Stephen is widely considered the first martyr of the Christian faith because he was stoned outside the city for professing Jesus as the Messiah and only way for eternal salvation. Do we consider him a martyr only because he died a brutal death for his faith?Is that all we need to learn from the character of Stephen?

The word martyr comes from the Greek word for witness – martys (scroll down to see Greek and Biblical reference). The modern definition is tied to suffering and death for one’s beliefs. Sums Stephen up to a T, right? I mean, he was the “ultimate witness” being a witness to the point of death. I only believe that is only part of what it really means to be martyr.

Take, for example, the word literally means “witness.” What does it take to be a witness? Jesus himself tells us in Luke 9:23 – “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” See it? Deny oneself. Die to yourself.That is the key.

See, I don’t believe any martyr became a martyr when they died for their faith. I believe to be a true martyr, you must first be a witness, and a true witness has experienced already experienced death…death to themselves giving God complete control.

As the false witnesses twisted and lied about what Stephen had been teaching or preaching, what the council saw was a man “with a face like that of an angel.” They saw someone who was not afraid to die for their faith because they had already become a martyr FOR the faith.

In essence, being a witness is not about living love like we are dying, but rather living love like we are already dead. Dead to our flesh and to the desires of this world. Dead to anything that tries to draw us away from being everything God wants us to be.

That is our mission statement – leading people from where they are to where God want them to be. And if we’re real honest, if god doesn’t have all of us, he might as well have none of us. Until we are ready to quit the useless battle of trying find a balance that pleases both God and man, we must be willing to settle for far less than God is willing to bless us with.

Are you ready to be a witness?