts 4, but they're reply was that they could not help but to speak about the things they had seen and heard. Acts 4. William Tyndale, "Brought forth to the place of execution, he was tied to the stake, strangled by the hangman, and afterwards consumed with fire, at the town of Vilvorde, A.D. 1536; crying at the stake with a fervent zeal, and a loud voice, 'Lord! open the king of England's eyes.'" 

In America, persecution is virtually non-existent, but for others it is still a reality. Within the last ten years, we've heard of Youcef Nadarkhani, Saeed Abedini and countless others being imprisoned for their beliefs and teachings.  You can read accounts of modern day persecutions in the Voice of the Martyrs publications.

 I ask myself and you, what would it take to shut you up? Sadly, many Christians are secret Christians. How many of us really share Christ like we should? So we have already been shut up. We need to share the gospel. We need to decide what we would do with an ultimatum like so many of our brothers and sisters have faced. We better decide now. We better know before the persecution starts. We need to make up our minds, and pray for boldness, that we will stand up and speak up, if and when our time comes.

Let's pray for those around the world whose very lives are on the line as they speak up for the Lord. And lets not take our freedoms for granted. We need to speak up for the Lord Jesus Christ. There are still those who have never heard.

Blessings!

Lisa

Information for the post was obtained from the following:

Fox's Book of Martyrs

Polycarp