How many professing Christians today would stay faithful if persecution cost them their lives?
The number would likely be surprisingly small. Even professing Christians who have been taught and tutored for 25, 30, or 40 years might not stay faithful if persecution put their lives on the line, and the count from any congregation would probably surprise observers.
Les teaches that early believers, newly saved out of paganism, died for their faith and did not go back to paganism. By contrast, he asks how many professing Christians today—even after being taught and tutored for 25, 30, or 40 years—would stay with it if persecution put their life on the line. He tells listeners to look over their congregation and ask how many would go with them if a heavy hand of persecution fell. He thinks we would be kind of surprised. Paul's converts in Galatia, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, and Rome immediately came under persecution. Paul did not encourage marriage because it is easier to die for your faith if you are single. The pagans were steeped in darkness, worshipping gods that were nothing but wood or stone.