To Die is Gain

One of the more intriguing questions of life to me is why the church seems to have so little apparent impact on our community and our nation. I know that some churches are booming, but it seems that, even in light of church growth, there is little change in the moral fabric of our society except in a downward direction.

Maybe it's just my perspective and things are much more positive than they appear on the surface. Yet I do not see much evidence of an improvement in morality – especially in our political leadership. I certainly do not see a love of Christ or a desire for knowing and worshiping God.

I think that here is one reason this may be true.

Hebrews 9.22 says, "Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins."

I have always interpreted that verse on a limited basis – that "shedding of blood" refers to the shedding of the blood of Christ, and "remission of sins" refers to the sins remitted by the blood of Christ. The verse should certainly be interpreted this way.

Yet what if there is more to its meaning? Could this verse also mean that persecution – or more appropriately, martyrdom – is that which makes the Gospel message effective?

In America, we are shielded from persecution by the First Amendment. Could the reason that the church seems to be so impotent in impacting our culture is that there is no persecution? (I mean persecution in the New Testament sense of Hebrews 11, not that your friends won't speak to you because you went to church and not to the beach.)

How many of us are willing to die for what we believe concerning Christ? Could it be that, for the church to grow, we must go and die as necessary?

Tertullian said, "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church."

An article I read recently said it this way: "The blood of the martyrs is a necessary means for the worldwide application of Christ's great redemptive accomplishment."

The church is the body of Christ; thus, our blood is His blood. This brings a new significance to Paul's testimony in Phil. 1.21: "For me, to live is Christ, to die is gain."

Earlier in the year, I preached on this verse and made the point that Paul was in a quandary. His desire was to go to be in the presence of Christ, but he also knew that he had a mission to accomplish in establishing and strengthening the church. Paul clearly expresses that conflict of heart.

But in light of the thoughts of this blog – that "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church" – the concept of "to die is gain" also takes on new meaning.

Historically, the church blossoms in times of persecution. It languishes in times of peace.

The Apostle Peter wrote, "For to this (persecution) you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps." (1 Peter 2:19-21)

We pray for our churches to grow, but would we be so strong to desire growth if we knew that the price for growth involves losing our freedom or possibly our lives for the cause of Christ?

Just thinking.