WHAT DOES “BEING A WITNESS FOR THE LORD JESUS INVOLVE?” – OUR PREPAREDNESS TO FACE ANY EVENTUALITY

Witnessing for the LORD Jesus Christ can cost us our everything including our very life. This is evident from the Church history; especially if we look at the early Church. Peter was crucified upside down; Stephen was stoned to death; John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod at the whimsical request of a dancing girl; James, the brother of John was killed by sword; Philip was crucified; Matthew was killed with an ax; Matthias was stoned to death; Andrew was crucified; Thomas was speared to death; Paul was beheaded; and John died of old age as an exiled prisoner on the island of Patmos; imprisoned for his faith, and probably tortured.

A very interesting fact should help us gain a deeper understanding of what it means to live and proclaim the gospel of the LORD Jesus Christ. Eric Barger, writing in his article, “The Price of Being A Witness” observes that the word…“Witnesses” appears 24 times in the King James, [which] comes from the Greek word martus and is defined: 1. a witness…those who after his example have proved the strength and genuineness of their faith in Christ by undergoing a violent death…To be a witness is to be a willing martyr for Jesus Christ!…Witness is what we are to do and witnesses is what we are to become – regardless of the outcome. It is certainly not that we must die to be a faithful witness, only that we are completely willing if need be.” – Eric Barger

We can clearly see from the Greek word *martus* used for “witness” in English, the history of the early Church, and the Christian history down through the ages, that witnessing for the LORD Jesus Christ can cost us our everything including our very life.
– “When one considers the correlation of witnessing for Jesus Christ and losing your life for doing so it is no wonder that martus translates to both witness and martyr.” – Eric Barger

The written Word of God exhorts us to walk a path with a clear heart and mind about the cost of believing in the LORD Jesus, and for being His witnesses in this world.
– “23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?” – Luke 9:23-25

Let us seek the face of the LORD to help us walk on His path with a steadfast commitment, and an unflinching faith. Even so, the LORD Jesus help us.