ARMED SELF-DEFENSE VERSUS THE DOCTRINE OF JESUS CHRIST I realize that certain men of standing have a position on bearing arms that differs from mine. While I do not mean to demean anyone who has a stand in conscience that is firmly based on God’s word, I will remain faithful to Him in the matter of bearing arms according to what He has allowed me to understand. As the word says, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” James4:17). I cannot diverge from my own conscience in this or any other issue, until God allows me to see differently than I do now. I have seen others state in print that Jesus sometimes promoted violence, but I have never seen where Jesus promoted violence. While it is true that, when Jesus returns, he will bring eternal punishment to many who have refused to repent of their sin and conform to God’s righteousness, he never called for any of his followers to take into their own hands the task of carrying out vengeance for an evil act committed against them. Everything he taught shows that he expects his followers to abstain from violence. He taught that we should love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, never return evil for evil, and do good to all people. To the martyrs slain for the word, who in the sixth chapter of the book of Revelation cry out to Christ and want to know when vengeance will be carried out against those who killed them, Christ tells them to wait a little longer, until the full number of their brothers will be killed for their testimony (Revelation 6:9-11). So what should our testimony be? That we trust in the doctrine of Christ, who has taught that we will live forever if we are faithful to the end, or that we choose to take up arms to defend ourselves, even though Christ taught us never to return evil for evil? It is not an easy thing to do all we are expected to do, if we do not have faith in the Son of God. But he taught what he taught, and we must decide to follow or not to follow. But if it is any encouragement, the apostle Paul writes in chapter 11 of his letter to the Hebrews that certain ones who had faith allowed themselves to be tortured, “not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection” (Hebrews 11:35). My position is one of belief that those who are martyred for the word of God and the doctrine of Christ are assured salvation. Christ said that those who want to save their life will lose it, but that those who lose their life for his sake will find it. That is what I believe. I realize that this line of thinking runs counter to the idea of the right of armed self-defense, but I prefer to accept the mind of Christ than the right of armed self-defense. If that makes me a sheep, that is a good thing. Life is very long. Life is eternal, in fact. Once it ends here, it has not ended. Each of us needs to realize that how we conform to God’s righteousness here and now determines what eternity will be like for us. As Paul writes, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:18,19) A fine and glorious eternity awaits every one who simply remains faithful to the end of this temporary period of suffering, which will soon end.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:17:40 +0000
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