Christian
Politics –
Part 7: Gun
Rights
Pastor
Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org
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SERMON INTRODUCTION
Over the last few weeks,
we have discussed the following issues and shown where the bible stands.
Ø Jesus, if a U.S. Citizen, would vote in
elections to fulfill citizenship duties
Ø What about the matters of life and death?
o
Healthcare – Miracles, modern
medicine & personal control over decisions (not government/insurance/doctor
control)
o
Suicide & Euthanasia
– for reasons other than defense of self, family, property or country, the
intentional killing of one’s self, or another is murder, and wrong according to
God.
o
Abortion & Stem Cells
– Abortion too is the intentional killing of an innocent, and considered murder
since scripture show that life truly begins at the moment of conception when
God begins to knit you in the womb where He also names you.
Ø Crime and punishment and how the Lord would
approve of the death penalty for certain offenses
Ø War, defense, and national security
Ø Guns and matters of defense
Ø Immigration and matters of national security
Ø Marriage
Ø Education
Ø Economy, budget, trade, campaign finances
Ø Green Values
SCRIPTURE READING
Matthew 26:52-54
“Put your sword
back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by
the sword. 53 Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put
at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the
Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”
Important things to remember
about this verse
·
This is at the end of Jesus’ ministry of
approximately 3 ½ years
·
This took place immediately after the last supper
·
Jesus is standing with the disciples
·
The disciples were armed with swords
o i.e. swords
were the military arms of the day
o These were
not sticks, clubs or sub-standard weapons, but the same carried by the Roman
army
·
Jesus was aware they were wearing swords (you don’t
really conceal carry swords)
·
Jesus never told them not to have swords (we will
read a scripture later where He tells them to GET swords)
·
And when Peter mis-used his sword (for an offensive
attack as opposed to defense) Jesus corrected him…NOT by telling him to “get
rid of the sword”, but by telling him to “Put your sword back in its place”,
the sheath.
These are important things to
note for this discussion. We must look at this in the whole of scripture,
rather than from a personal view.
What we “believe” or think holds
no bearing on the Word of God and what it says.
If we call ourselves “followers”
of Christ, then we need to understand how we are to be “Peacekeepers” and
“Pacifists” yet, as the bible states, “warriors” and “Soldiers” for God.
It IS possible to hate war but be
a great warrior. It IS possible to be a
peacekeeper yet defend your country, family, property, and home.
I.
THE ISSUE
OF SELF-DEFENSE AND GUNS
a. Guns and the Bible
i.
Black powder was
invented in China in the 9th century A.D.
ii.
So, obviously there is
no reference to “guns” weren’t invented until the first made from Bamboo in
China in 1000 A.D.
iii.
However, the idea of
weapons and their purposed uses have been around as long as we have.
iv.
Cain murdered Able
with a stone, it was a weapon
v.
Previous to guns,
“arms” and weapons throughout early history was composed of spears, swords,
bows, etc.
vi.
Therefore, in Jesus’
time, what the Roman soldier carried as his “military grade weapon” was a sword.
vii.
Therefore, one can
reason that references to “swords” in scripture when used literally would be
equivalent to our modern weapons, i.e. guns.
1. There are figurative uses of the word sword about
the Word of God
2.
It is easy to know
when literal and figurative speech is being used simply by taking references in
context.
b. War, defense, and politics
i.
War, self-defense and
guns have become political talking points, mostly used as a device to polarize
and divide our nation into parties to give the illusion of “choice” during
elections.
ii.
Politics aside, we
must determine for ourselves where God stands on this issue if we are to call
ourselves followers.
iii.
We cannot make
knowledgeable “follower” choices if we are ignorant of scriptural fact.
iv.
Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…”
1. Being ignorant of God’s Word allows us to be
destroyed in many ways.
c. What matters to God
i.
How? You may not think
you have a right to defend yourself, and you are attacked by a wicked person.
Instead of defending yourself you allow them to kill you.
1.
Unless you are called
to be a martyr, and died specifically for spreading God’s Word, what purpose did
your death serve?
2.
Once you have been
silenced you can no longer live for the Lord, share His gospel, free slaves
from sin, etc.
3.
Which is God’s will?
a.
Die at the hands of a
wicked person?
b.
Defend yourself and
continue to serve the Lord on earth?
ii.
My people are
destroyed for lack of knowledge.
iii.
So, what does God say
about guns (swords) in the Old and New Testaments?
II.
THE OLD
TESTAMENT AND GUNS (SWORDS)
a. Vengeance and revenge
i.
God makes it clear in
His Word we are NOT to take vengeance or seek revenge
1. Proverbs 20:22 “Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!”
Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.”
ii.
God also says he hates
violent people
1. Psalm 11:5 “The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked,
those who love violence, he hates with a passion.”
iii.
Vengeance, revenge,
violence, those searching and looking for fights, those who are on offense, God
hate this behavior.
b. Murder / Kill
i.
We already spoke about
the difference between murder and kill
1. The Bible says, do not murder
2. It also says, there is a time to kill
a. i.e. self-defense, war
ii.
Knowing the difference
is the difference between permitted and sin
iii.
Some may argue Ephesians 6:12, however true we see many examples in scriptures of
the evil of men, and how they brought about battles and wars that were fought
in the flesh.
