Every Christian must be a man or woman of prayer. Whenever we pray according to the will of God, He hears us. We must know God’s will to pray accordingly, and the only way to know God’s will is to have an abiding relationship with Jesus Christ. (Jn 15:7) As we believe and trust in the Lord with complete dependence, He guides us as we read the Word with faith. Moreover, our prayers must extend into intercessory prayers, as we pray for the brethren in love. We love as Jesus loved us when we pray for one another. (Rom 8:34) Christians must recognize their priesthood unto God and give themselves to prayer by interceding for one another. (1Pet 2:9) In this portion of John’s letter, we see why love and intercessory prayer are always bound together.

Without love, there is no motivation to do anything. Intercessory prayer is motivated by love alone. We must understand how deep our relationships are with fellow believers. It is deeper than earthly familial ties, because we have the same heavenly Father, and the same divine nature. The early church knew this, and in love were willing to risk their own lives for one another. (Matt 12:50; Rom 16:3-4) In verse 16 where John refers to sin not leading to death, he is referring to praying for brothers and sisters in Christ who are growing distant from the Lord because of different circumstances, such as sufferings or sin. Genuine believers are preserved by God’s power- no matter what sin they commit, their salvation is forever secured by the objective work of Christ. (1Jn 1:9; 2:1-2) Believers may, however, experience periods in their life when they wander away from the Lord. It is by the prayers of the brethren, motivated by love, that can restore them back to fellowship with the Lord and His church.

Intercessory prayer is done by love. It is natural to pray for the brother you truly love. We see Jesus’ divine love on the cross when He prayed for those who crucified Him. (Lk 23:34) We are to love like Jesus, and pray for one another without ceasing. (Acts 7:60; 20:31) We pray by asking– we consider our brother’s situation as our own, and with fervency and love, we pour out our hearts to God for our brother. (Matt 15:22; Lk 18:6-7) Our intercessory prayers result in life and restoration for the brethren. (Lk 22:32; James 5:16) In verse 16, Apostle John speaks of a sin leading to death. This is the sin of apostasy. (1Jn 2:18-19) He speaks of those who know the truth, but willfully deny the truth for their own self-gain. Those who reject, deny, and rebuke the conviction of the Holy Spirit can not be restored. (Matt 12:31-32; Heb 6:4-6)

All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death. (v.17) Only Christians can pray for those who can be restored from their struggles and sins. God has given us the gift of intercessory prayer to love one another, and we are built up and matured only as we pray for one another. Our prayers must be motivated by love, and done in love, because God looks at the heart of those who call on Him. Let us therefore see our brother with a heart of compassion, and pray for him in love. God Himself will restore and for him give life.

Eternal life is to know God and to live in His presence. Many of us think eternal life pertains only to our future state in heaven, but in this part of Apostle John’s letter we learn that eternal life is here for us now to fully enjoy, taste, and rejoice in. How can we be assured of this eternal life that is here, yet not fully established?

By faith. Eternal life can be experienced by saving faith alone. Apostle John wrote his letter so believers would have no doubt of their eternal life. Through all the trials and sufferings of life, believers can count eternal life as their untarnished hope and most precious possession. (Phil 3:8) Saving faith has these three elements-

– The right source. (v.13) The only source of eternal life is Jesus Christ, and Christ is only known through the gospel. The entirety of Scripture contains the gospel, its essence in Jesus’ death and resurrection. (Jn 20:30-31) God came to the world in human flesh to die in our place. His love, hope, and forgiveness is wrapped up in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and offered to undeserving sinners by His grace alone. Jesus Christ is the right and only source of eternal life. (Rom 10:9, 17; Jn 1:11-12)

– The right response. (v.13) Faith is not merely an intellectual assent, but it is a total trust and dependence on Christ alone. Faith involves repentance- a turning away from sin and turning into Christ- which cultivates your heart to receive forgiveness through the gospel. (Matt 3:1-3) It brings about transformation as faith operates in your heart, bearing the fruit of love for God and for the church.

