The Biblical Concept of Forgiveness - Part 2

The completion of our study from Part 1...

What does Forgiveness Entail?

Now that we see that we must be willing to forgive endlessly and why we should be motivated to do so we need to look at what that actually is. It can almost certainly be said that it is not merely an empty proclamation of “I forgive you” without any meaning or thought behind such words. Certainly a starting point must come from the heart as was mentioned above by multiple men when dealing with the motivation for forgiveness. As a bare minimum we must not be holding a grudge or hate or ill will of any kind in whatever the offense was.

¨      […] there are two ways in which offenses are forgiven. If a man shall do me an injury, and I, laying aside the desire for revenge, do not cease to love him, but even repay kindness in place of injury, though I entertain an unfavorable opinion of him, as he deserves, still I am said to forgive him. For when God commands us to wish well to our enemies, He does not therefore demand that we approve in them what He condemns, but only desires that our minds shall be purified from all hatred. In this kind of pardon, so far are we from having any right to wait till he who has offended shall return of his own accord to be reconciled to us, that we ought to love those who deliberately provoke us, who spurn reconciliation, and add to the load of former offenses. A second kind of forgiving is, when we receive a brother into favor, so as to think favorably respecting him, and to be convinced that the remembrance of his offense is blotted out in the sight of God. […] Christ does not speak only of injuries which have been done to us, but of every kind of offenses; for He desires that, by our compassion, we shall raise up those who have fallen. This doctrine is very necessary, because naturally almost all of us are peevish beyond measure; and Satan, under the pretense of severity, drives us to cruel rigor, so that wretched men, to whom pardon is refused, are swallowed up by grief and despair… We must add… that Christ does not deprive believers of the exercise of judgment, so as to yield foolish readiness of belief to every slight expression [of repentance], but only desires us to be so candid and merciful, as to stretch out the hand to offenders, provided there be evidence that they are sincerely dissatisfied with their sins. For repentance is a sacred thing, and therefore needs careful examination; but as soon as the offender gives probable evidence of conversion, Christ desires that he shall be admitted to reconciliation, lest, on being punished, he lose courage and fall back… It must be observed that, when any man, through his light and unsteady behavior, has exposed himself to suspicion, we may grant pardon when he asks it, and yet may do so in such a manner as to watch over his conduct for the future, that our forbearance and meekness, which proceed from the Spirit of Christ, may not become the subject of his ridicule. John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries, vol. XVI, pp 364-366

¨      […] we ought from our hearts to forgive men their trespasses; that is, so as not to hate them, bear them any grudge or malice, seek any private revenge upon them, or public satisfaction, beyond what they are able to give, but be ready to do them what common offices of kindness in their straits are in our power. Matthew Poole, Commentary on the Holy Bible, vol. 3, pg 87

¨      […] we must from our hearts forgive… We do not forgive our offending brother aright, nor acceptably, if we do not forgive from the heart; for that is it that God looks at. No malice must be harbored there, nor ill will to any person… no projects of revenge must be hatched there, nor desires of it, as there are in many who outwardly appear peaceable and reconciled. Yet this is not enough; we must from the heart desire and seek the welfare of those that have offended us. Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, pg 1358

So we see that true forgiveness is from the heart and must be utterly sincere. It does not mean that we lose our sense of reason in dealing with individuals, but it does mean that the issue at hand is put away and we honestly are seeking their well being and to reconcile with them to the best of our ability. 

How Does God View an Unforgiving Spirit?

We see that we are commanded to be ready to forgive a countless number of times, what the ultimate motivation is in doing so, and what forgiveness is. So what if we should still refuse forgiveness and the general mark of our character is an unforgiving spirit? Certainly there are ramifications to such a man or at the very least serious implications that should inspire some serious introspection. Upon doing so should we be found guilty there must be a casting of ourselves before the Lord to beg for forgiveness and then an immediate willingness to change in dependence on the Spirit to effect that change. This passage addresses this issue well in verse 18:35.

