When our lives are threatened whether by crime or by persecutors attacking us because of our beliefs -- what should we do? Should we just put up with it and hope we’re not killed, or do we try to get away from the situation? Or if you’re having to proclaim Christ, or pushed to deny Him, but your life is on the line, then what? Let’s talk about that today.
JESUS several times moved away from situations that could have cost Him his life “before his time” had come to die. What about us? Should we always “just stay put” and trust God, or will there be more and more frequent times coming ahead when we really should leave where we are, or the situations we’re in, or even leave the town where we live?
Ponder what I’m saying. There will be times when we should flee, and times when we must face the martyrdom. Let’s discuss it.
I’M NOT here referring to when we see the abomination of desolation stand up in the coming temple of God in Jerusalem – but for events long before that. For sure, once we see the abomination of desolation standing in the third temple coming soon, for sure any believers in Judea at least are told to immediately get out and head for the hills. Get out of Judea, get out of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:15-22).
I’m referring first in this blog to situations we may have to face more and more frequently as persecution ramps up. Let’s look at Jesus’ own examples when his life was threatened before his time was up. In Luke 4:16-27, Jesus was preaching in his own home town of Nazareth. He had made some comments about Gentiles that infuriated his audience. Look at what happened. You may want to read the verses before 28. Everyone, apparently even women, in the synagogue of Nazareth were so upset they wanted to kill Jesus.
Luke 4:28-30 NIV “All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.”
Somehow he was able to get away quickly perhaps miraculously. He didn’t just stay there and let them kill him. I know this exact spot in Nazareth, as we’ve been there and to this very cliff. He would have been killed. And you’ll notice that after this he mostly lived in Capernaum, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, not Nazareth. Of course numerous times they sought to kill Jesus after this. And then Paul of course, and Peter and others, also had beatings and death threats and many early believers were in fact, killed. Even James the brother of John was beheaded (Acts 12:1-4). Herod had even intended on killing Peter, though an angel saved him in Acts 12. So don’t believe that God will always protect all his children from death and persecution.
Here’s another example where they wanted to kill Jesus – and what HE did.
John 8:58-59 NIV "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.”
WHY did they want to kill him? Because he used the very name of God – I AM – and applied it to himself. Of course he could, as he was the very Word of God who had become flesh (John 1:1-3, 14). But they considered that blasphemy.
John 10:27-39 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. 30 I and My Father are one."
31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?"
33 The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."
34 Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods"'? 35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him."
39 Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.”
He didn’t just stay in life-threatening situations before his time, just trusting God to save him. Let’s learn from that. He trusted in God, of course, but he also got out of, away from, these life and death situations.
Are you seeing the lessons for us today?
The brethren of the early Jerusalem church had to leave Jerusalem when Saul/Paul started making it too dangerous to remain there. They had already stoned Stephen to death in Acts 7.
Acts 8:1-3 “Now Saul was consenting to his (Stephen’s) death.
At that time, a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.”
Are you getting the point? Pray – and then seriously consider moving to a different home, a different town, when that kind of dangerous persecution comes upon all who believe in Jesus Christ. It can and will happen again. I do not believe the persecution will be aimed solely at a specific corporate church, but more likely – in my view – to all who openly claim to be believers in Yeshua, in Jesus Christ. The name of Jesus will be the focus point, I believe.
God does NOT promise to always protect us from death during persecution. Stephen was stoned to death. James the brother of John was beheaded (Acts 12:1-3). Even Jesus of course we killed. ALL twelve apostles apparently died violent deaths except John, but even he was saved by God from a cauldron of boiling oil, at least according to tradition.
As a Christian, many of us could actually be killed – and Christ and God certainly allowed a lot of brethren through the millennia to be persecuted and killed. Read on your own Hebrews 11:35-40.
The worst part of it is that much of this deadly persecution may come from our own family, who have been persuaded by government that they’re doing the right thing to turn us in. Those are Jesus’ own words.
Surely God wants us to be willing to move away when we can if our life and the lives of your family are in danger. But then other times we must face the accusers and persecutors, witness about Christ, even to the point of being martyred.
Did you know that the root meaning of martyr from the Greek “martus” means to be a witness? Now look especially at verse 23 below.
Matthew 10:21-23 "Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”
It sounds like many will have to move many times. I get that it says “Israel” but I think the principle will apply all around the world to true believers.
So be willing to move to a different town if your life depends on it. Be willing to flee dangerous groups or situations. Have a plan ready, even supplies in a “bug out bag” ready for times when you have to move quickly – including your Bible, water purifiers, lighters, matches, food, basic clothing. Your cell phone will be used against you, to find you – so think about that one.
But remember, when the Abomination of desolation sets up in the temple, those in Jerusalem OR Judea must not even go back to their house to get their jacket or their pets or anything! Just get out! Read Matthew 24:15-22.
Luke 17:31-32 "In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. 32 Remember Lot's wife.”
When you combine the verses I’ve given in this blog – we see two things: 1 - there will be, must be, times to flee and save your life when you can. 2 – when you have to witness for Christ, do so with courage and grace, even if we die.
In Luke 17:26-30, Jesus says the very end time will be like the days of Noah and Lot. Everything was going on as normal. People were buying and selling, building homes, getting married, etc. – and then SUDDENLY the end came. And in Lot’s case, it was a matter of a few HOURS from when the angels came to when they had to drag Lot and his wife and two daughters out of Sodom. It was hard for them to believe it had all come down to that moment (Gen. 19:15-17). They didn’t seem very eager to leave!
But if you try to save your life by denying Christ or what you believe – that seems to fit the next verse, Luke 17:33. I believe that verse is referring to seeking to save your life from being a martyr when God IS wanting to let you testify about Christ. In those cases, we must be willing to die. Read Hebrews 11:35-40. Remember you can hover your mouse of the scripture and the verse will show up.
And yes, in the very last days, there will be many thousands of true believers who will die, who will be put to death by the Beast power and false prophet discussed in Revelation 13:7-8 and elsewhere. See Daniel 7:21, 25 and Daniel 8:24-25. The power of the saints will be broken (Daniel 12:7). Remember even God’s Two Witnesses will be put to death (Revelation 11:7-9). And yes, we MUST also be willing to die, if we can’t move away in time. And we must never ever deny our Lord and Saviour.
Luke 17:32-33 “Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.”
So there will be times to flee, and “get out of Dodge” as we say in America, and there will be times when we must face the consequences of believing in Jesus – and die for him, as he died for us.
The key is to really deeply know that you know your God and Savior, and that Jesus knows you. Seek to be pleasing to him at all times. And look forward to the kingdom of God. Even Jesus was able to go through what he did, looking forward to the joy that lay before him. That’s our example too.
Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the JOY that was set before Him ENDURED the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”