– The right object. (v.13) Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the only object of saving faith. He alone was fully God and fully man, able to stand as man’s sinless substitute to bear the infinite weight of God’s wrath in His divinity. (Jn 1:1-3) He alone conquered sin and death forever by His resurrection. We must depend on Christ alone for our justification. Do you believe and live in the gospel? By faith alone, you can be assured of eternal life.

By prayer. Prayer is the first proof of those who have eternal life. It is the expression of faith, the foundation of the Christian’s every act and belief. Those who are kept from falling away are those with genuine faith, whose lives are marked by prayer. Jesus prayed unceasingly throughout His earthly ministry, up to His very last moments on the cross. Those who have eternal life pray unceasingly because of the confidence they have before God. (v.14) Sin severed communion between man and God, but Jesus restored and reconciled man to God to give him the confidence to approach God without fear. (Gen 3:8-10; Heb 4:16) Believers are now able to pray according to God’s will, knowing they have the requests they have made to God. Every answer to every prayer is from God, and we can be assured He will answer in His sovereign Will and timing. (Phil 4:6-7)

As you mediate and ponder on eternal life, may it be a settled reality and great source of peace in your heart. The more we are convinced of the eternal life we have in Christ Jesus by faith and by prayer, the more we will proclaim Christ in confidence to those around us.

As we learn foundational truths of Scripture that define Christian faith, we need a deep, abiding assurance of the certainty of God’s Word to fortify our spiritual lives. The certainty of God’s saving testimony concerning Jesus Christ is the Christian’s assurance of salvation. In this section of Scripture, Apostle John explains why.

God’s saving testimony is trustworthy. God’s testimony in Scripture is His own revelation. We can depend on His testimony in all circumstances because His revelation is inerrant and infallible. (Jn 20:31) His testimony is superlative– it is greater than the words of man, as infinitely greater as God Himself is to man. As we see who Christ is- God Almighty, Who came to us as man- we see the perfection and greatness of His testimony. (Col 1:16-17) His testimony is the gospel. God the Father sent His only begotten Son into this world to save sinners. The wisdom of man can not compare to the wisdom of Jesus Christ crucified- His gospel is the only testimony we can trust to make us wise unto salvation. (1Cor 15:3-6; 2:2; 2Cor 5:21)

God’s testimony bears fruit. His testimony is not theoretical or abstract, but there is real transformation in the believer’s life, because Jesus dwells in him. The first fruit is inner conviction. The testimony of God is in every Christian’s heart. His inner man is renewed by the Spirit dwelling in him, who leads him and gives him the desire to be more like Jesus. (2Cor 4:7) To have the testimony of God in himself is to have the Holy Spirit. (v.10) This is an undeniable reality of every believer’s life. The Spirit continually dwells in us, and causes our continual transformation. (Rom 8:9; Acts 1:8) In all circumstances, the Holy Spirit causes all believers to choose faith. Believers remain in Christ through all suffering and persecution, not by their own will, but because of the Holy Spirit Who dwells in them. (Jn 6:67-68) Believers choose love, because it is the fruit of the Spirit dwelling in them. We look to Jesus, who is our perfect example of love, who willingly sacrificed Himself on the cross because of His love. Do you love? Our love reflects our salvation. As we understand how much God has loved us even while we were yet sinners, we pursue to love God and love one another. (Jn 13:1; 1Tim 1:5)

How can we have the testimony of God in our hearts? God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. (v.11) The one who believes in God’s testimony has the testimony in himself. To believe is to have faith– an ongoing faith that trusts and commits to Jesus Christ alone. Are you believing? The one who believes remains in Christ. In our abiding, we are His sheep, His disciple, His servant, and He is our Shepherd, Teacher, and Master. (Jn 15:4-5) Our relationship to Jesus defines our identity. In our complete dependence on Christ, we obey His Word as we believe in Him. (Matt 8:7-9) All who reject Christ commit the serious sin of misrepresenting God by not believing in Him. It is only by the Holy Spirit we now believe in the gospel, to see that everything is from God, for His glory.

