Those who have given their lives for their faith in Jesus will be given the places of honor in heaven. Those who have lied and denied Him to save their lives here have broken the First Commandment: Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. When you deny Jesus to save your life, you tell Him that your life is more important than your faith in Him. Millions of martyrs over the millenia have had to make the choice. This is nothing new. Only by the power of the Spirit can we confess that Christ is Lord...and that certainly is true when faced with denial of Him or death.
Thank you. That was a beautiful reply.
I think life is sacred and the instinct to preserve it is God given. If man is created in the image of God, is right to throw one's life away to appease a deranged soul, just to make a point to God about what is in one's heart? God knows the man's heart already.