What would you do if intruders attacked you and your family? Wouldnt you use deadly force to protect them? Who knows for sure what they would do, so, to a degree, its an unknowable hypothetical. But shouldnt we defend ourselves and others from attackers? Well, Jesus was attacked by stoning mobs several times, but just supernaturally slipped through their midst every time without ever striking back. He also intervened to keep another from being stoned to death by a killing mob, but without committing violence Himself. He said those who live by the sword die by the sword, so its hard to use Him as a positive model for advocating violence. But we have to be honest that Jesus operated in a supernatural worldview by which He relied on angelic and other forms of supernatural protection, what I like to refer to as Psalm 91 protection. This explains how Jesus supernaturally avoided harm without ever committing violence Himself. And He said we would do the same and greater works than He did. The problem is that few today have that supernatural worldview. Without it, we either defend ourselves or die-- those are the only two options. But with a supernatural cosmology, we can be ably protected from harm by others through angelic and other divine dynamics, none of which require violence on our part. Divine protection is left largely unplumbed and unclaimed as a forgotten benefit of our so great a salvation. But, I agree that if one does not have a worldview of faith which allows, relies and consents to supernatural resources, then self-defense becomes the only alternative to death. I just believe that there is a third option. But, I do readily admit few believe in or for that third option. When that number DOES change from few to many, the Church will go into orbital glory! Gods protective power, when catalyzed by faith, forms a protective and energizing shield around us. This shield has been called “Job’s hedge” (Job 1:10), “the secret place of the most high” (Ps. 91:1), and the “full armour of God” (Eph. 6:13-17). Jesus continually lived in this protective shield because He trusted his Father for it. Jesus three-year ministry was His incredibly hazardous. Consider this: the religious Jews sought to throw Jesus off a cliff, “But passing through the midst of them he went away” (Lk. 4:28-30); “sought to destroy Him” (Lk. 19:14); they sought to stone him but be escaped “through the midst of them, and so passed by.” (Jn. 8:59); “sought to kill him” (Jn. 7:1); sought to slay him (Jn. 5:16); sought to capture him “but he escaped out of their hand” (Jn. 10:39); and manhunted him continually (Jn. 11:57). Yet, Jesus’ enemies could not penetrate His divine hedge until Jesus willingly laid His life down by taking our sins to bear on the cross. Isn’t it remarkable that all His enemies were out canvassing to kill Him, but Jesus continued to minister out in public places right under their noses WITHOUT ever being harmed or without ever using violence Himself. They simply couldn’t gain access to Him because of His Psalm 91 shield. Jesus could boldly say as the end approached, “The prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me.” (Jn. 14:30)-- no access to afflict in other words. Jesus was even forewarned about Judas’ betrayal so that it could have been avoided. Jesus chose for the hedge to be removed. When an army of soldiers came to arrest Jesus, He told His disciples that, Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? Matt. 26:53. What a wonderful scripture for the power of prayer! Angels harken en masse to answer the prayers of the righteous. But having this power at His disposal, Jesus chose to not exercise it so that he could lay His life down for us. No man or devil took it from Him. (Jn. 10:18). Now whats wrong with asking the question, What would you do if someone were about to kill your family? Well, asking me ahead of time what I would hypothetically do if God FAILED to show up to protect my family, or lead us away to safety, is a bit of an unblessed question because it PRESUMES abandonment by God. So, me deciding that I would kill another human being in self-defense is based on the flawed presumption that I THINK I have a perfect knowledge of the future as to what will happen if I DONT shoot the arms and legs off my attackers before they actually make physical contact with me or my family. How on earth could we EVER know, with certainty, the exact point we are to officially give up on Gods intervention and instead start flooding the airwaves with a bullet binge? Do you see? Thats really unknowable. Whats really being asked here is, At what point do we give up on Gods intervening rescue? But, again, that is an unblessed question. The Lord’s deliverances work in different ways at different times. Mark 16:18 promises poison and snake bites (i.e. afflictions) won’t harm us. Paul was actually bitten by a snake, and then shook it off into the fire with no ill effect on himself. But, what if Paul had panicked and disengaged his faith when he first got bitten? What if Paul had reasoned that because God didnt warn him in advance so that he could have avoided the painful snakebite, that therefore Paul should take matters into his own hands. Paul might have then sprinted away in panic trying to find the best medical herbs or anti-venom of the day. But Paul didnt do this at all. He instead remained stedfast and merely shook off the snakebite in faith. I am certainly not saying that we shouldnt take medicine for illnesses. But in emergency situations, we CAN rely on Gods protective intervention. It IS an option. Sometimes we ARE warned in advance of the snake or poison so we can avoid it. But, OTHER times, the snake painfully bites us and the poison enters our system. Yet, at these times, our faith can still keeps us from being harmed by the poison or venom. God didn’t promise we would never be bitten by affliction, but He did promise we would never be harmed by it if we fight the good fight of faith. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Lk.10:19. What works for snake bites surely works for bullets. Christian testimonies (by missionaries, soldiers and others) abound of jammed guns, point blank misses, curved bullet paths, and other such protective supernatural phenomena. Of course these testimonies are largely anecdotal, but spontaneous miracles usually are. In Matthew 5:38-48, I dont see Jesus saying being perfect like His heavenly Abba is perfect includes blowing our enemies heads off their shoulders. Whatever we decide to do, faith has to come before fear. The problem with a policy of justified violence is that it puts fear ahead of faith. I certainly appreciate soldiers and law enforcement officers brave willingness to put themselves into harms way, but I dont advocate that anybody being killed is EVER Gods protective best for a situation-- not now, not ever. There is a higher way. The zealots of Jesus day were expecting a GI Joe killer Jesus with an Israeli flag in one hand and a throat-slitting sword in the other. What they got was the Lamb of God. And they were mad because He wouldnt back their killing ways. And many today tend to get mad too when somebody criticizes our killing ways. This isnt a patriotic thing but a Jesus thing. We are told by Him NOT to live by the sword because He will protect us another way. And if we feel the call to refuse the Lords deliverance and lay our life down in maximum impact as a martyr, then, as Paul said, to die is gain. Again, this choice is extremely personal and everyone must walk their own path. I would never condemn anybody for defending somebody under attack. I just hope those who DO believe in physical retaliation also wouldnt condemn others who choose to walk a different and non-violent path. I just believe there is a higher way waiting to be rediscovered by the sons and daughters of God. And I cant even say what I would do with certainty. But I do have an ideal at which I would hopefully aim. So, I am merely advocating here for another option to consider. Then let each of us act as we hear the Spirit lead.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 23:55:49 +0000
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