Lastly, the testimony of God bears eternal life. Eternal life is Christ living in us. We are no longer dead in sin, under God’s condemnation, but we now have the hope of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christians are the only ones who gain from death, because we are united to Christ in His death and His resurrection. (Phil 1:21) He who has the Son of God has eternal life. Jesus is more precious to the believer than anything that exists in this created world. (Matt 13:44) Do you have this kind of relationship with Jesus? The result of believing in God’s testimony is eternal life. As we continue to abide in Christ and live according to the testimony of God, we must declare God’s testimony to others. His testimony never fails. (Acts 3:16)

Five hundred years ago, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses on a church door in Germany, thereby sparking the Protestant Reformation. Through the study of God’s Word, Luther and others like him defended the foundational principles of Christian faith, which came to be known as the five solas – Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Solus Christus, Sola Gratia, and Soli Deo Gloria- Scripture Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone, Grace Alone, To God Alone be the Glory. Half a century has passed, but the urgency to uphold these foundational truths remains the same. We live in a world that opposes Christ, a world that is deceived by Satan’s schemes. (Eph 6:11-12) Who is the one who overcomes the world? Solus Christus. As Apostle John explains in this portion of Scripture, those who believe in Christ alone is overcoming the world. (v.5)

This is the One who came by water and blood…(v.6) Jesus Christ is God incarnate. He is the eternal God Who came into the world in the likeness of man to accomplish the work of salvation. (Jn 1:1-2, 12-14) Jesus came by water and blood, which represents His perfect righteousness and sacrifice. In His water baptism, God the Creator submitted to the creature’s call for repentance to fulfill the righteousness of God. (Matt 3:13-15) Jesus alone obeyed God’s will perfectly, making Him the only acceptable sacrifice to God. The Law requires blood to be shed for the price of sin, and only the perfect blood of Christ can satisfy God who is holy and just. (1Pet 1:19, Jn 1:29) Jesus loved us, and gave Himself up for us by dying on the cross in our place. In Christ, we have redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of our sins. (Eph 1:7)

It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify…the three are in agreement. (v.6-8) We can believe the work of Christ is still effective for us today, because God the Spirit continues to bear witness of our redemption in Christ. He converts souls as He speaks to us through the Word, always working to show us the truth of Jesus Christ. (Jn 16:13) His testimony is true, because God can not lie. From the beginning to the end of Scripture, there is perfect unity in its testimony of Christ. (Jn 5:39) As we know Jesus and believe He is the Son of God, our faith in Christ will be our victory. In this world all who are born of God will face suffering through their sanctification, but in Christ, we will overcome as we depend on Him. (Jn 16:33)

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1Jn 5:4

Regeneration does not happen by man’s effort. It is a divine work and a gift from God as He creates hearts anew to have faith in Jesus Christ. (1Jn 5:1) Those who are born of God love the Father and their fellow brethren, and they live a life of wholehearted obedience to Jesus Christ. We conclude this sermon series with another mark of one who is born of God- faith that overcomes the world.

Faith is divine. Faith is a gift from God. By faith alone, we overcome the spiritual power of sin and gain hope under circumstances that would otherwise leave us hopeless. It is not simply faith alone, but faith in Christ alone– imparted to us through Scripture- that can overcome the world. (Rom 10:17; Acts 4:30-32, 19:11-16) Every child of God has faith, but in order to grow in faith, we need to constantly work out our faith. We exercise faith by meditating on Christ. Be determined to know who He is until His Word influences your mind and heart. Embrace the trials and sufferings that God permits into your life, because He causes all things for our good. (James 1:2) And finally, be constant in prayer, encountering God and laying all your burdens down to Him. Prayer is an effective expression of our faith in God.

Faith is victorious. Faith does not make us immune to trials and sufferings. Our Lord Jesus went through every temptation and suffering in His life- if we are His disciples, we must expect the same. Faith does, however, overcome all circumstances, because it is God Who is working in us through faith. (Matt 28:20) Even when we forget God’s goodness and fail to be faithful, God continually keeps His promises. He never abandons us, but He works all things in His perfect timing. In the book of Numbers, God promised the Israelites the land of Canaan, but as a group of them spied out the land, they became paralyzed with fear of the Canaanites who looked physically bigger and stronger. Only Joshua and Caleb- who were among the group sent out to spy- seeing the same sights and the same people, they did not depend on their own understanding. They trusted God’s promise and did not fear man. Let us follow their example and heed their call for faith- do not rebel against the Lord and do not fear the people of the land…the Lord is with us. (Num 13:30-14:9)

