Will we be willing?

Will we understand what the cost is? Have we understood from the heart the words of the apostle Paul when he said that for him to die is Christ and to live is gain? Will we understand the words of Jesus when he said that whoever wants to lose his life for his sake will gain it? Do we continue to give ourselves to the service of God, being willing to lose everything, including our lives?

The church was born under the shadow of the cross. It was part of God's divine plan to give himself (die) for us. It is the greatest display of love, and it is revealed through the complete work of Christ on the cross. We are of such value to Him that He was willing to shed His blood to give us life. Jesus endured the nails, the rejection, the weight of the cross and martyrdom for love of us. The apostle Paul is emphatic about the need to be willing to lose our lives for him (Philippians 1:21, Philippians 2:19, 2 Corinthians 11:23). Even before the apostle, Jesus himself emphasized the need to suffer for his sake, and this account is found in the four gospels (Matthew 10:38-39, Mark 8:34-35, Luke 14:27, John 12: 25). The church was born under the feet of Calvary, it was the death and resurrection of Jesus that gave meaning to our faith.

Jesus' sacrifice for us was always his strategy, and it is this total dedication that God expects from his followers. By grasping the essence of God's dedication to us, we will be able to understand the attitude of his faithful followers. We will be able to understand those who rejoice in tribulations and are willing to give their lives for what they have believed. In Matthew 16:24 Jesus said “ if anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross…”. Taking up our cross is nothing other than being willing to die, for the cause of Christ. Jesus took up his cross out of love for us, to bear our sins on the cross and exempt us from its punishment. By imitating Jesus in taking up our cross, we do not intend to bear on ourselves the sin of those we want to reach. But just as Jesus did, we are willing to strip ourselves of everything (including life) in order to fulfill the will of the Father. The purpose of taking up our cross and following Him is so that we can give ourselves out of love for others.

In the book of Acts, Jesus prophesied to the apostles that the gospel would spread beyond Jerusalem (Acts 1:8). However, the gospel did not begin to spread further until the death of Stephen (the first martyr). It was after his death that “ there was a great persecution against the church that was in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the lands of Judea and Samaria…” (Acts 8:1). Stephen, the rest of the deacons, the apostles and the members of the early church were prepared to lose everything for whom they had believed. Will this continue to be the thought and desire of the Church today?

He who has been willing to lose his life in order to gain more for Christ; those who have decided to take up their cross and follow him; the one who has understood that our treasures should be in heaven, and not on Earth; All those who have set their eyes on Jesus have understood and have decided to give everything for the message of the gospel. Ultimately, it was persecution and martyrdom that solidified the church from its beginnings. Through martyrdom, many came, and still come, to the feet of Jesus. Martyrdom shows the lost and the persecutors, or oppressors, how solid the faith is. Martyrdom causes our faith to increase, and for us to be sanctified. To the extent that suffering for the cause of Christ stops seeming important to us, the love of many begins to cool; the message of the gospel is lost from perspective. We stop being effective, because we no longer fulfill what we were called to do. If martyrdom is the essence of God, suffering for him must be the essence of the church. We must reform our vision and mission. Otherwise, we will end up thinking that it is neither necessary nor normal to suffer for the one who suffered for us.

References:

Piper, John, and Dorcas González Bataller. Contemporary Theological Collection. Ministerial Studies . Vol. 22, Let the Nations Rejoice! The Supremacy of God in the Missions . Viladecavalls, Barcelona: Clie, 2007.

Wardrobe, Alfonso. Martyrs and Persecutors: General History of the Persecutions (9th Centuries) .

Photo: Missionary trip to the Dominican Republic (August 2019)