How precious is our faith?

I just finished watching the Tudors.  I'd tried to watch it a couple of years ago, but I found that the sex and brutality was too much.  This time, however, I was determined.  The reason I was so intent was that I noticed how much the series touched on religion.  Of course, right?  Henry started the Church of England.  His second wife, Ann Boleyn, is said to have done much to bring about church reform.  The clash between Catholicism and Protestantism was swift and brutal.  I don't want to dwell on the historicity of it so much as bring forth one point that was demonstrated over and over again:

People were ready and willing to die for what they believed was the True Church.

It was astounding to me what was considered worth dying for.  In one scene, people are given the choice:  affirm that Henry is the head of the Church in England and live or affirm that the Pope is the head of the Church and die.  Some people had no problem with that.  Their life was more important than the whole issue of who ruled the church.  Others, though, most notably Sir (later Saint) Thomas More would not make the affirmation.  He was beheaded for his protestation of his Catholic faith.

In another scene, Cromwell hears that a dear friend has been arrested for his Reformation beliefs.  He goes to the man and tells him that all he needs to do is to state that Henry is God's representative in England.  The man refuses.  Cromwell pleads, "You don't even have to believe it!  You can simply say that Henry is King' and then state to a witness that you did it under duress.  But no.  His friend chose to die by being burned at the stake rather than lie about what his faith told him was true.

Women were not immune from this, either.  The Princess Mary was given the chance to come back to court and be reunited with her father.  She just had to deny her Catholic faith.  She refused for years and finally agreed, although she did aver that what she had said was done under coercion.  Another woman, Anne Askew, was broken on the rack and burnt at the stake for her beliefs.  She could at any time have avoided these by giving up names of others who were of her faith and also by denying her faith.  She did neither.  She chose to die a martyr's death rather than deny her faith.

Whar has happened in the years since?  Why is it that our faith is now something that we can throw away?  You might say, "This isn't the true picture.  These were rare exceptions."  But I will remind you that the common people also fought for their faith--and died for it.  Why don't we care to do that today?

I think that the answer is simple.  Nothing is right or wrong any more.  Everything is a shade of grey.  If it's good for you, great.  If it's good for me, great.  If you want to worship a Jesus that was not supernatural, more power to you!  If you feel that the Bible is literally true, go for it!

This rationalism is causing us to have no sense of the importance of what we believe.  We're becoming complacent.  Well, the Bible had a different word for it.  We're becoming--lukewarm.  And it warns that God would rather you be hot or cold than lukewarm.  He will spew them out of his mouth.

So the next time you sit down at church and prepare to doze off during the sermon, think about this:  are you maybe too comfortable?  Would you be willing to defend your faith to nonbelievers?  Would you put your life on the line for your faith?  If not, maybe you should ask yourself if your faith is really faith, or if it is just a blanket to keep you (luke)warm.