May The God Of All Grace…Perfect, Establish, Strengthen, and Settle You

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home › resources › literature › May The God Of All Grace…Perfect, Establish, Strengthen, and Settle You

Keraza Magazine issue 9-10 February 27, 2015

Many look to our contemporary martyrs with great zeal, longing also to become lambs slaughtered on the altar of martyrdom. Although these longings do not lack human emotions of enthusiasm and impulsiveness, yet God does delight in them.

Martyrdom is actually an event beyond all human natural capacity. Who does not startle before the atrocious methods the wolf creatively invents to abuse and humiliate the lamb? Who does not tremble from the forces of evil besieging the little flock to destroy it, fueled by hatred and abhorrence? Likewise, who would not wonder at the calmness, steadfastness, and meekness of the martyrs?

Although the scene of martyrdom consists of the arena of martyrdom, murderers devoid of all signs of humanity, victims led in humiliation to death, and spectators throughout the whole world, yet there is much behind the scenes. Martyrdom is in fact the utmost of the struggle between two forces: the work of the devil in the hearts of his followers, and the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of those led by Him.

Yes, martyrdom is the work and gift of the Holy Spirit alone. Our old man is utterly incapable of bearing even the shadow of the death found in that instant. How could this be possible, when one is accustomed to worshipping the ego, not bearing insult, angrily reacting against oppressors, and judging those who violate personal rights? How can a martyr face death while his old man is alive? The ego laws and ego bylaws refuse to give up freedoms and rights; what right is greater and grander than the right to live? How can a martyr become a living image of the Redeemer, without the Holy Spirit being the one working mightily and effectively within him?

Perceiving this spiritual law, St. Peter the Apostle said, "But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you" (1 Peter 5:10).

Truly, how superb and precise are these words! The Holy Spirit assumes the establishing, strengthening, and settling of anyone who suffers for the sake of Christ, until He brings this one to perfection through martyrdom. The perfection that the Lord Christ demands of us is to reach "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13). Martyrdom is not the only exclusive means to reaching this perfection, although it might be the clearest and most vivid. What image expresses true imitation of Christ more than the image of a martyr "led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent" (Isaiah 53:7).

O spirit of the Holy God, behold, the whole world wonders at Your work in Your saints. Behold, we place our souls at Your disposal as martyrs-in-waiting, longing to share their reward, yet we are in a miserable state since our egos have inflated until we have reached the point of needing emergency radical surgery to excise all the malignant tumors of our egos. We beseech You to be our skilled physician and faithful guide so that when we place our lives between Your hands, we take from You alone establishment, strengthening, and settlement, to reach, in You and through You, the perfection of martyrdom.

Bishop Youssef
Bishop, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States