Martyrdom is not a pleasant topic to dwell on. For many reasons, we tend to avoid it, perhaps because we believe our faith has evolved beyond such a grim reality. However, I suspect this avoidance stems from a faith that has been tamed, made comfortable within a nation founded on principles that have increasingly been neglected, rejected, or overturned in the hearts and minds of many who still call themselves Christians.
The events of the past few days have served as a stark reminder that we live in what can be described as a post-Christian nation. This does not mean Christians no longer exist, but rather that many who claim the name possess a faith that is often anemic, sometimes even unfounded. Too many have embraced a hollow version of faith—a belief in nothing eternal, transcendent, or sovereign—mistaking it for something better than no faith at all. These might be faithful adherents to faith itself.
We might begin to detect this defective faith in response to the question. Why did this assassination of Charlie Kirk happen? Clearly it was the work of the enemy! Surely God would have stopped it if He could. We’ve been robbed of all the good things that could have been. If only…things had turned out differently.
This diluted or misplaced faith accounts for much of the moral and spiritual decline in a country that was not founded merely on the idea of faith, but on the person in whom our faith must be anchored. Moving forward, the path to healing and recovery from these recent tragedies demands that we re-examine and challenge the nature of the faith we profess. Is it worth having? What is its origin? What is its content? Who is its focus?
Scripture is replete with examples of martyrdom, underscoring its enduring relevance. With the exception of John, the author of Revelation, all of Christ’s apostles met martyr’s deaths. Revelation itself makes clear that martyrdom remains a reality until the end of time. In Revelation 7:13–15, we glimpse a profound scene:
Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.” (Revelation 7:13–15)
Beyond Revelation, the book of Hebrews, following its powerful recounting of the “hall of faith” in chapter 11, speaks of a “great cloud of witnesses” in chapter 12. This cloud, already vast in the time of the apostles, has only grown larger as history unfolds. It will not reach its fullness until every member of this sacred assembly—those clothed in white robes—has been gathered. We cannot peer behind the veil to know precisely who these martyrs are or when they join this collective, but we can affirm with confidence that martyrdom remains a purposeful reality in God’s redemptive plan.
Martyrs are prepared not taken. Hang with me till the end. I know that is a big statement.
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1–2)
So, how do we confront this sobering reality? I submit that we do not “do” anything with it in the sense of manipulating or escaping it. Instead, we must recognize it without succumbing to despair or, worse, doubting the sovereign hand of a loving God. One of the tragic consequences of an anemic Christian faith is the rejection of God’s sovereignty. Some have gone so far as to attribute inexplicable events—such as those of September 10—to the work of the enemy rather than the will of God. This is a dangerous and misguided lie, one that some Christians, to their shame, profess. They are profoundly mistaken.
The truth is that God works in mysterious and sometimes perplexing ways, but He does so purposefully, wisely, and sovereignly. To question whether God authored the events of recent days, including the life and death of His faithful servant, is to diminish His greatness. The same truth applies to each of us—our births, our deaths, and every moment in between are held within His sovereign plan. These are difficult, even unfathomable mysteries, but their incomprehensibility does not make them untrue. On the contrary, it is profoundly comforting to know that every tragedy, no matter how grievous, is purposefully in God’s design and so is all the “not tragic” things especially the positively good results of tragedy.
“When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.” (Revelation 6:9-11)
Neither God’s children nor the world He created are wholly subject to the enemy. Not a single molecule in creation operates outside His control. Can I explain every detail of His plan? Certainly not. But can I entrust these mysteries to His hands? Absolutely—and so should you.
For those who believe God was absent from the events of September 10, I offer no explanation to unravel that misunderstanding except what has been given in His Word.
Unbelief in God’s Sovereign design is a knot you must untangle on your own. He’s already given the answer. Read the book.
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