Does Jesus really want me to love terrorists? Editor’s Note: In November 2011, the French satirical weekly newspaper, Charlie Hebdo in Paris, France was firebombed after naming the Prophet Muhammad as its “editor-in-chief.” Then three years later on January 7, two masked Al-Qaeda terrorists returned to the newspaper. They shot and killed 12 people including the editor, celebrated cartoonists, staff, and two National Policemen; then they wounded 11 others as they fled. After a big manhunt and a hostage situation, four of the hostages were killed before the Al-Qaeda terrorists were also killed. These events form the context for the following thoughts. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brothers and sisters in Christ, please allow me a few moments to address our deceitful hearts as we follow stories similar to what has happened in Paris these past few days. Our hearts rightly crave justice, but they wrongly believe that justice can be achieved through the killing of our enemies. The irony is, that same rationale was precisely the evil that fueled the hatred of these murderers. Justice is not achieved through the sword. Neither is safety secured by the eradication or isolation of those who are radically different than (or even against) us. The gospel of Jesus Christ presents a unique perspective… We are not to be enslaved by the simplistic notion that evil can somehow be killed away or that some people are good and some people are evil. Rather, God’s Law informs us that all of mankind is evil. All of us are slaves to sin. All of us seek the cravings and passions of our own hearts in rebellion against God. But the good news is that although we were once enemies of God and each other, we can have true and eternal friendship through Jesus Christ. What Jesus has done, has made an end of the endless cycle of trying to achieve peace through bloodshed. He did this by shedding his own perfect blood. He is the sacrifice to end all sacrifices. He died an unjust death so that we could stop unjust killings. He bore the anger of sinful men, so that our sinful anger could come to an end. In Christ, we are made friends with God, and in our friendship with God we are able to love and forgive even the most evil of our enemies. So let’s get back to our hearts… How can we love these so-called terrorists? There is nothing in and of ourselves that can love such evil people because we are evil people. Indeed this is true; there is no love inside of us for them. But there is love inside of God, both for us and for them. And if God’s love is truly inside of us through Christ, then we do have a Way by which we can love them—In Christ we have a new life inside of us that comes from outside of us. That’s what Christianity is all about. “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19, ESV) “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20, ESV) “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:5-8, ESV) by Daniel Balcombe Source: liberate.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ephesians 6:12 (AMP) For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere. Pulpit Commentary Verse 12. - For we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Our conflict is not with men, here denoted by flesh and blood, which is usually a symbol of weakness, therefore denoting that our opponents are not weak mortals, but powers of a far more formidable order. But against the principalities, against the powers. The same words as in Ephesians 1:21; therefore the definite article is prefixed, as denoting what we are already familiar with: for though all of these, evil as well as good, have been put under Christ the Head, they have not been put under the members, but the evil among them are warring against these members with all the greater ferocity that they cannot assail the Head. Against the world-rulers of this [state of] darkness (comp. Ephesians 2:2). World-rulers denotes the extent of the dominion of these invisible foes - the term is applied only to the rulers of the most widely extended tracts; there is no part of the globe to which their influence does not extend, and where their dark rule does not show itself (comp. Luke 4:6). This darkness expressively denotes the element and the results of their rule. Observe contrast with Christs servants, who are children of light, equivalent to order, knowledge, purity, joy, peace, etc.; while the element of the devil and his servants is darkness, equivalent to confusion, ignorance, crime, terror, strife, and all misery. Against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. The natural meaning, though questioned by some, is, either that these hosts of wickedness have their residence in heavenly places, or, that these places are the scene of our conflict with them. The latter seems more agreeable to the context, for in heavenly places does not denote a geographical locality here any more than in Ephesians 1:3 and Ephesians 2:6. When it is said that we have been seated with Christ in heavenly places, the allusion is to the spiritual experience of his people; in spirit they are at the gate of heaven, where their hearts are full of heavenly thoughts and feelings; the statement now before us is that, even in such places, amid their most fervent experiences or their most sublime services, they are subject to the attacks of the spirits of wickedness. Gills Exposition of the Entire Bible For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,.... The Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, and some copies, read you, instead of we. This is a reason why saints should be strong in