I’ll never forget the first time I read
the story of Roy Pontoh. It had an unfathomable impact on my life. Roy
was walking home from church one morning in Indonesia when he was set
upon by a group of youths who demanded he renounce his faith in Christ
or they would kill him. With eyes full of fear and tears Roy uncompromisingly
declared ‘I am a soldier of Jesus Christ’. Within minutes
he was dead! A shocking story in its own right but even more shocking
because Roy was only 15 years old and this happened just a few years
ago.
I cannot help but be challenged by this terrible tragedy. It challenges
me to pray for Christians across these nations who would rather lose
their life than deny their relationship with the living God. That’s
why the work of ‘Underground’ is so important. It’s
great that we can pray and act so that they know we really care.
However, the challenge doesn’t end there. This story deeply bothers
me when I look at my own walk with God. I can’t help but ask myself
whether I would be willing to pay that same price were I faced with
a similar challenge. When Cassie Bernall found herself trapped in her
Columbine school library with a shotgun pointed to her head, her friends
report that she didn’t flinch when asked “Do you believe
in God?”. “Yes”, she replied and the trigger was pulled.
The Christian song writer Michael W. Smith reflects on her story in
his song “This is your time” when he writes…
“It was a test we could
all hope to pass
But none of us would want to take
Faced with the choice to deny God and live
For her there was one choice to make…”
In this country we should be extremely
grateful to God that it is unlikely we’ll be persecuted in such
a way. Yet if dying for our faith is unlikely, then surely the least
we can do is really live out our faith without compromising.
When I became a Christian I didn’t just sign up for forgiveness
of sin, I know that God challenged my lifestyle too. In the world in
which we live we’re told that everybody lies, everybody cheats,
everybody steals, everybody gossips, everybody gets drunk, everybody
sleeps around, gets jealous etc. etc. Yet, God says “If you do
those things you’ll hurt yourself and others. The life I want
you to live is radically different to the world’s way of living.”
I am convinced today that God is looking for a radical generation of
young people who will live a deliberately different lifestyle. Not that
this is easy of course! We all know that living God’s best way
is tough.
It’s tough because we will inevitably face persecution and trial
of some form or another. Yet James encourages us to persevere in James
1:12 when he says “blessed is the person who perseveres under
trial, because when they have stood the test, they will receive the
crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”
It’s also tough because we know we’ll fail and get it wrong
sometimes. That’s why we need to ask God every day for forgiveness
and for more of His Holy Spirit so that we can be fully equipped for
the task to which we’re called. When I consider the way I live
my life sometimes I’m so glad that God is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love (Psalms 103:8). Yet rather than feel
sorry for myself about all my mistakes I want to commit myself to knowing
Christ better than I do, and being more like Him than I am.
So go for it! Take the plunge. Let the example of Roy and Cassie inspire
you to give your all for the cause of following Jesus. He deserves nothing
less.