 

Faith knows who the enemy is. Lastly, anyone who is born of God is no longer blind, but is able to see the world as God sees it. Without this discernment of good and evil, we cannot fight against the enemy. (Eph 6:16; Jn 15:5; Gal 2:20) By faith in Christ, we can control the power of sin and continually grow in holiness. We can trust God through all circumstances, because we believe what God says in Scripture. Faith produces obedience in us, occupying our souls with everything good God gives us through Christ. We can endure and rejoice in sufferings and trials, because faith counts everything as loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ the Lord. This is our victory- our faith in Jesus Christ. We overcome the world in Christ, because He alone overcame the world through His life, death, and resurrection. (Phil 3:10-11; Rom 12:2)

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 1Jn 5:2-3

Our ongoing series in Apostle John’s letter to the church examines the evidence of saving faith in a believer’s life. We have learned that he who believes in Jesus Christ for salvation has been regenerated and transformed by the love of God. In response, he loves God and loves fellow believers. In this portion of Scripture, we see how those born of God live in true obedience to Him.

Obedience is inevitable in every Christian’s life. Worship without obedience is not true worship- it is idolatry. (1Jn 2:4; 1Sam 15:22; Lk 6:46) We must obey God because He is trustworthy. Just like Joshua who chose to obey God because of God’s faithfulness, we too can obey because God’s promises never fail. (Joshua 24:15; 23:14) We obey because we love God, who loved us before the foundation of the world, and saved us even while we were yet sinners. (Ps 63:1-2) In obedience our hearts recognize and submit to the lordship of Christ. His Word is the power that turned our hearts to Himself, and it’s by His Word we are equipped for every good work in bearing the fruit of the Spirit. (Lk 5:5, 2Tim 3:16-17)

There are different kinds of false obedience that can confuse us. Those who obey out of fear of getting disciplined practice a servile obedience that does not know of the love and grace in Christ. Some obey carnally, thinking that if they obey, God will bless them with worldly goods. And there are those whose obedience is incomplete, who are reluctant and partial in following Christ. Failing to deny ourselves will hinder our obedience. When obedience becomes dependent on circumstances, emotions, or a subjective knowledge of God, we will fail to obey. Small faith will also hinder our obedience- no matter how we feel or what our circumstances are, we must remember that Jesus is always with us. (Matt 8:26) To obey God, we must deny ourselves and look to God’s Word rather than our emotions. God has given us the gift of prayer, and through Christ we can come before the throne of grace with all our needs and cares. We must increase our faith to improve our obedience, by fixing our eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith. Read the gospels and ponder on what Jesus did for you. Be in wonder of who Christ is, and be rooted in Him. Stronger faith will lead to faster obedience. (Heb 12:2, 1Pet 1:8)

Obedience is not difficult. God’s commandments are encompassed by two commandments- love God and love your neighbor. (Matt 22:34-40) Obedience is not burdensome, yet many believe it is out of reach. Satan will continually attempt to distort God’s Word to cause confusion in us, but God’s Word is clear and He knows our weakness. He does not cause confusion in revealing His Will, but many ignore God and Scripture to escape the suffering that comes with obeying the Will of God. Sin causes us to conform to the world, hindering us from obedience. (Rom 12:1-2) We must renew our minds through the Word and know how good God’s Will is. Obeying God is the path of true blessing, and Jesus is always with us to relieve us from every burden we bear as we follow Him. (Matt 11:28-30; Rom 8:31-32) As we see God’s Word as it is, we will taste and see that the Lord is good. Believing in Jesus will beget steadfast obedience to God in our lives.

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. 1 Jn 5:1

No event or blessing in life can compare to becoming a child of God. To be born of God, the Holy Spirit regenerates our hearts, planting the seed of saving faith that converts us to Jesus Christ, Who came as a man to suffer and die in our place. (Jn 1:12, Acts 4:12) Many may confess of being born again, but Scripture teaches that love is the foremost sign of being born of God. Before our conversion, we didn’t know love, but once we received the love of God the Father through Jesus Christ, we were adopted as His beloved children who can never be separated from His love. (Rom 8:38-39, 1Jn 4:10) His love begets love, and as we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, our love for the Father and fellow believers is the evidence of our divine adoption in Christ.

