P
phaneroo
Guest
[Hebrews 11:35, 37,38]; Women received their dead raised to life again and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance...They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword...of whom the world was not worthy.
Why would a man like Paul who worshipped himself out of prison or one like Peter who is released by an angel choose to die like they did? Why did they die at the stakes, at guillotines or by the swords of unbelieving Roman soldiers? Is it because they did not know better? No. These were men of knowledge; they operated in the places and graces of epignosis. Like our master, they had a command of legions of angels which they could have summoned by will. However, they chose a mode of death in the understanding that the spirit of sacrifice has a ministry to the hearts of men.
The message here is not that men ought to die at stakes or present their necks at guillotines. No. These men, in ministering to us sought to define the price of the gospel to the intent that their lives were not even worth it. The gospel is more expensive than the life of any man.
They shed blood for it; lost families for it; were disfigured for it because it was expected that the sacrifice by which the gospel came to you would not be taken for granted.
Their blood places a demand on the Christian today to have a certain level of accountability. Why spend the night on a movie when you could spend it interceding for the church? Why not preach to your next door neighbour? Why not bring someone to a prayer meeting? Why not give to building the ministry? God now demands a certain zeal from us. We cannot be wanting in the spirit of sacrifice yet its the very spirit that passed on this gospel.
Scripture Reference: Hebrews 12:1, Titus 2:14.
The gospel is more expensive than the life of any man.
Why would a man like Paul who worshipped himself out of prison or one like Peter who is released by an angel choose to die like they did? Why did they die at the stakes, at guillotines or by the swords of unbelieving Roman soldiers? Is it because they did not know better? No. These were men of knowledge; they operated in the places and graces of epignosis. Like our master, they had a command of legions of angels which they could have summoned by will. However, they chose a mode of death in the understanding that the spirit of sacrifice has a ministry to the hearts of men.
The message here is not that men ought to die at stakes or present their necks at guillotines. No. These men, in ministering to us sought to define the price of the gospel to the intent that their lives were not even worth it. The gospel is more expensive than the life of any man.
They shed blood for it; lost families for it; were disfigured for it because it was expected that the sacrifice by which the gospel came to you would not be taken for granted.
Their blood places a demand on the Christian today to have a certain level of accountability. Why spend the night on a movie when you could spend it interceding for the church? Why not preach to your next door neighbour? Why not bring someone to a prayer meeting? Why not give to building the ministry? God now demands a certain zeal from us. We cannot be wanting in the spirit of sacrifice yet its the very spirit that passed on this gospel.
Scripture Reference: Hebrews 12:1, Titus 2:14.
The gospel is more expensive than the life of any man.
