I've been pondering this for some time now and I've come to a conclusion. Maybe the question isn't “Should we fight or not?” Maybe the question is “What is God’s best?”
In Genesis 1 we get a clear look at what God's best is, here we see what God wants for his children in the future.
Isa 11:6 “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
Isa 11:7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Isa 11:8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's den.
Isa 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”
This is a picture of God's perfect plan, this peaceful and beautiful world he desires his children to
dwell in, with no war or fighting. Yes, war might be the “lesser of two evils.” But it's still evil!
So why not choose God's best?
Because we rejected God's best in the Garden of Eden, we reject God's best every time we sin.
When sin came into the world, God's best went away, and we were left with the obligation to have to
choose the “lesser of two evils.”
Gen 3:16 “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Gen 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Gen 3:20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
Gen 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. “
Don't misunderstand what I'm saying. I'm not saying that we can't ever choose God’s best! But we can't
ever choose God's ABSOLUTE best in our sinful flesh, though one day we will once again be able to
choose God's best. But until that day comes we are forced to choose the lesser of two evils.
To go to war with a nation that is killing innocent women and children, to pull a gun on a man raping a
woman, to execute a murderer, to physically defend our families, and to war with a nation that is
invading our land to corrupt and control it, we cannot just ignore these things. In his last
hours on earth Jesus told his disciples to buy a sword (weapon) to show them, and us, that some of us
will be called to war.
Luk 22:36 “Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his
scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. “
Later Christ tells Peter to put away his sword.
Mat 26:52 “Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the
sword shall perish with the sword. “
Joh 18:11 “Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? “
He did this to show us that there is a time for war and a time for peace, because only in two of the
accounts he condemns the sword. Because he was trying to tell us there is a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecc 3:8 “ A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. “
It is for a greater love we fight a nation corrupt with murder, it is for a greater love for a man to kill rapist, it is for a greater love we physically defend our families, it is for a greater love we execute
murderers, and it is for a greater love we fight. “Wow, sounds like that's treading on thin ice!”
Yes it is, that is why God gave us the Law in the Old Testament, to teach us how to deal with these
situations.
Therefore we MUST not throw out the Old Testament law. But rather, know that the God of all creation wrote it for our good to show us how to walk in this sinful, fallen, “lesser of two evils” world.
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Ridge, although the Old Testament is profitable, we are not under it. A Testament is a will and only becomes effective when someone dies. When Jesus was on earth he was living so he was under the law, but in death he fulfilled the new will and sealed it with his blood and it became binding. the Bible says that we cannot serve two masters
ReplyDelete"Wherefore my brethren ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead" Romans 7:4
So being under two covenants would be spiritual adultery. Romans 7:12 it says that the law is Holy, just, and Good. But to try to keep both when a new will is in force is wrong. Therefore you shouldn’t use the Old Testament to justify mans fallen need for war.
God made the old law to show our need for the savior. if you think that the old law was flaw and we don't need it any more. then you serve a God the can makes mistakes. God knew what he was doing from the foundations of the world. So since we disagree on the Law we can't debate this. Because that is the foundation of why Christ came to do, and what I believe.
ReplyDeleteThe law of the old testament and the law of Christ are one. Because Go the Father and God the Son are one. There is no flaw.
ReplyDeleteThe Old Testament Law was from God to the Israelites, BUT when Jesus came He didn't get rid of it. Before Christ, the Jews were God's only chosen people, but now that we are included in that number, He has given us an even higher standard.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the Old Testament is flawed. Nor do I think the law is flawed. But Jesus gave us a new covenant. Do you truly beleive you are under the "whole", meaning the 631ish laws?
ReplyDeleteIf the old law was not flaw. then why did Jesus get rid of it?
ReplyDeleteHe didn't get rid of it. He made it better.
ReplyDeleteI would be careful in saying "he made it better"
ReplyDeleteBecause that insinuate that is wasn't very good.
But I'd say that he came to define the law. To show us the spiritual application. We really see thin in the "sermon on the mount"
27Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Here he was defining the meaning of that law!
I agree with Ridge. If our God was perfect from the beggining, he wouldn't need to make it better. It's very encouring to see posts like this on your blog.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGod is entirely perfect, I will never deny that.
ReplyDeleteEncouraging, not an encouring. and by the way this is Jillian who wrote comments 9-11
ReplyDeleteSo, Mennogirl, he would not have to change the law. :)
ReplyDeleteOr do you not know, brethren, that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?
ReplyDelete... but now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. What shall we say then, is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary I would not have known sin except through the law...but sin taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead... therefore the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good.
... I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one that wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.
...For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak in the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
From Romans 7 and 8.
Thank you Laurel!....Ho wait that's not Laurel speaking, that's God.
ReplyDeleteRidge, thank you for talking with me on Sunday. I feel like we're on somewhat of a similar page now. Sorry for my parting the misunderstanding. :-)
ReplyDeleteAs far as what goes? we talk about allot of stuff.
ReplyDeleteAfter church, we talked about this issue, remember?
ReplyDeleteDear Ridge,
ReplyDeleteHere is another perspective of the Old Testament.
"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
"For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
Matthew 5:16-18 (New American Standard Bible)
By the way. Today we were told about your family because you all live in a close by state to ours. We have some mutual friends. I just happened to check out your site that they recommended. Our family does some filmmaking also so it was interesting to see your work.
God Bless,
Mrs. H.