Therefore, we can deduce that the intent behind God’s warnings and retributions is a compelling assertion in favor of martyrdom, and that it must be embraced not just with faith but with courage. The prohibition of idolatry simultaneously invites the acknowledgment of God's sacred name; without this, how could we find such noble devotion and self-sacrifice? The divine authority was established to fulfill this purpose. Thus, if we currently face torture, it is primarily God who has allowed us to endure this trial. The adversary seeks to poison our wounds, defying God’s will and blaspheming against it in an attempt to instill faith in a false god or to undermine our trust in the will of our true God, or at the very least, to oppose His holy intention without being able to repudiate it. Previously, we have vehemently opposed the existence of false gods, engaging in the battle against various heresies. Now, focusing on this singular truth, we affirm that the will of the one God of Israel paves the way to martyrdom; it either abolishes heresy or enacts judgment upon it when it arises. Should it prove necessary to endure suffering for the adherence to this truth, one of the conditions of compliance is that I must bear all that pertains to the violation of this principle. What does this entail? It requires me to endure all hardships that await me as long as I shield myself against heretical beliefs. He who imposes the rule also demands obedience to Himself. He who commands our allegiance shall also provide the means and paths to comply. My ultimate Lawgiver instructs me, "Let no one else be a father to you but Me." In both word and deed, one must not fashion an alternative deity for oneself. You shall only worship the One who commands such worship, irrespective of the form of worship presented. He constantly urges me to revere Him, lest I find myself abandoned, and to love Him with all my strength, even to the point of offering my life in sacrifice for Him. I have sworn to uphold His banners unto death. His enemies are calling me into combat. To acquiesce to them would be to diminish my own worth. No! I will uphold my faith amidst the tumult of battle. What do I have to fear if I am stricken, pierced, or killed? Who can assign a defender to death except Him who has ordained his path toward such valiant self-denial? You now understand the will of my God. We have successfully countered the challenges against it. To reinforce our position, let us reflect upon the nature of that will. It is unnecessary to assert that my God is good; we have already established this in our discourse against Marcion. Suffice it to say, invoking the name of God is tantamount to affirming His goodness. If one believes that God is malevolent, one must choose between denying the existence of an evil deity or attributing goodness to the One recognized as God. In any case, the will of God, who can only be God by virtue of being good, ultimately reflects goodness. The benevolence of the law established by God’s will serves as further evidence of this, especially in the context of martyrdom. Only that which is good can arise from a completely good source. I assert that martyrdom is good in the sight of God who prohibits and punishes idolatry. Therefore, anyone opposing idolatry acts as a martyr, and who better to oppose evil than good itself? Some may think we wish to dismiss the adversarial relationship between good and evil. This is not the case. However, martyrdom involves a distinct approach: it confronts idolatry not through lamentation but through extraordinary grace that liberates us from idolatry. Who would hesitate to recognize as good that which rescues us from evil? The aversion to idolatry and martyrdom is ultimately a rejection of death in favor of life. True life is found in martyrdom, while death is characterized by idolatry. If you label life as evil, then death must be deemed good. But what a contradiction exists in the attitudes of many: they dismiss that which saves and accept that which destroys. They willingly engage in peril, forsaking remedies with cruel stubbornness, finding it more bearable to perish than to pursue healing. Observe the fate of many: they turn away from assistance that could restore them to life; some out of madness, others due to fear, and some through false shame. Human medicine is also fraught with challenges: cutting, cauterizing, applying dressings. Yet, I shall not classify any of these as evil, for the pain they induce ultimately serves to remedy me. Not only will I not reject these treatments because they cause me discomfort, but I shall pursue them precisely because they are painful. The benefits of such interventions mitigate their harshness. The patient may scream, writhe, and sigh under the physician's care. All of this is true, yet eventually, he will shower gifts upon the very hands that caused him distress. What appeared cruel yesterday is seen as skilled and benevolent today. Martyrdom is no different. While it may appear intimidating, it exists solely to bring about salvation. May it not be permissible for God to heal all our afflictions for eternity through fire and sword? Marvel, too, at the wisdom of the Great Healer. He combats the brutality of the illness with remedies suited to its essence, simultaneously alleviating our suffering through our own pain. Indeed, He checks inflammation with the strongest form of inflammation, quenches fever with thirst, mitigates excess bile with bitter drinks, and by opening a vein restrains the flow of blood. And you, do you dare to accuse God, a jealous God at that, when He seeks to eradicate the root of evil—namely, idolatry? He intends to aid us, to retaliate against offenses with justice, to overthrow death through death, to combat slaughter with slaughter, to abolish suffering through suffering, to restore life through the very act of dying, and to relieve the flesh by seemingly inflicting harm upon it, ultimately freeing life by desiring to expel it. What you deem tumult is the divine order of wisdom. The strictness you disparage is true grace. God rewards minor trials with everlasting glory. Give praise to God, who imposes trials solely for your benefit. It is fortunate for you that you have found yourself in His care: He sees your afflictions. Sickness always precedes the healer. Humanity has exposed itself to ruin. God, as a compassionate physician, provided a guiding precept for life according to His law, namely, to partake of all fruits except for those from the one forbidden tree. A burdensome prohibition indeed! The Lawgiver was undoubtedly aware of this. Man, in blind adherence to the temptations of his preferred choice, violated the command of abstinence, bringing the prohibited fruit to his lips. Having indulged in disobedience, he effectively became ripe for death and thus merited complete destruction, having willingly chosen it for himself. Yet, the Lord, having allowed the first onset of sin to diminish and recognizing its effects over time, gradually devised remedies against it, which consist of faith’s doctrines, given as a means to combat vice, to sever the word of death with the word of life, and to suppress disobedience with the call of obedience. You now understand that when this supreme Physician commands death, it is merely an act to eradicate the frailty of death itself. O man! Why do you now refuse to be healed through death when previously you did not hesitate to destroy yourself through it? Why do you resist offering yourself as a redemptive sacrifice, when you were prepared to plunge into the void of annihilation? How can you disregard the remedy so completely while yearning for poison? Should it be acknowledged that God presents martyrdom as a trial, allowing humanity to conquer the ancient adversary and triumph over him to whom he so easily conceded victory over himself: then the generosity of Almighty God surely reveals itself even more than His severity did in this instance. It was insufficient for Him to rescue man by faith from the grip of Satan. He desired man to decisively trample upon Satan, ensuring that the sacrifice would be liberated not only from the foe, but also to subdue the victor. He who calls us to salvation takes delight in calling us to glory as well. To the joy of liberation, He has also joined the comfort of earning a crown.
THEOSIS