Late in the winter of 1569, Dirk Williams found himself running from the Dutch authorities. Although no one today would see his beliefs about baptism as radical or threatening, leaders of his day regarded him as a heretic.
Fleeing for his life, Williams came to a pond covered with a thin layer of ice. After safely making his way across, he discovered that his pursuer hadn’t been so fortunate. Responding to the officer’s cry for help, Williams ran back, pulled him out of the frigid water, and dragged him to shore. The guard then seized Williams and escorted him to prison. Soon afterward, authorities burned Williams at the stake.
Dirk Williams practiced the words of Jesus: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27).
This is the same kind of agape love that we are to express to our spouse. In a sermon titled “What Is Christian Marriage?” Coty Pinckney said, “Agape love is a love that gives, a love that does not demand or hold onto rights, but has the good of the other at heart.”
Recovery Step: If Dirk Williams could sacrifice his life for a godless enemy, you can lay down your life for your husband or wife.