¨      The parable embodies a simple and clear truth: When a man professes to have been forgiven an incalculable debt of sin, but is utterly unwilling in turn to forgive the minor offense of another, his profession is a mockery and void of reality. God’s forgiveness precedes and provides the basis for the forgiveness of brother with brother, and it is such forgiveness that must characterize Christian fellowship. George E. Ladd, The Biblical Expositor, vol. 3,  Commentary on Matthew, pg. 56
¨      […] it is our duty, especially theirs who have received forgiveness from God, to forgive their brethren… [But] if they do not, they may justly question whether God hath forgiven them, and expect the same severity from him which they show unto their brethren…; the not doing of [God’s will in this matter] will be an ill evidence to our souls, that God hath not indeed forgiven us, as well as a bar against such forgiveness; and an ill omen, that some punishment from God expecteth us in this life, to bring us to a temper more conformable to the gospel, and if not in this life, yet in the life which is to come. Matthew Poole, Commentary on the Holy Bible, vol. 3, pg 87
¨      This is not intended to teach us that God reverses His pardons to any, But that He denies them to those that are unqualified for them… Intimations enough we have in Scripture of the forfeiture of pardons, for caution to the presumptuous; and yet we have security enough of the continuance of them, for comfort to those that are sincere, but timorous; that the one may fear, and the other may hope. Those that do not forgive their brother’s trespasses, did never truly repent of their own, nor ever truly believe the gospel; and therefore that which is taken away is only what they seemed to have (Lu. 8:18). This is intended to teach us, that they shall have judgment without mercy, that have showed no mercy, Jas. 2:13. It is indispensably necessary to pardon and peace, that we not only do justly, but love mercy.  Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, pg 1358
¨      God will deal with each of us upon the principle which sways our own life, and if we adopt a stern and severe mode of action, we must expect the same rule to be carried out in our case. Charles Spurgeon, Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible, pg. 542

Conclusion

I confess that this has not been an easy study for me, which is what I expected and why I started it in the first place. I would venture a reasonable guess that there are others out there exactly like me. My reaction to hurt or disloyalty is to emotionally disconnect and in so doing there is an utter abandonment of that person mentally and most often in my heart as well. Most of the time I have justified that permanent disconnection because very few repent of their sins against another brother, at least not to the person they have offended. Thus I have been blissfully willing to abandon others with Peter-like motives that I had reached the limit of what my patience could possibly be expected to bear and I would do no more.

But that isn’t what is presented to us here in this passage. In modern times much is made of Matt. 18 as a means of discipline, which it is, but the greater thrust of the passage is not punishment but forgiveness and restoration. Yet so many, like me, struggle mightily with the act of forgiveness. I like how Calvin put it earlier when he said, “[…] naturally almost all of us are peevish beyond measure.” I don’t think many of us like the thought of being classified as peevish; perhaps we’re slightly eccentric, but certainly not peevish! Peevish is defined by Mr. Webster as being “hard to please; irritable; fretful; cross; showing ill humor or impatience.” I am sure we all cringe when we see how many of those individual qualities fit an honest description of ourselves. The implication is then that not only are we slow to forgive when we feel wronged or hurt but that it is highly likely that a great many of the things we find ourselves angry over are probably pretty stupid in the first place. Such small things can be blown up to giant problems through our peevish natures.

We have to recognize this deficiency in ourselves, both that we are slow to forgive and that we are peevish folks. I think many of us walk around oblivious to these faults and then when they briefly show themselves with undeniable clarity we are willing to forgive ourselves what we would never forgive in others. I am convinced that the lack of recognition in these areas is at the root of much of this issue. Introspection seems to me to have, in general, died within the modern Church. But the example of our Bibles and history prove that this is a necessary component of our walks. The Puritans were renowned for their insistence on introspection, especially in preparation for the Sacrament of Communion, but as a general principle that ruled their lives as well (see for example Horton Davies, The Worship of the American Puritans, pg. 200-201). Introspection is a vital part of the Christian’s walk. Does not Paul tell us, “[…] if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged” (1 Cor. 11:31)? Does Christ not tell us in Matt. 7:3-5 that before we take offenses to another brother we should have examined ourselves first? Yet, increasingly this is a lost aspect of the Christian faith. I believe that in this matter specifically humble introspection will have a profound effect on how willing we are to forgive others. Not only will we see that we are as peevish as Calvin has assumed us to be but we will see the vast depths of our own sin that has been forgiven by God.

As we saw in the study this is the driving motivation for forgiving others, the entire concept of forgiveness rests on this. We are guilty wicked sinners that were deserving of a full measure of God’s wrath and yet he sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins and forgave us. Perhaps there would be some cause to be unforgiving if His forgiveness for us ended at the moment of salvation and then we were left to fend for ourselves. But His love for us knows no bounds and though we continue to sin throughout our lives up until the very moment He takes us home, He still continues to forgive us all our sins.

