Christian persecution is on the rise across the globe. It’s not just in countries where you might expect it, like North Korea, Eritrea, and Iran, but also in places you wouldn’t, like Australia and Great Britain. Perhaps, like me, as you read the horrific accounts of kidnapping, imprisonment, torture, and murder, you contemplate whether you would stand firm for Christ in similar circumstances.
I think most mature believers would say they are willing to die for Christ rather than deny Him as the Savior He is. I hope that is true of all of us. Even if it is, I must question the sincerity of the claim because there is a tougher question we must answer first. You say you are ready to die for Jesus, but can you live for Jesus?
In some ways, I think it may be easier to die for Him than to live for Him. It’s a terrible statement but one based on what I observe in the world. I see many brave Christians go with courage and conviction to their deaths. But I see far fewer Christians willing to live with boldness in their everyday lives where the consequences are much less dire. How can we say we would die for Christ when the truth is we’ve never lived for Him?
Can you live for Jesus when all your friends are engaging in sinful behavior? Will you have the courage to stand and rebuke them or to walk away? What if following Jesus might cost you your job or your relationship with a very special someone? In most countries, it’s still easy to follow Christ. Even in the United States, where Christian morals and expression are far below what they once were, we’re still free to worship as we wish. We can talk about Jesus on street corners and in our places of business. But do we?
My observation is that it’s much easier to keep silent about our faith. Life is simpler when you don’t make waves. But Jesus said, if we won’t confess Him before men, He won’t confess us before the Father (Matthew 10:32-33). Silence is not the safer option. It’s a short-term escape that leads to eternal ruin (Luke 9:26). Are you doing everything you can to live and look like Jesus (Romans 12:1-2)? If not, what makes you think you will have the strength to die for Him? That strength comes from a life plugged into the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16). It takes a very close walk with our God and King. If you can’t live for Jesus, you won’t die for Him either.
So, what do we do? First, answer the question, “Can you live for Jesus?” Can you devote the entirety of your life to Him without exceptions? None of us are ready to meet the Lord until we have come to the place of living in complete surrender to Him (Luke 14:26-27). We want to believe we would die for Him, but unless we can live for Him, we’re fooling ourselves.
Christ is King of the earth, everyone on the planet, and all the galaxies of the Universe. That is beyond question (Philippians 2:9-11). He came to earth to live a sinless life so He could be the perfect sacrifice for our disgusting multitude of sins (2 Corinthians 5:21). Then He rose again, conquering death, and offering eternal life to those who would receive Him (Romans 6:23). That’s what He did for you. What are you doing for Him? Can you live for Jesus?