Check this out. - La Shawn Barber has a post on her blog that Christians should be checking out. Though it may have become something more than she intended.
The post is titled: Gunpoint Conversions and Martyrdom.
In thinking about the recent release of the Fox news reporter and cameraman she ponders this question (note that she quite plainly makes known she is not judging the two men because she does not know their spiritual state but the incident spurred the question):
Christians, what would you do if some maniac held a gun to your head and asked you to deny Christ or die? Would you deny the Savior?
The comments to her post are very interesting because Christians and non-Christians are weighing in with answers.
Something that is sad to me is that there are those who say they are Christians but would deny Christ at gunpoint to live. Such statements are either because of spiritual immaturity or because they really don't know Christ.
Concerning the fact that unbelievers are having difficulty understanding why verbally deny the Lordship of Christ is a bad thing, I agree with one person, ZIPLA, who noted the following:
Without the Holy Spirit the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him . . .
At any rate, it is an interesting observation on the spiritual state of so-called Christians in the West. And perhaps evidence of the ever widening separation of true believers from those who are not.
I was talking with friends about this tonight and one mentioned that instead of the gun in La Shawn's questions, place the Mark of the Beast spoken of in Revelation.
So Christians, what would you do if some maniac told you to take the Mark of the Beast or face punishment? Is this really all that different than being told at gun point to deny Christ as Savior or die?
Here's what Revelation says of the Mark of the Beast:
“A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."” (Re 14:9-11 NIV)
And here is something Christ said:
“But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” (Mt 10:33 AV)
Something to ponder as we strive more in our relationship with the Father.
The Great Separation continues.