Now, Calvin goes out of his way to say that this “discourse relates here to daily faults, in which every man, even the best, needs forgiveness.” He goes on to declare what I have quoted before which is that we are not robbed of judgment in dealing with those that have caused us offense either. I think we have to be careful that we do not use such a statement to find loopholes to the command for forgiveness. In fact, I would say that a fairly safe bet is that you will never have anything to repent of before the Lord if you forgive your brother his trespasses against you, whatever they are. Yet, we are not called on to be the repeated punching bags of insincere men who use this as a means to ridicule the people of God either. We have both the commands to forgive and restore as well as the command to reject divisive wicked men that harm the people of God. If our hearts are thoroughly saturated in the word of God and are being led by the Spirit in a close walk with our Lord then prudence and wisdom will rule the day. If we are only using these things as a means to justify lack of love and forgiveness for others then we should heed the warnings of the men that I cited beforehand that we may need to question whether or not we are even forgiven ourselves.

It is sure that if we are saved we have been forgiven a great debt by God. If we are saved we are also being sanctified, if we are being sanctified we are being conformed to the image of Christ Himself, and if we are being conformed to His image we must forgive others their trespasses just as He has forgiven ours. May the Lord grow us all that we may have amiable spirits that are always at the ready to discard another’s offense against us and a willingness to encourage them daily to walk with the Lord with our help, love, and support always. May we prostrate ourselves before the Lord in this matter and discipline ourselves so that as Matthew Henry said, “we… make it our constant practice to forgive injuries, and… accustom ourselves to it till it becomes habitual.” Soli deo gloria!

The Biblical Concept of Forgiveness - Part 1

I have split this into two parts since it is a little lengthy and hopefully that will make it easier to digest.

Forgiveness is such a simple concept and yet at times so hard to give. It costs us nothing yet we guard it like precious gold. What is at stake that we are so hesitant to forgive others in our lives? I am sure pride plays a role in it and feeling exhausted over repeated offenses plays a role as well. Perhaps the greatest stumbling block to our forgiving others is the hurt they have caused us. We have been hurt and we are not willing to open ourselves up to take a chance that we will be hurt again. We are not willing to allow the offending party to pour salt in an open wound; it seems much better to us that we should let the wound slowly heal for the rest of our lives and never risk injury again. If we are lost men then I suppose this creates no crisis of conscience, or at least it is very seldom that it will. But as saved men we have a litany of issues that assault our conscience if forgiveness is something we are not willing to give, even when it seems impossible to do so.

Matt. 18:21-35, “Then came Peter to Him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, until seven times: but, until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”

The above passage will form the basis for our study for it tells us all we need to know regarding forgiveness of others, especially offending brothers. There are indeed other appropriate passages worth consideration but we will limit ourselves primarily to this.

Endless Forgiveness

The first concept we are going to deal with here is found in 18:21-22.

