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With the assassination of Charlie Kirk, there exists the harsh reality that martyrdom continues.
“I will confess, getting ready for debate #200 has been a challenge. So many things going on at home, and then the assassination of CK yesterday, has made focus very hard indeed. But, it’s the Prologue of John. It is God’s eternal Word. It is utterly definitional to what the Christian faith is, and what we have to pass on to our great grandchildren and all future generations. So it has transcendent importance. Pray for the debate, for those in attendance, for the recording as it goes out. The business of the kingdom goes on, as it must, and as it will,” wrote Christian apologist James White on X.
White, heartbroken as all of Christendom is, captured the moment correctly, noting what is truly at stake: the Gospel message of Christ.
While many commentators may refuse to acknowledge the assassination of Kirk as an attack on Christianity, believers are not fooled.
There are millions of Charlie Kirks around the United States who stand for freedom, grounded in the salvation of Christ. Kirk, one of the most intellectual conservative debaters of the modern era, was a defender of Christian principles rooted in the Bible. He was unapologetically pro-life, defended biblical marriage and identity, and supported the idea that freedom exists in this land because of, and through, the death of Christ.
Kirk debated unbelievers and those of different faiths with a smile on his face, known for sharing the love of Christ even with those who disagreed with him.
Christianity has long been an enemy to the fallen world. Humans filled with pride and dissent cannot fathom the idea of a holy, just Creator who determines law and principles that mankind so badly fails to keep.
From Eisenhower to Reagan, Bush, and Trump, conservatism has had a unique relationship with Christianity. But Christians do not need to be political, let alone conservative, to mourn the tragic death of Charlie Kirk.
The Scriptures teach apologetics and debate:
“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter 3:15
For all the heated debates and divisions that exist in politics, the core message and purpose of Christians is to shed the light of Christ. The calling is not first to win arguments, but to point to the Savior who is the only answer for a dying world. This is something Kirk did well.
Christ is the only hope mankind has.
Christianity has always been under attack, from the beginning of its existence. If you speak loudly for Christ and His principles, the world tends to hate you.
Persecution and martyrdom are real situations that Christians face. However, like the martyrs of the past and those killed today, the enemies of Christ may take the body, but never the soul.
The most powerful weapon the world has ever known is not forged of steel or fire, but the Word of God and the message of Christ. And it is this Word, living and eternal, that will outlast every empire, silence every tyrant, and bring every martyr home to glory.