10/03/23 KNOW YOUR WARFARE

10/03/23 KNOW YOUR WARFARE

The New Testament makes it clear that Christians killing people (for any reason) is not commanded or commended or condoned, in fact, it is condemned by God in the New Testament.

The erroneous idea that God allows Christians to kill people (for any reason) did not come from the New Testament, but came from the faulty teaching of the Roman religion and was followed by her errant descendants in the Protestant Reformation.

I realize that many well meaning Christians (mostly modern and western) believe that it is expected for Christians to kill other people (in military battle, in self defense, in defense of property). I love those errant believers, but their beliefs are contrary to the New Testament.

This does not mean that Christians are cowardly, or passive or pacifistic, or anti-law enforcement or anti-military. (But that is a different subject, to be addressed at a different time.)
The point is that the New Testament does not allow or promote Christians taking violent, life threatening action against our enemies.

It is time for those who claim to be Bible followers to follow in the steps of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, Whose kingdom is not of this world, Whose weapons are not fleshly, and we are to cease taking personal, violent action against other people, since our enemies are not human but they are spiritual, principalities and powers. We are to do good to our enemies and we are to love them. This may include losing everything we have, including our very lives.

Loving your enemy does not mean loading your enemies gun or sacrificing others to their violence. Loving God means that we obey God rather than men, when the directives, the practices of our enemies are in conflict with the rule of God.

We are witnesses for Christ, and the Biblical word, "witness" comes from the Greek word, which means "martyr." Christ has sent us out to be witnesses, not executioners. In fact, we are referred to as "witnesses," and "ambassadors" rather than judges, prosecutors, jurors, jailers, or policemen. Witnesses and ambassadors are messengers of peace, reconciliation, restoration. We bear the Sword of the Spirit, not the sword of steel.

In the New Testament passages, which use militaristic imagery concerning Christians, the subject refers to our commitment, loyalty, submission to God as our Authority and to His mission. God's mission for believers is to rescue the lost, not execute the lost; we are to fight the good fight of faith, not the fight of the flesh; we are to engage spiritual powers and defeat them, we are not to physically attack enemies of the cross; the only blood letting associated with the Christian mission is proclaiming the death of Christ on the cross and His physical resurrection, and our own willingness to die in His service.

There is not a hint of disagreement in the New Testament to the fact that we are to pursue peace with all men; that we are called to be peace makers; that we are to be willing to die; that we love our enemies; that we do not physically fight for an earthly kingdom.

We can serve our country in various ways, but our service to any country must never be in conflict with the mission of God, which was exemplified in the death, resurrection and teachings of Christ and the writings of the New Testament Prophets and Apostles.

Don't be led astray by the teachings of men who came along after the New Testament and the practices of the earliest church. So-called "violent" Christianity is not New Testament. As with other great truths of the Bible, this Biblical position is not popular with the world. But remember, we are not answerable to men, we are answerable to God and His word.