¨      Peter… realizes that he must forgive the brother who has sinned against him, that is, that he must take the initiative in bringing about complete reconciliation; but how often must he reveal this merciful attitude, this disposition of sweet reasonableness? Must he forgive “up to seven times?” Peter may have been of the opinion that Jesus would praise him for his bigheartedness. If so, his expectation was not fulfilled. There was something wrong with Peter’s approach. It smacked of rabbinism. It sounded as if the forgiving spirit were a commodity that could be weighed, measured, and counted; as if it could be parceled out little by little up to a certain and well defined limit, when further distribution would have to stop… Jesus, though in manner of expression falling in line with Peter’s quantitively worded question, completely destroys the apostle’s underlying assumption. [Christ shows] that the spirit of genuine forgiveness recognizes no boundaries. It is a state of the heart, not a matter of calculation. One might as well ask, “How often must I love my wife, my husband, my children?” as to ask, “How often shall I forgive?” Everyone immediately senses that when Jesus said, “up to seventy times seven times,” he did not mean, “exactly four hundred ninety times, but not four hundred ninety one.” Clearly what he meant was, “Forgive without ever stopping. Be kind toward your brother… always.” William Hendriksen, Commentary on Matthew, pp 704-705.
¨      […] there are those who think that Peter’s mention of seven times arose from our Savior’s command [in Lu. 17:4], that we should forgive our bother offending us seven times, when our Savior by it intended not a certain and definite number, but a number uncertain and indefinite. Matthew Poole, Commentary on the Holy Bible, vol. 3, pg 86
¨      [Peter] thinks it a great matter to forgive till seven times; he means not seven times a day, as Christ said (Lu. 17:4), but seven times in his life; supposing that if a man had any way abused him seven times, thought he were ever so desirous to be reconciled, he might then abandon his society, and have no more to do with him… Christ’s direct answer to Peter’s question; I say not unto thee; until seven times (He never intended to set up any such bounds), but until seventy times seven; a certain number for an indefinite one, but a great one… It does not look well for us to keep count of the offenses done against us by our brethren. There is something of ill-nature in scoring up the injuries we forgive, as if we would allow ourselves to be revenged when the measure is full. God keeps an account (Deut. 32:34) because He is the Judge, and vengeance is His; but we must not, lest we be found stepping into His throne. It is necessary to the preservation of peace, both within and without, to pass by injuries, without reckoning how often; to forgive, and forget. God multiplies His pardons, and so must we, Ps. 77:38, 40. It intimates that we should make it our constant practice to forgive injuries, and should accustom ourselves to it till it becomes habitual. Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, pg 1357
¨      Peter made this objection according to the natural feelings of the flesh. It is natural to all men to wish to be forgiven; and, therefore, if any man does not immediately obtain forgiveness, he complains he is treated with sternness and cruelty. But those who demand to be treated gently are far from being equally gentle towards others… [Peter] asks, therefore, if it be proper to frequently forgive offenders; for, since the number seven taken for a large number, the force of the adverb… seven times, is the same as if he had said, “How long, Lord, dost thou wish that offenders be received into favor? For it is unreasonable, and by no means advantageous, that they should, in every case, find us willing to be reconciled.” But Christ is so far from yielding to this objection, that He expressly declares that there ought to be no limit to forgiving; for He did not intend to lay down a fixed number, but rather to enjoin us never to become wearied. John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries, vol. XVI, pp 363-364

It is abundantly obvious that the expectation of forgiveness from our Lord has no fixed number of times. There will never be a time that we will have forgiven “x” number of times and say that we have fulfilled our duty and thus there is nothing more expected of us. The thrust of Christ’s command to us here is that there should be limitless forgiveness for others. In the next section we see why.

God Has Forgiven Us Much and We Must Forgive Others

Now we take a look at what our motivation is for endless forgiveness. It is not merely obedience to a command, which would be sufficient in and of itself; it is also, and more importantly, because we look at our own lives in relation to the Lord and we see that He has forgiven far more in each of us than we could ever possibly have to even attempt to forgive in others.

This is seen in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, Matt. 18:23-34. The servant had somehow accumulated an incredible sum of debt which William Hendriksen equates be in our day something like ten million dollars. For the servant, his entire life’s earnings may have only been something like on thousand talents and yet he owed ten times that. Standing before the king he throws himself down and begs for time to pay the debt and the king has pity on him. Not only does he grant him the request but in an incredible act of kindness and generosity he actually forgives the debt altogether. Then that servant who had been forgiven so much goes out and assaults a man that owes him money but is unable to pay. Viciously he grabs the man by throat and demands his money (which was only about 1/600000 of the debt he had just been forgiven himself) and when the man begs for time he has him thrown into prison and forced labor until the debt can be worked off. But the wicked servant didn’t know that word had gotten back to the king, and this is where we jump back in.

“Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?”
¨      Note the vividness of “You wicked servant”… The original is very emphatic. It places the words “all that debt” at they very beginning of what follows after “You wicked servant.” (I could not find a modern translation that did not reverse the word order to a more modern English application of sentence structure.) The immensity of the debt thus stands out, and so do the amazing character of the generosity that had been shown, and the baseness of the first servant’s refusal to allow this noble spirit to govern his actions. “Should you not…?” means, “Was this not your lasting obligation?” It was this man’s duty not only to be filled with unceasing gratitude but also to let his master’s mercy of which he, the servant, had been the recipient, be and remain a pattern or example of his own feeling and conduct toward his fellow men… Prompted by gratitude the forgiven sinner must always yearn to forgive whoever has trespassed against him, and must do all in his power to bring about complete reconciliation. William Hendriksen, Commentary on Matthew, pg 708-709
¨      It is but reasonable, what ought to be, and may be expected, that such who have received mercy, should show mercy; and as the lord had compassion on this man, and had forgiven him such an immense sum, and saved him, his wife and children, from being sold for bondslaves, the least he could have done after this, would have been to have followed such an example, and have had mercy… Such an instance of pity and compassion did not only set him an example, worthy of his imitation, but laid him under an obligation to have acted such a part. John Gill, Commentary on Matthew
¨      This parable instructeth us in these truths: 1) That as men, by the law and nature of God, and the laws of men, may be debtors to us, to our reputation, to our estate; so we are all debtors to the glory, honor, and justice of God. 2) That it is a vast debt that we owe to God’s honor and justice, to which no debt owing by any to us can bear any proportion. 3) That we have nothing to pay to God, in satisfaction for our debt. 4) That God hath a right to demand full satisfaction of us. 5) That God, for Christ’s sake, upon our application to Him for mercy, will forgive us our debts. 6) That we are not so ready to forgive our brethren their little injuries, as God is to forgive us… 8) That we ought to set before us God’s compassion towards us, and free love in forgiving us, potently to move us to forgive those who have done us injury, and to forgive them out of that consideration. Matthew Poole, Commentary on the Holy Bible, vol. 3, pg 87
¨      […] unmercifulness is wickedness, it is great wickedness… The greatness of sin magnifies the richness of pardoning mercy: we should think how much has been forgiven us, Lu. 7:47… It is justly expected, that such as have received mercy, should show mercy… The comfortable sense of pardoning mercy tends much to the disposing of our hearts to forgive our brethren…, we must have compassion on our brethren, as God has on us. Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, pg 1358

As we see, our primary motivation for forgiving others is the forgiveness we ourselves have been given by God Himself. We must consider how much we each have sinned and then remember that God has forgiven all of those sins as well as the sins we have yet to even commit. When we get to that point we will have a small understanding of what God has done for us. But even then we will have a dramatically insufficient view of our own sin for as David prayed so to should we, “cleanse thou me from secret faults,” Ps. 19:12. We are so sinful that we don’t even recognize a great many of our sins, we don’t even really understand the debt we have owed, yet God has forgiven those sins as well. At least we can count the debt that is owed to us by the offending party and with the example of a gracious God to lead the way we must forgive others.

We will continue and complete the study in Part 2...

Christian Martyrs (a poem)

Christian martyrs:
You press heavy on my mind;
For you have died for our Lord…
A price that few afford.

Christian martyrs:
I wonder if my strength would be as yours,
If wicked men came to my door
To take my life for our dear Lord.

Christian martyrs:
I pray that God will free me from such times;
But if the devil should come and call,
I pray like you I’ll stand strong and tall.

Christian martyrs:
You have traveled a blessed path,
Where to be counted with Jesus Christ
You happily laid down your life.

Christian martyrs:
I know you rest in Jesus’ bosom today;
And would not trade one moment there
To be back with us down here.

Christian martyrs:
Many will be added to your number;
And may they all remember what you know now,
That their reward is a glorious crown.

Christian martyrs:
We will worship our God together;
Never afraid of the hands of men
And never to be threatened by them again.

Christian martyrs:
Thank for your sacrifice;
For like the waves of a crashing flood
Is the enduring witness of your blood.

Christian martyrs:
Rest easy as you should;
Safe, secure, blessed forevermore,
In the hands of our dear Lord.

Numbered With the Martyrs - John Hus

Continuing in our weekly series on martyred saints we now turn our attention to that godly man John Hus. May his story invigorate your resolve to stand boldly both individually and collectively with those being martyred for Christ even in our own day and regardless of what persecution we may face in this life.

It is said that this godly man insisted on facing his accusers in spite of the fact he had been given ample opportunity to escape. Though Hus was betrayed by many (not the least of which was the Emperor Sigismund himself who had guaranteed him safe passage and return), brought before a kangaroo court, treated poorly and imprisoned in such pitiful conditions that he had become gravely ill while awaiting trial; yet Hus never wavered and with a clear conscience and the word of God on his side he stood strong. After the Cardinal of Cambray demanded that he recant and repent for all he had said Hus replied, "I most humbly desire you all, even for His sake Who is the God of us all, that I be not compelled to do the thing which my conscience doth strive against, or which I cannot do without danger of eternal damnation: that is, that I should make revocation, by oath, to all the articles which are alleged against me. But if there be any man who can teach me contrariwise unto them, I will willingly perform that which you desire."

