Heb11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented
In church history, Martin Luther was the father of protestant reformation of doctrines. Martin Luther wrote 95 theses, a document listing various oppressive and unbiblical practices of the Roman Catholic Church.
Luther posted his theses on the door of the church at Wittenberg on October 31, 1517, now known as Reformation Day. The reformers popularized the Latin word 'Sola' meaning only.
Their theology hinged on five 'solas' and they are: sola scriptura: “Scripture alone”, Sola fide: “faith alone”, Sola gratia: “grace alone”, Solo Christo: “Christ alone” and Soli Deo gloria: “to the glory of God alone”. All these distinguished the Roman Catholic theology from the Protestant's.
However, there was a reformer who lived before Martin Luther and John Calvin. His name is John Huss. He was a Czech priest who was burned at the stake for heresy against the doctrines of the Catholic Church.
Particularly he fought against the wrong doctrines of Ecclesiology and the Eucharist as taught by the Roman Catholic Church.
Also, he opposed the sale of indulgence. An indulgence was a payment to the Catholic Church that purchased an exemption from punishment (penance) for some types of sins.
Huss was martyred on July 6, 1415. He refused to recant his position of the charges that were brought against him.
On the day he died he was said to have stated, "God is my witness that the things charged against me I never preached. In the same truth of the Gospel which I have written, taught, and preached, drawing upon the sayings and positions of the holy doctors, I am ready to die today".
How convinced are you about your beliefs in Christ? You are not convinced about your faith in Jesus If you can't die for it.
Those we call the heroes and heroines of our christian faith had something in common- they were ready to suffer for their faith in Christ Jesus even unto death. Today, there's a reversal of that attitude.
We no longer hear messages that deepen our resolve to follow Christ even If it means dying. Little wonder why there are many compromising Christians today.
I doubt If most of us can endure half of the persecutions the early Christians endured. We read about them as If their experiences were tales. No they are not.
I once heard a preacher berating missionaries who suffer for their calling. He insinuated that most of them were not sent. What an error!
Absence of suffering is not a validation of our calling neither does it invalidate it. Modern Christians don't like this type of message because scriptures that talk about suffering for the faith isn't in their bibles.
For it is commendable If someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God ( 1 Peter 2:19 NIV).
Suffering for our conviction in Christ is part of our calling in Christ: "Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus WILL suffer persecution" ( 2 Timothy 3:12).
I present to you the whole counsel of God as it was, and is and shall continue to be.
CONFESSION: Father, I will follow you till the end even If it means suffering for your name.
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