Why This Christian Reveres Our Armed Services
So today is Memorial Day and I am so thankful for our men and women in our armed forces! Go out and buy a veteran some lunch! With that said, I wanted to share this dialogue with a friend who made himself vulnerable and asked a really good question. He was simply responding to this Facebook status;
"In every generation there are those who do not hold "These truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness," and war against these noble principles. Whether foreign or domestic tyrants, brave men and women have laid down their lives to provide us the freedoms not to be taken for granted. It is with sincere gratitude that I thank the veterans and families of those who served, putting the preservation of these principles before their very own lives. Your sacrifice has not been forgotten. May we never stop declaring our independence from the powers of evil and may we continue to preserve the good. Thank you US Military"
I then received a message from my buddy asking how I could say such a thing that seems to be in contradiction to the teachings of Christ, especially "turning the other cheek."
I struggled at first to articulate my beliefs, but after about an hour of putting the pieces together I responded with this.
"Before I became a Christian, I was big on getting into the military. I really didn't know what I was getting myself into, but I did feel a duty to honor those who gave their lives for us. I tried and tried to get in, but I never made it in. It seemed God had a different plan for me. On a more theological note, I believe that the whole of Scripture advocates a Just War Theory. Basically, God ascribes value to a human being by creating us in His image. Could there be any higher honor than being envisioned and desired by your Creator for the purpose of being showered by His love? Therefore, life is sacred and when that sanctity is trampled as a result of evil, God has instituted government to restrain that evil, even if by means of warfare (Reference, Genesis 9:6 and Romans 13:1-5.) Essentially, the passage in Genesis 9 is God's words to Noah, establishing law (in its most basic form) for the purpose of restraining evil through government. With that in mind, we come to Romans, a more recent and applicable passage regarding Christians and government. Note particularly what he says in Vs. 4, that "he (government) does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer." This one poses a bit of a challenge to the American because it talks about being subject to the governing authority (this seems to contrast our Declaration of Independence.) However, that is the beauty of our Declaration, because it assumes both Scriptural positions of submission to the authority, but only until that authority violates the sanctity of life and freedom as endowed by God.
Let's look specifically at that portion expanded, because I believe it speaks for itself;
"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."
Thus, our independence is drawn by the notion that life is sacred and ought to be protected by government, even if opposing that corrupt government results in warfare.
I see your point because it almost seems like a contradiction to Jesus' words, but when Jesus says "turn the other cheek", He is not speaking of the role of government in restraining evil. Instead, the context of His sermon is the inner attitude of our individual hearts. This specific passage comes from the Sermon on The Mount in Matthew 5. He begins His treatise on the human heart by addressing anger, lust, divorce, oaths, retaliation, and loving your enemies (Check out verses 21-48). His point is what He reiterates in Matthew 15:19, "For out of the heart come evil thoughts--murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander."
Consider this, what if we all lived by these principles? If we did, how much government would be necessary? Certainly, if it were possible for us to live according to what Jesus just summed up, we would have no need for a judicial system as all men would be living in harmony. Jesus' words remind us that sin is not a problem that exists in our environment around us, but that it is an immediate problem in our own heart that affects our environment. That's why it is so shocking at the end of his sermon in vs. 48 (Matthew 5) when He says, "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
How can we be perfect?! That's the point... Only by trusting in Christ's work on the cross, not in any religious system of good works, can we partake in any type of righteousness that God will recognize. Ultimate peace will not come in this life because of the presence of sin, but all of those who come under the blood of Christ shall know peace when God finally purges the world of sin.
You are totally right, we would do well in observing exactly what you have said, not retaliating, but if we choose to believe what he said about retaliation we would also do well in not divorcing our wives, or looking at porn, or making promises we couldn't keep, getting angry and calling names, etc...
All in all, Jesus, who affirmed all of the Old Testament to be true (John 17:17), does not contradict what it says concerning the position of government and their stance on warfare.
That's why I can be a Christian and have a deep felt respect for those who have paid with their lives to protect the sanctity of another. For another take on this, check out this short 15 minute question and answer session from Christian philosopher, Ravi Zacharias at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD.