One of the remarkable things throughout was that there was a genuine sense of humility and a teachable spirit within this pious man. On more than one occasion he openly invited his accusers to teach him by the word of God where he was wrong that he may learn and repent should they be successful in so doing. On one such occasion, as an example, after being exhorted to examine himself and repent if he should find himself in error rather than face punishment it is said that with lamentable tears he said, "Verily, I do take the Most High God for my witness, that I am ready with my heart and mind, if the Council can teach me any better by the holy Scripture, to alter my purpose." With said council unable to oblige his request they turned humility into fault and marked him as an obstinate heretic condemned for death.

After the council had repeatedly refused to allow him to speak or plead his case and forcibly silenced him Hus dropped to his knees and gave a cry that should be ready on the lips of every saint alive should they fall into similar circumstances. He said, "O Lord Jesus Christ! Whose word is openly condemned herein this Council, unto thee again I do appeal, Who when Thou wast evil entreated of Thine enemies, didst appeal unto God Thy Father, committing Thy cause unto a most just judge; that by Thy example, we also being oppressed with manifest wrongs and injuries, should flee unto thee."

Even after these wicked men had sentenced him to death Hus showed a remarkable love for his enemies and a faithfulness to his God saying, "Lord Jesus Christ! forgive mine enemies, by whom Thou knowest that I am falsely accused, and that they have used false witness and slanders against me; forgive them, I say, for Thy great mercy's sake." Yet not even such a pious plea could sway the hearts of the evil men that surrounded him and he was answered with derision and mockery.

After this they began to assault him. First one of the bishops took his chalice away from him proclaiming, "O cursed Judas... We take away from thee this chalice of thy salvation." To which Hus replied, "I trust unto God, the Father omnipotent, and my Lord Jesus Christ, for Whose sake I do suffer these things, that He will not take away the chalice of His redemption, but have a steadfast and firm hope that this day I shall drink thereof in His kingdom."

Next the bishops collectively came and took away his vestments while each of them placed their curse upon him. Still, Hus faithfully replied, "[I do] willingly embrace and bear those blasphemies for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

After much contention over the tool with which they would scalp him with it was finally decided that a pair of shears would be best and they "cut off the skin of the crown of his head..." and placed a "crown of paper, almost a cubit deep, on which were painted three devils of wonderfully ugly shape, and this title set over their heads, 'Heresiarcha' (which is to say "The Chief of Heretics")." Still that godly man John Hus did not give in and give them cause to revile him but only replied, "My Lord Jesus Christ, for my sake, did wear a crown of thorns; why should not I then, for His sake, again wear this light crown, be it ever so ignominious? Truly I will do it, and that willingly." Then as if to twist the dagger just one last time these wicked men pronounced, "Now we commit thy soul unto the devil." "But I," said John Hus, lifting his eyes up towards the heavens, "do commend into Thy hands, O Lord Jesus Christ! my spirit which thou hast redeemed."

Stripped naked, tied and chained to a pillar with wood stacked around him from his feet to his chin some gentlemen approached him and asked him to repent in order to save his life. He simply replied, "What error should I renounce, when I know myself guilty of none? For this was the principal end and purpose of my doctrine, that I might teach all men repentance and remission of sins, according to the verity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: wherefore, with a cheerful mind and courage, I am here ready to suffer death."

Having burned John Hus' books outside of the church wherein he was tried they now used the books of the venerable John Wycliffe and upon this the fire was kindled as John Hus could be heard singing with a loud voice, "Jesu Christ! the Son of the living God! have mercy upon me." Herein John Hus expired and was no more on this earth having happily crossed over to be with our Lord.

John Hus was martyred on July 6, 1415. One of his last comments recorded was, "You are now going to burn a goose, but in a century you will have a swan whom you can neither roast nor boil,” Hus meaning goose in his native language. One hundred two years later on October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Thesis to the door of the castle church in Wittenberg which sparked the Reformation and transformed history from that point on. Later when Martin Luther was brought before the Diet of Worms he was accused of "being just like that heretic John Hus." Shortly thereafter they took a break and Martin Luther rushed to the library to find out who this John Hus was. Upon coming back from the break Luther was asked about the charge presented therein to which Martin Luther stood up and proudly proclaimed, "Ja, ich bin ein Hussiten!" That is to say, "Yes, I am a Hussite!"

