M
Most criminals dont refrain from crime out of conscience but from fear of getting caught, and following thereafter discipline of some sort.
Does God himself not discipline those he loves as well?
The discipline helps to accomplish something doesnt it?
It helps to accomplish the transference of one BEING disciplined to one being able to discipline themselves. It reduces the act of rebellion.
But were not speaking of naughty naughty right and wrong scenarios deserving of a spanking were talking extremes.
Id like to offer a thought. What if Abel defended himself against his brother Cain during that attack on his life?
Is it likely possible Cain would try to attack his brother again later?
Possibly.
But is it also likely possible Cain would have been convicted by God, thought twice afterward and reasoned that he acted hastily and possibly been corrected of his line of thinking to not do that again and even reconciled with his brother.
I mean he did have a direct line of conversation with God
God did warn him before hand
And God disciplined him afterward.
Some may say its not for us to discipline but for the Lord.
But wasnt Cain in a way trying to discipline his brother, for taking what Cain felt was his(the Lords favor)...and to the extreme might I add. I dont feel Abel would have been unjust for stopping his brother and giving him a chance to rethink things.
The more potential for getting caught or stopped the less potential for the crime.
It doesnt make them any more noble or honest,
Yet it does make our own livelihood more inhabitable, safer, and peaceful.
If a rebellious person feels they dont have to answer to God or the police or the authorities then that person would feel in their own mind that they answer to nobody and therefore has no respect for anything. What would the world turn into except for satans free reign to eliminate Christians because suddenly he has gotten Christians to think they shouldnt do anything in their own defense, in their families defense.
Satan would then get every person he is influencing to be aware of the fact that they could go and steal, and kill anytime they like because HEY a Christians wont do anything.
They could go rape anytime they like cuz Christians are so forgiving and may even offer a nice snack afterward.
In other words, as Christians we are called NOT to be cowards.
Its not a matter of being afraid.
Its more a matter of not enabling the behavior of criminals
Im certainly not of the mind to being a party to feeding someones drug habit or the like if they decide to break into my place of business and want to try and steal the till for example.
If someone breaks into my house I really dont think God wants me to reward them by making them a sandwich too while they do so, But then again Stilly I may be with you in that I could be wrong and may need some compelling insights in order to rectify my opinion if it be innaccurate.
At the same time I do understand where God tells us if someone steals from you offer them your cloak as well
that the act of vengeance is not ours to take but the Lords
Trusting in God is good,
Yet After being given the qualities of responsibility and certain disciplines
I trust in God to not be presented with the situation where I would be compelled to defend myself by use of deadly force.
As a side note, I know many cops who have never had to fire their weapon after years of service of carrying one.
They are the fortunate ones since they obviously dont live by their sword but only carry it to help enforce the just value system they represent.
As a citizen we dont go out seeking justice with a gun anymore than an officer of the law does.
The decision to have a gun shouldnt be one made out of fear, but one made through a long process of reasoning that in the hands of a person who knows the right and wrong way to use it, a firearm is simply one of the useful tools to help enforce the prevention of any demise of a civilized society by not contributing to allowing evil to prevail
Hiow does evil prevail? When nothing is done
What if God did nothing? Then what.
So do we leave it alllllll up to God to relay the message to those who dont hear his voice in the first place.
Or does God expect us to participate in this thing called life here on earth.
There must be some law, some form of order and some form of discipline to keep things in proper balance for harmony to be present.
I understand we werent called to be soldiers of fortune but of Christ
Granted, God can take care of it all, but has he purged the world of all evil yet?
Or are Christians suppose to sit back and let satan do his thang and try to live harmoniously with him too?
Yes pray for your enemies that they may come to Christ as you know him.
Dont kill unless feeling it is absolutely necessary since it would remove that persons chance for further knowing Christ.
Pray you dont ever have to use that gun except to aquire food.
Make effective God and prayer first, but at the same time how can we expect 20 cops to manage a city of 3000 or more if theyre always going to be there after the fact and not able to be present during the act of violent or felonious crimes.
The persons involved are the only ones present and consequently should be allowed to manage such situations without having to always force the police to have to afterward for us being led to believe we should sit on our hands doing nothing.