Love for the Father. Before you knew God as Father, you were utterly dead in sin. But God raised up your inner man to life through Christ, enabling you to love Him with all your heart, soul, and might. (Deut 6:5) To love God in this way is to seek and honor God in all circumstances, using your will, intellect, emotions, and everything you have for God’s glory. (Acts 16:22-25, Lk 22:42, Mk 12:44) We must examine why we fail to love God. If our love for God is indistinct from and compromised by idols and a love for the world, we will fail to love Him. (1Jn 2:15-17, Matt 7:22-23) If we don’t have a high view of God, our love for Him will not be biblical. (Ps 18:1-2) If we fail to love God- even though His love for us never changes- we will think God is distant. (James 4:8) To love God, we must live by faith. We must be satisfied with God every day, trusting that His ways are perfect, good, and worthy of praise. We express love for God when we are in constant prayer, praise, and gratitude, knowing that He is real and is the rewarder of our souls. (Hab 3:17-19, Phil 4:12-13, Is 66:2, Heb 11:6)

Love for the brethren. Christians must be steadfast in love. The Bible seriously charges those who don’t love to be liars, declaring them to be haters of God and condemned. (1Jn 4:20, 3:14, 2:9, Jn 15:23) It is impossible to have fellowship with God if you don’t love the brethren. (Matt 5:22-24) Therefore, before you worship, pray, or read Scripture, you must examine whether you have failed to love one another. If you do not love your brother, your conversion may not be true, because the fruit of genuine repentance is love. As we know the love of God, we practice His love toward others.

Jesus died on the cross because He loved you, even while you were yet a sinner. Nothing can compare to the love of God in Christ Jesus. (Jn 3:16) Do you believe in the love God has for you? Are you born of God? To believe in God is to love the Father and love one another.

We love, because He first loved us. If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. 1Jn 4:19-21

Love is the supreme mark of one who is loved by God. We love, because He first loved us. (v.19) Our love is directly related to salvation- Jesus Christ took our sins and died in our place, so that in Him we might receive His righteousness and eternal life by the power of His resurrection. The everlasting spring of God’s love is in Christ, and as believers are sanctified by Holy Spirit to be transformed into His likeness, love overflows into the life of every believer. In this portion of Scripture, Apostle John asserts why Christians should love one another.

We love because God first loved us. Every man is born depraved, utterly lost and separated from God. The world does not know God’s love. Motivated by self-love and lust, man attempts to fabricate his own concept of love, but no philosophy or religion enables him to love others. (Jer 17:9; 1Jn 2:15-17) God first loved us- His love is unprecedented, selfless, and supernatural. When man experiences the love of God through the gospel of Jesus Christ, he is transformed to be able to truly love. (1Jn 4:9-10, 1Pet 2:25-26) Apostle Paul was a staunch Pharisee, set on obliterating the Christian faith. But when He encountered the love of God in the gospel, he was converted to Christ, and was able to love even those who became his persecutors. (Gal 2:20, Rom 9:3) Only God’s love in the gospel has the power to change us from within. Jesus demonstrated His love to us, and He has empowered us to do the same. (Rom 5:8)

Love is the hallmark of salvation. Love is the ultimate standard for Christian life. Without love, nothing can prove your faith is genuine, for the first fruit of the Spirit is love. (Jn 13:35) If a man claims to love God yet fails to love others, he is a liar and a hater. He has not yet seen the love of God in Christ, for God’s prevailing love transforms us to love one another. God has baptized us into one body, and we are members of one another- we cannot remain indifferent towards the church, but we ought to show mercy, grace, and compassion, just as Christ loved us. If our hearts are devoid of love for one another, we must examine our conversion to see if we truly believe and are assured of the love God has for us.