May the Lord enliven our faith and embolden us to do battle with the wicked in this world. May we do so with grace and honor and always to the glory of our most holy God.

If you are interested in reading more on John Hus or Martin Luther I would recommend the following books which are linked to places you may buy them (I am not getting anything for linking them, I am only helping others find these valuable resources).

Hus the Heretic by Pogius the Papist; The Book of Martyrs by John Foxe; The History of the Reformation of the 16th Century by J.H. Merle d'Aubigne

Numbered With the Martyrs - Polycarp

Last week I made an initial post concerning the martyrdom of Ignatius. It is my intent to begin a weekly series sharing the story of a martyred Christian for an indefinite period of time. I do so for this reason: In the vast majority of the world martyrdom is a very real possibility and people lay down their lives for God every day. Historically the road to religious freedom, such as the vast majority of the western world enjoys, has been bathed in the blood of the saints. It is wise for us to be reminded of the faithful zeal of these great men and women in order to spur us beyond the apathetic trend of modern Christianity.

As we read from the comfort of our home computers with no challenge to our faith I ask you this simple question: Should God remove the religious liberty we currently enjoy, what price are you willing to pay to serve Him? Would you joyfully give up your life to be openly acknowledged as a Christian? I hope with eyes firmly fixed on heaven the answer is always and easily yes. I pray this series helps to confirm that reality in each of our lives.

Today's martyred saint is Polycarp and is also taken from John Foxe, as many will be, and is dealing with the persecution of the saints under the rule of the Roman Empire. This specific account was taken from the faithful recording of the ordeal by his own church.

In the time of... Marcus [Aurelius] a great number of them which truly professed Christ suffered most cruel torments and punishments, among whom was Polycarp, the worthy Bishop of Smyrna.

Three days before he was apprehended, as he was praying at night, he fell asleep, and saw in a dream the pillow take fire under his head, and presently consumed. Waking thereupon, he forthwith related the vision to those about him, and prophesied that he should be burnt alive for Christ's sake... When the persons who were in search of him... arrived late in the day, [they] found him gone to bed in the top room of the house, whence he might have escaped into another house, if he would; but this he refused to do saying, "The will of the Lord be done."

Hearing that they were come, he came down, and spoke to them with a cheerful and pleasant countenance: so that they were wonder-struck, who, having never known the man before, now beheld his venerable age and the gravity and composure of his manner, and wondered why they should be so earnest for the apprehension of so old a man. He immediately ordered a table to be laid for them, and exhorted them to eat heartily, and begged them to allow him one hour to pray without molestation; which being granted, he rose and began to pray, and was so full of the grace of God, that they who were present and heard his prayers were astonished, and many now felt sorry that so venerable and godly a man should be put to death.

When he had finished his prayers, wherein he made mention of all whom he had ever been connected with, small and great, noble and vulgar, and of the whole catholic Church throughout the world... they... brought him to the city. There met him the irenarch Herod, and his father Nicetes, who taking him up into their chariot, began to exhort him, saying, "What harm is it to say 'Lord Caesar,' and to sacrifice, and save yourself?" At first he was silent: but being pressed to speak he said, "I will not do as you advise me." When they saw that he was not to be persuaded, they gave him rough language, and pushed him hastily down, so that in descending from the chariot he grazed his shin. But he, unmoved as if he had suffered nothing, went on cheerfully, under the conduct of his guards, to the Stadium. There, the noise being so great that few could hear anything, a voice from heaven said to Polycarp as he entered the Stadium, "Be strong, Polycarp, and play the man." No one saw him that spake, but many people heard the voice. When he was brought to the tribunal, there was a great tumult as soon as it was generally understood that Polycarp was apprehended. The proconsul... counselled him to deny Christ, saying, "Consider thyself, and have pity on they own great age"; and many other such like speeches which they are wont to make: - "Swear by the fortune of Caesar" - "Repent" - "Say, 'Away with the Atheists.'"

The proconsul then urged him, saying, "Swear, and I will release thee; - reproach Christ."

