c20H25N3o said:
Actually if you read my posts you will see that there is no disagreement (or at least I don't think there is)
C20
Yes we agree on many things but we also disagree on things also. I do not doubt your experience in faith. Your testimony on how God intervened in your life. Nor do i doubt your sincerity in seeking to grow in the knowledge of The love of the Truth. I must clarify the differences between you and i in this issue. I have hope that you will be open to conviction and that the Spirit will talk to your heart through me in this post.
C20
If an individual threatens me by breaking into my house and they have come unprepared to deal with me that they came to steal from, I have every right to restrain that person and call the police. I am unlikely to use a knife or a gun but I am likely to 'strike' a blow to disable the thief. If I accidentally kill that person by trying to restrain them then the bible says that I should feel no guilt. In fact it is very rare in law that a person would be prosecuted for manslaughter under these circumstances.
Can you not see how the powers that be can exploit this belief and expand it into a national setting? The thief comes in to take possession and to attack and you will strike a blow? To defend what? Your goods? Mammon? Your fleshly life?
What happens if you die, being a believer in The Messiah Jesus where would you be in eternity?
What would happen to the thief if you killed him/her? Do you know they would be with God in eternity? Or would you just hope they where right with God?
Why no give up your material things that have no eternal value? Why not even give up your flesh life, another thing that has no eternal value? Why do people who know of eternity fight and kill of things that have no eternal value?
Herman Göring - Nazi Party leader
"Why of course the people don't want war. . . . That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."
Yes evil men know how easy it is to use the emotions of people to induce fear and motivate them to do all kinds of evil.
Ever since the Messiah came back to life on the third day after his execution all of humanity has been invited to accept him as the Messiah, to have their sins forgiven through his grace so as to be acceptable to exist in the presence of The Ancient Of Days for eternity. This Invitation is open to all people until the moment of their deaths.
When we kill others who haven’t accepted our Messiah we are denying them the chance for redemption that The Ancient Of Days has offered them through the Messiah. We sinners who are saved by grace have no right to kill others for the sins that they do.
To defend or avenge ourselves may be our human notion of what is good or just but once the Messiah was raised from the dead The Ancient Of Days provided a route to eternity for sinners that did away with justice. If The Ancient Of Days used justice to determine who would enter into eternity with Him would we have any chance of entering it? I can be assured in myself that without the grace of the Messiah I would burn.
So if we are followers of The Messiah we shall attempt to overcome evil with good and not allow ourselves to be overcome by evil by joining in their game. Love and the Word are the only weapons our Messiah has given us to use.
When we understand these things we then know why we are told to turn thy cheek, love thy enemy, do not avenge yourselves and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. It no longer sounds like foolishness, for The Ancient Of Days has made the wisdom of man as nothing He reaches out to ALL men. How then can we kill one to whom The Ancient Of Days is reaching out for, in Love?
Is it not better to accept death and give the murder a chance to later accept Jesus as Messiah and meet up with them in eternity for a hug.
Jesus wished this on His murderers "forgive them lord for they do not know what they do" Jesus accepted His death, an act of love that would save some of the men that murdered Him.
All Praise The Ancient Of Days