the Lord, and why they should put on the whole armour of God, and prepare for battle, since their enemies are such as here described: not flesh and blood; frail mortal men, such as were wrestled against in the Olympic games, to which the apostle alludes. For this wrestling, as Philo the Jew says (e), concerning Jacobs wrestling, is not of the body, but of the soul; see Matthew 16:17; and the meaning is, not with men only, for otherwise the saints have a conflict with men; with profane men, and wrestle against them, by bearing a testimony against their enormities, and by patiently enduring their reproaches, and conquer them by a constant adherence to Christ, and an exercise of faith upon him, which gets the victory over the world; and with heretical men, and maintain a conflict with them, by watching and observing the first appearance of their errors and heresies, and declaring against them, and by using Scripture arguments to confute them, and by rejecting the stubborn and incorrigible from church communion: yet they wrestle not against these only, but against principalities, against powers; by whom are meant not civil magistrates, or the Roman governors, though these are sometimes so called, Titus 3:1, and may be said to be the rulers of the darkness of this world, or of the dark Heathen world, and were in high places, and were of wicked and malicious spirits, against the people of Christ; yet these cannot be opposed to flesh and blood, or to men, since they were such themselves; and though they were in high, yet not in heavenly places; and the connection with the preceding verse shows the contrary, the enemy being the devil, and the armour spiritual; wherefore the devils are here designed, who are described from their power, rule, and government; see Gill on Ephesians 1:21, both in this clause, and in the next: and against the rulers of the darkness of this world; that is, over wicked men in it, who are in a state of darkness itself; and so Satan is called the prince, and god of the world, John 12:31. The Jews use this very word, the apostle does here, of the angel of death; who is called darkness (f); and the devil is called by them, , the prince of darkness (g); and mention is made by them of , the darkness of the world (h); from whom the apostle seems to have taken these phrases, as being in common use among the Jews; who also use it of civil governors (i), and render it, as here, the rulers of the world, and say it signifies monarchs, such as rule from one end of the world to the other (k): some copies, and the Ethiopic version, leave out the phrase, of this world. It follows, against spiritual wickedness in high places; or wicked spirits, as the devils are, unclean, proud, lying, deceitful, and malicious; who may be said to be in high or heavenly places; not in places super celestial, or in the highest heavens, in the third heaven, where God, angels, and saints are; but in the aerial heavens, where the power or posse of devils reside, and where they are above us, over our heads, overlooking us, and watching every advantage against us; and therefore we should have on our armour, and be in a readiness to engage them; and so the Syriac and Ethiopic versions render it, under, or beneath heaven; and the Arabic version, in the air. (e) Leg. Allegor. l. 2. p. 96, (f) Vajikra Rabba, sect. 18. fol. 160. 1. & Shirhashirim Rabba, fol. 25. 4. (g) Pesikta in Kettoreth Hassammim in Targum in Gen. fol. 9. 4. Raziel, fol. 13. 1.((h) Zohar in Lev. fol. 19. 3.((i) Bereshit Rabba, sect. 58. fol. 51. 2.((k) Tanchuma & Aruch in Guidon. Diet. Syr. Chal. p. 169. (MORE: preceptaustin.org/ephesians_612-13.htm) AND A king who did not believe in the goodness of God, had a slave who, in all circumstances, said: “My king, do not be discouraged, because everything God does is perfect, no mistakes!” One day they went hunting and along the way a wild animal attacked the king. His slave managed to kill the animal, but could not prevent his majesty losing a finger. Furious and without showing his gratitude for being saved, the nobleman said “Is God good? If He was good, I would not have been attacked and lost my finger.” The slave replied: “My king, despite all these things, I can only tell you that God is good, and he knows “why” of all these things. What God does is perfect. He is never wrong!” Outraged by the response, the king ordered the arrest of his slave. Later, he left for another hunt and was captured by savages who made human sacrifices. In the altar, ready to sacrifice the nobleman, the savages found that the victim had not one of his fingers, so he was released. According to them, it was not so complete to be offered to the gods. Upon his return to the palace, he authorized the release of his slave that he received very affectionately. “My dear, God was really good to me! I was almost killed by the wild men, but for lack of a single finger, I was let go! But I have a question: if God is so good, why did he allow me to put you in jail?” The slave replied: “My King, if I had gone with you in this hunt, I would have been sacrificed for you, because I have no missing finger, therefore, remember everything God does is perfect. He is never wrong.” —————— ——————– Often we complain about life, and negative things that happen to us, forgetting that nothing is random and that everything has a purpose. Every morning, offer your day to God, don’t be in a rush. God is the perfect father. A Love Letter from God, Our Perfect Father: youtu.be/NLzlnvPFJS4
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 07:14:21 +0000
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