1. The real battle is in the spirit, the spillover is
in the flesh
c. Self-defense according to God and the Old
Testament
i.
Here are some
references to swords (guns) in the Old Testament
ii.
Exodus
22:2 “If a thief is caught breaking
in at night and is struck a fatal blow, the defender is not guilty of
bloodshed;” (killed, not murdered, in
defense of home and property)
1.
Proverbs
25:26 “Like a muddied spring or a
polluted well are the righteous who give way to the wicked.”
2. Do not let the wicked walk all over you, defend
yourself.
iii.
Psalm
144:1 “Praise be to the Lord my
Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.”
1. Is David speaking of a “dance off”? a “rap battle”?
a game of checkers?
2. Does he not know what the word “war” means?
3. The Lord trains our hands for war, our fingers for
battle, because sometimes there is a time for war. (Ecclesiastes 3:8)
iv.
Nehemiah
4:16-18 “…The officers posted
themselves behind all the people of Judah 17 who were building the wall. Those
who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the
other, 18 and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked…”
1. Even while working they were ready to defend
themselves
2. Even the workers carried swords
v.
Numbers 31:3 “So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your men
to go to war…”
vi.
Joel 3:8-10 “The Lord has spoken. 9 Proclaim this among the
nations: Prepare for war!
Rouse the warriors!
Let all the fighting men draw near and
attack.
10 Beat your plowshares into
swords
and your pruning hooks into spears.
Let the weakling say,
“I am strong!”
vii.
I Samuel 25:13 “David said to his men, “Each of you strap on your
sword!” So they did, and David strapped his on as well. About four hundred men
went up with David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.”
1. The first draft Numbers 1:3
“You and Aaron are to count according to their divisions all the men in Israel
who are twenty years old or more and able to serve in the army.”
viii.
Psalm 18:34 “He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of
bronze.”
ix.
Psalm
44:4-7 “You are my King and my
God, who decrees victories for Jacob.
5 Through you we push back
our enemies; through your name we trample our foes.
6 I put no trust in my bow,
my sword does not bring me victory;
7 but you give us victory
over our enemies,
you put our adversaries to
shame.”
III.
THE NEW
TESTAMENT AND GUNS (SWORDS)
a. Peacekeepers and pacifists
i.
Doesn’t the Lord tell
us to be peacekeepers and pacifists?
1.
Romans
12:18 “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live
at peace with everyone.”
a. Meaning it is not always possible.
b. But as far as it depends on you…meaning, do
everything you can for peace, and do not be the aggressor, or the one acting in
offense.
c. Peter didn’t get corrected by Jesus because he had a
sword, he was corrected for using it offensively instead of defensively.
ii.
As far as being a
pacifist, pacifism is defined as “a person who believes that war and violence
are unjustifiable.”
1. This is not biblical, there are times in scripture
where the Lord says war IS justified.
2. To believe as a true to definition pacifist is
unscriptural.
iii.
However, a modified
definition can be acceptable.
1. To hate war and violence, and do everything in your
power not to be the cause, and live at peace with everyone IF it is possible.
iv.
If Jesus wasn’t a
pacifist, why didn’t He fight the soldiers who captured Him when Peter struck
one with his sword?
1. Read the verses for yourself and you will see why.
2.
Matthew
26:53-54 “Do you think I cannot call
on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions
of angels? 54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must
happen in this way?”
v.
Jesus makes clear, He
did not want the disciples to defend Him because He HAD to go to the cross to
fulfill scripture.
b. The real battle
i.
Is in the spiritual
realm, however people are used by Satan in this realm.
ii.
Though spiritual in
nature, many battles in the Old testament (as well as Armageddon in the New
testament) are fought in flesh and blood, empowered and lead by spiritual
forces.
c. Self-defense according to Jesus and the New
testament
i.
Jesus did NOT tell the
disciples to stop carrying swords at the end of His 3 ½ year ministry.
ii.
When Peter misused
his, using it offensively as opposed of defensively, Jesus did not tell him to
get rid of it, but put it back in the sheath.
iii.
All through the Old
testament we are told we have the right to defend ourselves, our families, our
house and property as well as our nation. God didn’t change His mind when Jesus
came on the scene in the New Testament.
CONCLUSION – So, how would Jesus vote about war and the nation’s
security?
Other than the fact the scriptures in Matthew are clear about the
disciples carrying, and Jesus not opposing that fact after 3 ½ years, here are
a couple more New Testament scriptures to think about.
I Timothy 5:8
“Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and
especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an
unbeliever.”
What are we to provide? Love, food, shelter, protection.
Luke 11:21
“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions
are safe.”
Luke 22:36 “He
said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if
you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.”
This is a literal reference to a real sword, not the Word of God as some
try to say…at this time you couldn’t just go into a Barnes & Noble and buy
a copy of a bible that had not even been written yet.
We are called by God to protect our families, ourselves and others who
cannot protect themselves!
John 15:13
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Psalm 82:4 “Rescue
the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of
the wicked.”
Proverbs 24:11 “Rescue those being led away to death;
hold back those staggering
toward slaughter.”
NEXT WEEK: Part 8 – Immigration & matters of National Security
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