Daily in the Word

by Dr. Paul Chappell

"According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death."

Philippians 1:20

God’s truth is far too great to be silenced by our fear.

In the fifteen hundreds there was a protestant reformer in England by the name of Hugh Latimer. He was known as a great preacher of his day and had many opportunities to preach around England, including an opportunity to preach before King Henry VIII of England. Before addressing the king, he thought about what he should preach, and reflected on his responsibility to bring a message before the King. He knew that the message that God had laid on his heart was not the message that the King wanted to hear. As he contemplated all this, he heard an inaudible voice in his soul that said, “Latimer, remember you are preaching before King Henry VIII who, if he wills, can take away your life.” Struggling with what to preach, he heard another voice, “Latimer, remember you are preaching before the King of Kings, do not displease him.”

Latimer had a struggle with the motives behind his message. Would he preach what man wanted to hear or would he preach what Christ would have him preach? Latimer chose to preach what Christ would have him to preach, and held nothing back as he faced King Henry VIII. Ultimately, this cost Latimer his life.

When Queen Mary came to the throne, Latimer was arrested, tried for heresy, and burned together with his friend Nicholas Ridley on October 16, 1555. Latimer’s last words at the stake were as follows: "Be of good cheer, Master Ridley, and play the man, for we shall this day light such a candle in England as I trust by God's grace shall never be put out."

Hugh Latimer and Christians of his day faced harsh persecution much like those applied to the early Christians. The Christians during Paul’s day faced fear, imprisonment, and death for their faith. Yet they trusted that God’s will would be done—whether through death or life.

We cannot comprehend the type of persecution many Christians faced in years past. To live in fear of discovery and taking extra steps to prevent imprisonment was commonplace among many Christians (and still is in some countries). Yet as we wonder how we would survive under such circumstances, notice that these Christians didn’t allow threats to thwart their zeal for Jesus.

Hugh Latimer stood before one of the most violent kings in England’s history and boldly proclaimed Christ. Paul stood before noble rulers and pointed out their sins. Christians through time have stood before danger and boldly claimed Jesus as their Saviour. They didn’t fear death, but trusted Christ.

I wonder how we would act if put in place of Hugh Latimer. Would we continue speaking of Jesus’ truth, or would we conform our message before a temperamental king? Every day we face persecution, trials, and threats. Our persecutions aren’t usually life-threats, but often silence our witness. Too often just a little persecution keeps us from our witness!

Consider your daily routine. Have you conformed your message or life’s convictions to please others? Have you quieted your witness when around certain people? Don’t allow persecution or threat of social awkwardness keep you from talking about your Lord. Follow the example of Hugh Latimer and remember that God’s message of salvation is of greatest importance.

To learn more about the ministries of Lancaster Baptist Church and Pastor Chappell, please visit lancasterbaptist.org, paulchappell.com, or follow him on twitter.

Daily Bible Reading
Psalms 143-145 | 1 Corinthians 14:21-40