Martyrs for Jesus

[B-A-C]

Are you a martyr? Now at first that may seem like a silly question. Of course I'm not a martyr, I'm still alive. You have to be dead to be martyr.

Hmmm... well, yes and no.

The New Testament talks quite a bit about dying to self. Paul wrote all of the verses below to Gentiles.

Rom 6:6; knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

In this context, "self" doesn't mean your body, it means your will, your desires. It means giving up what you want to do, and doing what God wants you to do.

Eph 4:21; if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,
Eph 4:22; that, in reference to your former way of life, you are to rid yourselves of the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,
Eph 4:23; and that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
Eph 4:24; and to put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

We are supposed to get rid of our old selves. Our old former way of living. Our old self needs to die. We need to put on a "new self". This new self is in "the likeness of God".

Col 3:5; Therefore, treat the parts of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
Col 3:6; For it is because of these things that the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,
Col 3:7; and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.
Col 3:8; But now you also, rid yourselves of all of them: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene speech from your mouth.
Col 3:9; Do not lie to one another, since you stripped off the old self with its evil practices,
Col 3:10; and have put on the new self, which is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created it—

Paul says we should die to those parts of our fleshly body that want to commit sexual immorality, impurity, passion, lust and evil desire.
He says it's because people keep doing these things that the wrath of God will be coming upon the "sons of disobedience".
He says "rid yourselves of all" (of these things). Put off the old self, and put on the new self.

If you're still doing the same things you did before you became a Christian... if you're still living the same way you did before you became a Christian... there's a good chance you are still a "son of disobedience" and
your old self hasn't really died.

1Cor 15:31; I affirm, brothers and sisters, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, that I die daily.

Now Paul didn't physically die over and over again every day. But he did have to resist the old self and die to his old desires every day. It wasn't a one-time thing.
We have to die to the old self every day sometimes.

Gal 2:20; I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Gal 5:22; But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal 5:23; gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Gal 5:24; Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Are you a martyr? Have you killed the old self? Has it been crucified with Jesus? Or are your old passions and desires still alive and well?

.. to be continued ...

 

[B-A-C]

The Bible also talks a bit about being "Born again". I go by B-A-C here (Born Again Christian).. I have been asked are there any Christians who aren't born again? Well there are certainly who many
who claim to be Christians who haven't died to the old self. The Bible says we can't be "Born again", unless the old self dies first.

John 3:3; Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:7; Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
1Pet 1:3; Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pet 1:23; for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

Peter says born again of a seed.. but a seed can't grow unless it dies first.

1Cor 15:36; You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies;

John 12:24; Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
John 12:25; The one who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life.

A seed has to die before it can bring new life. Our old life has to die in order to bring forth new life. In order to be "Born again".
Now I know a number of people who claim to be "born again", but they sure don't live like it. They look and act exactly like they did before they got saved.
If you're still holding onto and loving your old life... you need to let it die. You should be hating the old self.

 

[B-A-C]

There has been a lot of discussion about baptism, and whether it is a requirement to be saved.... but even if it isn't, we are told to be baptized
over a dozen times in the New Testament, Jesus did it, the disciples did it, and great multitudes of people who followed Jesus did it.
Now what does baptism have to do with dying to self? I'm glad you asked...

Rom 6:3; Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?
Rom 6:4; Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.

Col 2:12; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
Col 2:13; And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings,

Baptism is a symbolism of dying to the old self. When we get baptized we are symbolically burying the old self with Jesus. When we are raised out of the water, we are raised as a "new man"
a "born again" man who has crucified the old self.

Rom 8:12; So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—
Rom 8:13; for if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Rom 8:14; For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God.

It's those people who put the old self to death, that are the sons and daughters of God.

 

[Dave M]

I remember first thing I craved for when coming out of the catholic church was to be properly baptized, no change of clothes , and winter time and I could not wait to jump in all cloths on LOL

I know of at least one person who claims to be christian that has no desire to be baptized, I know of many more that claim to be christian that think they were baptized as a infant, after all the catholic church gives you a certificate and all.

 

[Admon Mikha'el]

Interesting thoughts B.A.C A martyr is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, refusing to renounce, or refusing to advocate a religious belief or cause as demanded by an external party. Yeah....Your thoughts could fit here...