By: Steve Wilmot
Edgerton, Ohio
“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Jesus in Luke 9.23).
“All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Jesus in Matthew 10.22).
“Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you” (Jesus in John 15.20).
“Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers” (Jesus in Matthew 24.9).
On September 10, we saw the truth of Jesus’ words in the shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk. He’s just the latest in a long line of Christians martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ
He wasn’t the first… and he won’t be the last. It started with Jesus himself. Then, Stephen, the first Christian martyr.
From the day they killed Stephen, a great persecution broke out against Christians, not just the apostles. Ordinary people like you and me. Luke tells us Saul began to go from house to house in search of Christians. When he found any, he imprisoned them.
Surely that would do the trick. Silence these confounded Christ-followers. Instead, they left Jerusalem and scattered all over Judea, preaching the word wherever they went (Acts 8.1-4).
In time, each apostle except John was martyred rather than cower in fear of persecution, conflict, and division within their families, and rejection by the anti-Jesus culture in which they lived, and even death.
Despite what we American Christians believe, being a follower of Jesus Christ isn’t supposed to be easy. It’s not all roses and sunshine. We’re not called to blend into society and keep our mouths shut.
Charlie Kirk wouldn’t play along, and he was assassinated for it. But if the aim was to quiet Christians, it backfired.
Grab a Kleenex and read this example posted by Crissy Tucker Walton on Facebook. “A lot of people that either first meet me or don’t really know me that well have no idea that I’m a Christian. From looking at me… you wouldn’t know.
(She wipes tears from her eyes with a shaky voice.) I think I’m getting choked up because that’s not the way I want my relationship with God to be.
“I’ve been lukewarm. The reference — I don’t know it by heart because I don’t read my Bible enough. It says, Revelation 3.15-16: ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!
So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth.’ It says it’s describing the Laodicean church warning against complacent, apathetic faith that’s neither fully committed to God or actively against him, but indifferent.
“From where I live — I live in the State of Oregon — and I had a conversation with someone today… and he said to me, ‘There’s a general consensus of the conservatives in Oregon like ‘hey, as long as it’s not happening on my lawn, as long as it’s not affecting me personally, I don’t want to hear about it. I don’t want to see it unless I have to.’ That’s just being indifferent.
“I don’t want to be lukewarm anymore. So, um, this isn’t about Charlie Kirk. It’s so much bigger than that. It’s so much bigger, and we’re being called… People keep talking about a shift. I felt it too.
“So, for me right now, I don’t care if you want to unfriend me. If you don’t like emotional people. If you don’t like people from Oregon.
If you don’t like Christians, I don’t care. Because the part I’m not going to be indifferent about is my faith. I’m going to be indifferent about other people’s opinion, which is how I should have been to begin with.
“I’m not going to worry about offending anyone because my relationship with Jesus Christ is more important to me. And it always should have been. And for that, my heart hurts. But that changes today with this video
This is how I’ve felt all day today and yesterday. And I finally feel like I can feel the Holy Spirit again. “So, thank you for your sacrifice, Charlie.” Let me wrap up today’s column with a challenge for you.
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13.5). “Be on your guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong” (1 Corinthians 16.13).
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Steve Wilmot is a former Edgerton, Ohio area pastor who now seeks “to still bear fruit in old age” through writing. He is the author of seven books designed to assist believers to make steady progress on their spiritual journey.