Are You Considered A Threat Because of Your Faith?

Hans had distinguished himself in Antwerp, a city in the Netherlands, as a serious student of the Bible. He even spent his Sundays instructing new converts. But Hans and his mother were considered a threat. They were Anabaptists, and their beliefs caused them to be considered heretics in the eyes of religious leaders.

    In 1577, the bailiff and his officials finally arrested Hans and several others, but his mother was able to escape. Religious leaders tortured Hans, trying to force him to recant his Anabaptist beliefs. But he refused to give in to their cruel torture. 

    During his imprisonment in a dank, isolated dungeon in the castle of Antwerp, he wrote letters of encouragement to his family and friends. Hans wrote the following letter:

    “Most dearly beloved mother, I am glad to tell you that I am well according to the flesh. But according to the spirit, I thank the Lord that he gives me strength by his Holy Spirit, so that my mind is unchanged. For from him alone we expect our strength to withstand these cruel wolves, so that they can have no power over our souls.”

    Hans was soon brought before a court where he boldly proclaimed his faith. He was then sentenced to be burned at the stake. His letter testified to his solid gratitude to Christ for protecting and saving his soul.

“God is great. God is good. Let us thank him for our . . . sufferings?” That’s not the childhood prayer of blessing we are used to hearing. The phrase itself is dissonant to our ears, yet it reminds us how dissonant the principle is to our hearts. We would much rather thank him for our food than for our trials. In the same way, Hans penned his gratitude for his sufferings in an odd thank-you note. However, it is the sincere prayer of a martyr whose sufferings made him the man he always wanted to be. Are you exactly who you want to be for Christ? Are you willing to thank God for allowing whatever it takes, even intense sufferings, to bring you that victory?