God commands us to love. It is God who commands us to love- we must obey. His commandment is in the present tense- regardless of our current circumstances, we must love one another, because God commands it. In the Bible, men of great faith were characterized by their immediate obedience to God’s Word, no matter the cost. (Gen 22:1-2, 1King 12:24) Our Lord did not delay in facing the terrible agony of His crucifixion, for He submitted to His Father’s Will and His timing. (Matt 21:2-3) Why do we fail to obey? Difficulty in obeying God’s command to love often arises as we read Scripture for knowledge and directives. Our intention in studying the Word must first be to know God. As we encounter God in His Word and grow in the knowledge of and love for Him, His Spirit enables us to obey. Knowing and loving God causes us to love one another. (1Jn 2:5-6)

The entirety of God’s commandments can be summed up by His command to love. God has loved us first. His love in Jesus Christ prevailed in us for salvation, and His love will continue to prevail in us as we love one another to show the world we are the beloved disciples of Jesus Christ. (Jn 13:35)

By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 1Jn 4:17-18

 

The love of God goes beyond our often generalized view of love in relation to grace and salvation. In this portion of Scripture, Apostle John highlights the power of God’s love, the love that will carry us through all of our life, even that which we live after death. Children of God can therefore be confident and fearless as they gain true understanding of and experience the love God has for them.

Christians must be confident in the Lord. Confidence denotes the ability to speak out freely, even when facing opposition. (Jn 18:3-4, Acts 4:18-19) John specifically refers to the believer’s confidence in the day of judgment, namely the Great White Throne Judgment. This is the ultimate court where every man- from Adam to the last generation- will be judged by God. Nothing will be hidden- our entire lives will be laid bare before God to judge. (Rev 20:11-15) In the midst of this spectacular and staggering scene, Christians will stand confident before God by their faith in His love. (v.17) God loved us, and sent His Son to the world to die in our place so that we can be saved. (1Jn 4:9-10) The love of Jesus rests upon our hearts, keeping us in perfect peace no matter what we face. God is love, and all the works of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are done in love. As God abides in us, and we in Him, His love always remains in us. (Rom 8:38-39)

God withholds nothing good from us, even giving the greatest gift to us in Jesus, whom he sent to be our Lord and Savior. In moments when it seems that God is distant from us, we must remember that God is not to blame, but we must examine our faith. He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (Rom 8:32) Jesus’ work is good and complete- nothing else that God does will can improve or enhance his love, because it is already the greatest love. Confidence in the Lord is a matter of faith and trust. When God’s love is perfected in our life by faith, our hearts can remain calm as we trust in the Lord through any circumstance we face. (Rom 8:23)

In addition to faith in God’s love, believers must be sanctified to be confident in the coming judgment. (v.17) We must live and be like Jesus in this world. We must ask ourselves every day- Am I like Christ? The true test of sanctification is humility. As we measure ourselves to Jesus, we will walk in humility as we see the difference between the Son of God and ourselves. Humility leads us to deny ourselves and trust and follow Jesus our Lord. (Lk 5:8) He set the perfect example for us to follow, by becoming a servant, obeying to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil 2:8) As we share in the sufferings of Christ, we will surely share in His glorification. This is our confidence. (Rom 8:15,17)

Christians must be fearless. Love and fear cannot coexist. Love is triumphant, casting out all reasons to fear. We fear when the love of God is unclear in our hearts. When we don’t understand God’s love and grace in the gospel, the fear of punishment and judgment becomes a burden in our hearts that only the gospel of Jesus can alleviate. Man fears God’s punishment, but love always pardons, leaving fear irrelevant. (Gen 3:8,17) Fear implies a lack of assurance of salvation. If by faith in God’s love you no longer fear the coming judgment, there is no reason to fear anything in this present world. We must understand and fully receive God’s love in the gospel to have no fear, for your deliverance is promised and secure in Christ.

It is by God’s love the early church courageously gave up their lives for the sake of the gospel. There was no fear of death for the martyrs of Christ, because love was perfected in their hearts with perfect peace through the gospel. Death became merely a gateway to stand in judgment before the God who loved them, a judgment not to be punished, but to be rewarded for their faithfulness. (James 1:12; 2Tim 4:8) May we follow their path through the narrow gate, for the church today has the same hope, the same faith, and the same love of God to embolden us to live for Christ unto death and beyond.