It is reported that the last words of Girolamo Savonarola, one
of the first open reformers of the corrupt Catholic church, upon being executed
in 1498 by the order of Pope Alexander VI were, “The Lord has suffered so much
for me.” He was hung and then burned. His greatest crime was working for a reformation
of the Church. He opposed the severe
declining of Biblical morality in society and saw the same societal morality in
the Church. Martin Luther considered
Girolamo to be a martyr.
Regardless of anything else that happened in his life, the
last words are profound and we can apply them to our own life.
We live in a society that preaches “Me, me, me, it’s all
about me. What should I do to make me
happy?” This doesn’t seem to be
different than any society of any other time.
It is the condition of man who has wanted to be god from the beginning. The questions today are:
- Who is it that preaches sin and repentance?
- Who is willing to accept God’s leading and be willing to follow obedience to God’s authority?
- Where is the conviction of sin in men and women today?
Is our generation so gutless that they are unwilling to
suffer rejection or discomfort for the sake of standing on the written Word of
God? The only answer is a resounding
YES! Most who claim to follow Christ (calling
themselves Christian) reject His Word for their own pleasures, to do what they
want to do so they can be “happy” according to their terms. Where is the one who will stand unapologetically
on faith in the one true living God and His Word? Where is the one who is wiling to suffer in taking
such a stand?
Compared to the man who was about to be hung and burned and
said, “The Lord has suffered so much for me”, in great humility and
thankfulness, we are the softest bunch of pansy Christians that must have ever been
gifted with life.
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