Watchman Nee was arrested for his faith in Christ in 1952, and he spent the rest of his life in prison. He died in his jail cell on 30 May 1972. When his niece came to collect his few possessions, she was given a scrap of paper that a guard had found by his bed. On it was written his life’s testimony:

“Christ is the Son of God who died for the redemption of sinners [to bring them back to God] and was resurrected after three days. This is the greatest truth in the universe. I die because of my belief in Christ—Watchman Nee.”

Tradition says that the apostle Paul also was martyred (killed) for his faith in Christ. In a letter written shortly before his death, Paul encouraged his readers: “Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, for which I suffer trouble . . . ; but the Word of God is not chained” (2 Tim. 2:8-9).

We may not be called upon to be martyred as witnesses to the reality of Christ, but we are all called to be witnesses of Jesus’ work on our behalf. No matter what the outcome is, with thankfulness for God’s gracious gift, we can tell others what Jesus has done for us.

Author

Dennis Fisher

Topics

Our Daily Bread