Naval Academy Q&A"
I hope this sheds a little light on what we believe and why! God bless our troops!
"In every generation there are those who do not hold "These truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness," and war against these noble principles. Whether foreign or domestic tyrants, brave men and women have laid down their lives to provide us the freedoms not to be taken for granted. It is with sincere gratitude that I thank the veterans and families of those who served, putting the preservation of these principles before their very own lives. Your sacrifice has not been forgotten. May we never stop declaring our independence from the powers of evil and may we continue to preserve the good. Thank you US Military"
I then received a message from my buddy asking how I could say such a thing that seems to be in contradiction to the teachings of Christ, especially "turning the other cheek."
I struggled at first to articulate my beliefs, but after about an hour of putting the pieces together I responded with this.
"Before I became a Christian, I was big on getting into the military. I really didn't know what I was getting myself into, but I did feel a duty to honor those who gave their lives for us. I tried and tried to get in, but I never made it in. It seemed God had a different plan for me. On a more theological note, I believe that the whole of Scripture advocates a Just War Theory. Basically, God ascribes value to a human being by creating us in His image. Could there be any higher honor than being envisioned and desired by your Creator for the purpose of being showered by His love? Therefore, life is sacred and when that sanctity is trampled as a result of evil, God has instituted government to restrain that evil, even if by means of warfare (Reference, Genesis 9:6 and Romans 13:1-5.) Essentially, the passage in Genesis 9 is God's words to Noah, establishing law (in its most basic form) for the purpose of restraining evil through government. With that in mind, we come to Romans, a more recent and applicable passage regarding Christians and government. Note particularly what he says in Vs. 4, that "he (government) does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer." This one poses a bit of a challenge to the American because it talks about being subject to the governing authority (this seems to contrast our Declaration of Independence.) However, that is the beauty of our Declaration, because it assumes both Scriptural positions of submission to the authority, but only until that authority violates the sanctity of life and freedom as endowed by God.
Let's look specifically at that portion expanded, because I believe it speaks for itself;
"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."
Thus, our independence is drawn by the notion that life is sacred and ought to be protected by government, even if opposing that corrupt government results in warfare.
I see your point because it almost seems like a contradiction to Jesus' words, but when Jesus says "turn the other cheek", He is not speaking of the role of government in restraining evil. Instead, the context of His sermon is the inner attitude of our individual hearts. This specific passage comes from the Sermon on The Mount in Matthew 5. He begins His treatise on the human heart by addressing anger, lust, divorce, oaths, retaliation, and loving your enemies (Check out verses 21-48). His point is what He reiterates in Matthew 15:19, "For out of the heart come evil thoughts--murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander."
Consider this, what if we all lived by these principles? If we did, how much government would be necessary? Certainly, if it were possible for us to live according to what Jesus just summed up, we would have no need for a judicial system as all men would be living in harmony. Jesus' words remind us that sin is not a problem that exists in our environment around us, but that it is an immediate problem in our own heart that affects our environment. That's why it is so shocking at the end of his sermon in vs. 48 (Matthew 5) when He says, "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
How can we be perfect?! That's the point... Only by trusting in Christ's work on the cross, not in any religious system of good works, can we partake in any type of righteousness that God will recognize. Ultimate peace will not come in this life because of the presence of sin, but all of those who come under the blood of Christ shall know peace when God finally purges the world of sin.
You are totally right, we would do well in observing exactly what you have said, not retaliating, but if we choose to believe what he said about retaliation we would also do well in not divorcing our wives, or looking at porn, or making promises we couldn't keep, getting angry and calling names, etc...
All in all, Jesus, who affirmed all of the Old Testament to be true (John 17:17), does not contradict what it says concerning the position of government and their stance on warfare.
That's why I can be a Christian and have a deep felt respect for those who have paid with their lives to protect the sanctity of another. For another take on this, check out this short 15 minute question and answer session from Christian philosopher, Ravi Zacharias at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD.
Naval Academy Q&A"
I hope this sheds a little light on what we believe and why! God bless our troops!
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