Notice carefully: "They will put some of you to death." "Not a hair of your head will perish."

Isn't it obvious the Lord disdains the power of physical death? "You may be martyred but not a hair of your head will perish."

This is referring to the resurrection of the believers, as in John 3:16: "Shall not perish but have everlasting life." We shall be raised again, so who cares if we are martyred?

This is what I mean by saying the Lord is not concerned about our escaping physical harm but spiritual harm.

Today the massive emphasis is on escaping physical harm. Meanwhile the believers have been destroyed by the dissipation, drunkenness, and anxieties of life that are destroying our spiritual life in America.

It is not important that we escape suffering. What is important is that we are not harmed spiritually such that we cannot stand in victory before the Son of Man—now or in the world to come.

I think it likely that many of my readers will agree with me in this.

I believe Luke 21:36 has been misinterpreted. I believe further that the incorrect interpretation is destructive in that numerous believers are not putting on the whole armor of God because they do not think they will be here on earth during the evil day that is coming.

One person stated to a friend of mine that if he did not believe in a pre-tribulation rapture he would live differently. If this is the case with a significant number of the believers, then the doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture will in the end be found to have been one of the most destructive errors of the Church Era.

If we will step back, as it were, and look at the entire twenty-first chapter of the Gospel of Luke, we will correctly understand verse 36. The Lord is speaking of the numerous tribulations that will come upon the Jewish people. Jesus is warning His disciples of the future tribulations and instructing them to watch and pray that they may be able to survive these calamities, to escape being harmed spiritually, and finally stand triumphantly before Him, having been through Him more than a conqueror.

The troubles set forth, dissipation, drunkenness, and the anxieties of life, can easily bring us down to spiritual defeat. I have seen it happen and you probably have also.

The Christian families facing the lions in the early days could readily have lost their faith in Christ and cursed God. This is the danger, not the fact that in a few moments these same families would be entering through gates of splendor into the Divine glory reserved for martyrs.

The widespread acceptance of the unscriptural "rapture" reveals clearly that today's believers are far more concerned about their physical survival than they are their spiritual survival. History has shown that suffering purifies the faith of Christians. Today's coddled believers view suffering only as a hindrance to their comfort, and are certain God would never let them be inconvenienced in any manner. Therefore He will hurry them off to Heaven so they will not be harmed. This is one of the major heresies of our day. We have been deluded because we do not love the truth.

To be continued.