In recent days, my newsfeed has been crammed full of a lot of political and race-related hatred – way too much of which is spewed by purported Christians. We MUST DO BETTER than to resort to demagoguery and threats of violence! Therefore, I am taking another run at
CHRISTIAN PACIFISM – You Say You Love The Baby, But Then You Crucify The Man!
Revelation 22:11-12 exhorts us to, “Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy. Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense, to repay every one for what he has done.”
As the world gives itself over to the spirit of lawlessness, how should we Christians respond. Should we form a Christian Army and go to war? Should we encourage our politicians to rain down fire from above? Jesus says emphatically, “No!”
Examine Jesus’ reaction to a village that refused to accept Him. His disciples want to call down fire upon them. “But turning He rebuked them. And He said, “YOU DO NOT KNOW OF WHAT SPIRIT YOU ARE {emphasis mine}. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save.” {Luke 9:55-56}
The desire to see evildoers punished is human nature. But we are called upon to crucify our human nature daily. But, my role now is different. Christians must NOT allow ourselves to be consumed with murderous rage, (even in the name of “patriotism”). As an old soldier, this admonition from The Lord is a real challenge for me.
We must resist the temptation to rain down fiery retribution. Eternal Judgment is reserved for Jesus Christ alone. Our role, as The Body of Christ is to stand in that Spiritual gap and pray, “Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven”.
Jesus said, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”” {Matthew 22:37-40}
St John the Beloved wrote, “We love, because He first loved us. If someone says, “I LOVE GOD”, AND HATES HIS BROTHER, HE IS A LIAR; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.” {1 John 4:19-21 NASB}
Folk singer Jim Croce, in his 1972 song “Which Way Are You Goin’?”, effectively demonstrated how hypocritical The Modern Church appears when we advocate violence:
(Song starts) 🎼🎤Which way are you goin’? Which side will you be on? Will you stand and watch while, all the seeds of hate are sewn? Will you stand with those who say, “Let His will be done!”?
One hand on the Bible, and one hand on the gun.
One hand on the Bible, and one hand on the gun.
Which way are you looking? Is it hard to see? Do you say, “What’s wrong for him, is not wrong for me!”? You walk the streets of righteousness, but you refuse to understand:
You say you love the baby, then you crucify the man.
You say you love the baby, then you crucify the man.
Every day, things are changing. Words once honored turn to lies. People wandering, can you blame them? It’s too far to run and too late to hide!
So now you turn your back on everything that you used to preach. It’s, “Let him live in freedom,
IF he lives like me.” Well your light has changed, confusion reigns. What have you become?
All your olive branches turn to spears, when your flowers turn to guns.
All your olive branches turn to spears, when your flowers turn to guns.🎤
(Song ends)
Examine Jesus’ reaction to a village that refused to accept Him. His disciples want to call down fire upon them. “But turning He rebuked them. And He said, “YOU DO NOT KNOW OF WHAT SPIRIT YOU ARE {emphasis mine}. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save.” {Luke 9:55-56}
The desire to see evildoers punished is human nature. But we are called upon to crucify our human nature daily. But, my role now is different. Christians must NOT allow ourselves to be consumed with murderous rage, (even in the name of “patriotism”). As an old soldier, this admonition from The Lord is a real challenge for me.
We must resist the temptation to rain down fiery retribution. Eternal Judgment is reserved for Jesus Christ alone. Our role, as The Body of Christ is to stand in that Spiritual gap and pray, “Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven”.