Polycarp answered, "Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never once wronged me; how then shall I blaspheme my King, who hath saved me?"

The proconsul again urged him, "Swear by the fortune of Caesar."

Polycarp replied, "Since you still vainly strive to make me swear by the fortune of Caesar, as you express it, affecting ignorance of my real character, hear me frankly declaring what I am - I am a Christian - and if you desire to learn the Christian doctrine, assign me a day, and you shall hear."

Hereupon the proconsul said, "I have wild beasts; and I will expose you to them, unless you repent."

"Call for them," replied Polycarp; "for repentance for us is a wicked thing, if it is to be a change from the better to the worse, but a good thing if it is to be a change from evil to good."

"I will tame thee with fire," said the proconsul, "since you despise the wild beasts, unless you repent."

Then said Polycarp, "You threaten me with fire, which burns for an hour, and is soon extinguished; but the fire of the future judgment, and of eternal punishment reserved for the ungodly, you are ignorant of. But why do you delay? Do whatever you please."

The proconsul sent the herald to proclaim thrice in the middle of the Stadium, "Polycarp has professed himself a Christian." [After failing to release a lion on Polycarp] they then unanimously shouted, that he should be burnt alive... The people immediately gathered wood and other dry matter from the workshops and baths...

When they would have fastened him to the stake, he said, "Leave me as I am; for He who giveth me strength to sustain the fire, will enable me also, without your securing me with nails, to remain without flinching in the pile." Upon which they bound him without nailing him. So he said thus: - "O Father, I bless thee that thou hast counted me worthy to receive my portion among the number of martyrs."

As soon as he uttered the word "Amen," the officers lighted the fire. The flame, forming the appearance of an arch, as the sail of a vessel filled with wind, surrounded as with a wall, the body of the martyr; which was in the midst, not as burning flesh, but as gold and silver refining in the furnace. We received also in our nostrils such a fragrance as proceeds from frankincense or some other precious perfume. At length the wicked people, observing that his body could not be consumed with the fire, ordered the confector to approach, and to plunge his sword into his body. Upon this such a quantity of blood gushed out, that the fire was extinguished.

Therein Polycarp expired with no regret and eagerly met his Lord that day. Notice, he never lost his ability to be both gracious and pious. He was willing to fulfill the Great Commission up to his dying breath and yet was bluntly insistent on defending the Gospel and serving his God with all sincerity of heart. May we never be faced with such a persecution; yet, if the Lord wills it to be so may He grant us the grace of Polycarp and the innumerable number of martyrs that are with Him in heaven today. Laus Deo!

Numbered With the Martyrs - Ignatius

John Foxe in recounting the atrocities of the Romans against the early Christians shares with us the case of Ignatius. He says,

In this persecution, suffered the blessed martyr, Ignatius, who is had in famous reverence by very many. This Ignatius was appointed to the bishopric of Antioch next after Peter in succession. Some do say, that he, being sent from Syria to Rome, because he professed Christ, was given to the wild beasts to be devoured. It is also said of him, that when he passed through Asia, being under the most strict custody of his keepers, he strengthened and confirmed the churches through all the cities as he went, both with his exhortations and his preaching of the Word of God. Accordingly, having come to Smyrna, he wrote to the church at Rome, exhorting them not to use means for his deliverance, from martyrdom, lest they should deprive him of that which he most longed and hoped for. "Now I begin to be a disciple. I care for nothing, of visible or invisible things, so that I may but win Christ. Let fire and the cross, let the companies of wild beasts, let breaking of bones and tearing of limbs, let the grinding of the whole body, and all the malice of the devil, come upon me; be it so, may I only win Christ Jesus!" And even when he was sentenced to be thrown to the beasts, such was the burning desire that he had to suffer, that he spake, what time he heard the lions roaring, saying, "I am the wheat of Christ: I am going to be ground with the teeth of wild beasts, that I may be found pure bread."

If death stood on your doorstep and spurred on by that wicked foe the devil insisted that you recant your faith or die, which would you choose? What price are you willing to pay to be counted among the people of God?  Surely it is true that this saint rests in heaven and has never for even one second regretted being killed for his faith. No, I think he is very happy to have been, for Christ's sake, killed all the day long and accounted as a sheep for the slaughter. God grant us all to have the blessed hope that Ignatius had when faced with such a predicament and may God be forever glorified in all that we do.