Charlie Kirk: His Death Will Advance the Cause of Christ

The old saying is still true: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”

I believe Charlie is a martyr. He was killed for his faith in Jesus—a faith that shaped not only his private life but every public word and act.

Of course, someone might object: “He was no martyr, but a man who denounced the way of life others cherished and promoted. He could believe in Jesus all he wanted, but once he began telling us we were wrong and needed to change, that was too much.”

Why Jesus Was Killed

In John 11:48 (The Message), the religious leaders said of Jesus: “If we let him go on, pretty soon everyone will be believing in him and the Romans will come and remove what little power and privilege we still have.”

Jesus was not executed merely for claiming to be the Son of God. He was seen as a threat to cultural order, political stability, and the fragile privileges of the leaders. His growing influence risked Rome’s wrath and their own loss of control.

That same pattern has repeated through history: when Christ-followers are murdered, it is rarely about private faith. It is about the public threat the gospel poses to entrenched power, cultural norms, and political privilege.

Biblical Martyrs Who Provoked the Order

• James the Apostle (Acts 12:1–3): Executed by Herod Agrippa “because it pleased the Jews.” His death was political theater to maintain public approval.
• John the Baptist (Mark 6): Beheaded not for abstract belief but for condemning Herod’s unlawful marriage—he challenged cultural corruption.
• Paul (Acts 16, 19, 21): Beaten and imprisoned because his preaching disrupted economies and stirred unrest; the gospel threatened both business and civic order.

Again and again, martyrs died not simply for “having faith” but because their allegiance to Jesus challenged the cultural way of life, unsettled political power, and disrupted the social order.

Witness of History

Tertullian (c. 160–220 AD) captured it best: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” Far from extinguishing Christianity, persecution spread it. People who witnessed the courage, forgiveness, and peace of the martyrs were drawn to Christ.

Centuries later, missionary Jim Elliot (1927–1956) gave his life in Ecuador. Before his death, he had written in his journal: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Jim and four friends were speared to death while seeking to bring the gospel to the Huaorani people. Their martyrdom sparked a wave of missionary passion across the world. In time, even members of the very tribe that killed them came to Christ. I will never forget sitting in chapel at Wheaton College, hearing the testimony of one of Jim’s killers who had since become a follower of Jesus.

Jim’s widow, Elisabeth Elliot, later reflected: “Their death was the seed God used to break open hearts for the gospel.”

Charlie’s Place in This Story

Charlie Kirk now stands in this long line of witnesses. Earlier in his ministry, he texted a mentor: “For a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries” (1 Corinthians 16:9). He knew that bold gospel witness would draw opposition.

That opposition finally struck him down. Yet his death has not closed the wide door—it has swung it open wider.

At the time of his assassination, Turning Point had about 2,500 chapters on high school and college campuses. Since his death, more than 54,000 requests—and counting—have poured in to start new chapters. His blood has become seed. What he stood for is multiplying in ways even he could not have imagined.

And now his widow, Erica, has stepped forward to carry the cause. She will lead Turning Point U.S.A., ensuring that Charlie’s vision not only continues but expands.

Remembering Charlie

I remember Charlie as a man of courage, conviction, and clarity about what mattered most. Recently, when asked what he wanted to be remembered for if his life were cut short, he said:

“I want to be remembered for courage for my faith. That would be the most important thing. The most important thing is my faith.”

That is how I will remember him. That is how many will remember him.

Charlie’s death will not silence the gospel.  His martyrdom is the beginning of a new and more  powerful chapter. Many chapters!