The recent beheading of twenty-one Coptic Christians from Egypt by the terrorist group ISIS has caused many reactions from both believers and nonbelievers alike. In many instances, there has been deep sadness for these men and their families; in others, there has been deep anger in response to this barbaric act. Some are calling for swift justice through a decisive military response; others seek to engage in dialogue with the group in order to determine what the root causes are for their actions. Those who seek to view the world and what happens in it through the lens of their faith can sometimes feel overwhelmed in a situation like this. Do we pray for God’s justice, or do we pray for the members’ of ISIS conversion? And what does the martyrdom of these twenty-one men say to us as believers today?
As I’ve thought about this situation, Rev. 6:9-11 has been at the forefront of my mind in response to these questions. In response to the first question, the answer is simply, “Yes.” We should pray for the conversion of those who make up ISIS away from the false religion of Islam to the true faith of Christianity. Make no mistake: adherents to Islam, should they die in their unbelief in Christ as their Lord and Savior, will not be admitted to heaven. They have accepted a false gospel, one that teaches salvation by works (just as all false religions do). So, pray that they may come to know the grace of God through His Son, Jesus. But it is also OK to pray for God’s justice. The martyrs under the altar of heaven in the Scripture reference above pray for this very thing, and we can see such calls for justice throughout Scripture. One word of caution, however: when you are praying for God’s justice, why are you praying for it? Is it because you are angry at the perpetrators of these acts? Is there some hatred towards them because of what they do? Be cautious, brothers and sisters, because this kind of hate can be subtle and difficult to see in ourselves, because we can mask it in any number of good sounding rationales. When we see calls for God’s justice in Scripture, it’s always because of the heartbreak the petitioner has because these actions are ultimately attacks on God Himself. It is always wise and worthwhile to examine our own actions.
In answer to the second question, I also think of this passage from Revelation. We see in v. 11 that the martyrs are told to “rest a little longer” until such time as the total number of martyrs that God has set is reached. Often, when we think of what must happen before the end can come, we think of Jesus telling His disciples that the Gospel must be proclaimed to every nation (Matt. 24:14). Here in Rev. 6:11, we see the other side of that same coin. I want you to consider that these work hand in hand: as the Gospel is proclaimed in the world, the number of martyrs will increase. When we hear of brothers and sisters being martyred, our hearts should simultaneously be broken and encouraged. We grieve for their families (though not as those without hope), but we should know that each martyr is known by God and will be avenged by the King. Each martyr brings us closer to the number that only God knows. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus! Just something to think about.
-Pastor Roy
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