The Bible illustrates the obligation to preserve life. The Bible clearly teaches that we must preserve life--our own lives and the lives of other people
1 Cor 6
Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own; 20 for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body
Not only are we to take care of our bodies and the life contained. We have an obligation to preserve the body and life of other people
Psalm 82:4 Rescue the weak and needy; Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.
Consider also Proverbs 24:11, which indicates we have a duty to preserve the lives of those who are harming themselves:
Proverbs 24:11 Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.
Warning people and not sitting back...
Ezekiel 33 "... 6 'But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman's hand.'
We have learned that there is sanctity to spilled blood. Why? Two reasons:
1) Life is precious, and the life is in the blood. When blood is shed, something precious is lost. You might not think blood is precious. Some tend to consider blood to be just a "bodily fluid". It is, however, precious to God.
2) An attack on man is an attack on the image of God. At a trivial level, you're messing with sculptures in God's art studio. In God's view of bloodshed, it is not merely a physiological event, but it is an assault on the divine image he has created. Why is wrongful killing (ie:murder) punishable by death? It says, "For in the image of God made He man."
Genesis 9:5-6 5 And surely your blood, the blood of your lives, will I require; At the hand of every beast will I require it. And at the hand of man, even at the hand of every man's brother, will I require the life of man. 6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: For in the image of God made he man.
If evil knows it has something to answer to namely the ones who stand for righteousness, how can it prevail.
Does God himself not discipline those he loves as well?
The discipline helps to accomplish something doesnt it?
It helps to accomplish the transference of one BEING disciplined to one being able to discipline themselves. It reduces the act of rebellion.
But were not speaking of naughty naughty right and wrong scenarios deserving of a spanking were talking extremes.
Id like to offer a thought. What if Abel defended himself against his brother Cain during that attack on his life?
Is it likely possible Cain would try to attack his brother again later?
Possibly.
But is it also likely possible Cain would have been convicted by God, thought twice afterward and reasoned that he acted hastily and possibly been corrected of his line of thinking to not do that again and even reconciled with his brother.
I mean he did have a direct line of conversation with God
God did warn him before hand
And God disciplined him afterward.
Some may say its not for us to discipline but for the Lord.
But wasnt Cain in a way trying to discipline his brother, for taking what Cain felt was his(the Lords favor)...and to the extreme might I add. I dont feel Abel would have been unjust for stopping his brother and giving him a chance to rethink things.
The more potential for getting caught or stopped the less potential for the crime.
It doesnt make them any more noble or honest,
Yet it does make our own livelihood more inhabitable, safer, and peaceful.
If a rebellious person feels they dont have to answer to God or the police or the authorities then that person would feel in their own mind that they answer to nobody and therefore has no respect for anything. What would the world turn into except for satans free reign to eliminate Christians because suddenly he has gotten Christians to think they shouldnt do anything in their own defense, in their families defense.
Satan would then get every person he is influencing to be aware of the fact that they could go and steal, and kill anytime they like because HEY a Christians wont do anything.
They could go rape anytime they like cuz Christians are so forgiving and may even offer a nice snack afterward.
In other words, as Christians we are called NOT to be cowards.
Its not a matter of being afraid.
Its more a matter of not enabling the behavior of criminals
Im certainly not of the mind to being a party to feeding someones drug habit or the like if they decide to break into my place of business and want to try and steal the till for example.
If someone breaks into my house I really dont think God wants me to reward them by making them a sandwich too while they do so, But then again Stilly I may be with you in that I could be wrong and may need some compelling insights in order to rectify my opinion if it be innaccurate.
At the same time I do understand where God tells us if someone steals from you offer them your cloak as well
that the act of vengeance is not ours to take but the Lords
Trusting in God is good,
Yet After being given the qualities of responsibility and certain disciplines
I trust in God to not be presented with the situation where I would be compelled to defend myself by use of deadly force.
As a side note, I know many cops who have never had to fire their weapon after years of service of carrying one.
They are the fortunate ones since they obviously dont live by their sword but only carry it to help enforce the just value system they represent.
As a citizen we dont go out seeking justice with a gun anymore than an officer of the law does.
The decision to have a gun shouldnt be one made out of fear, but one made through a long process of reasoning that in the hands of a person who knows the right and wrong way to use it, a firearm is simply one of the useful tools to help enforce the prevention of any demise of a civilized society by not contributing to allowing evil to prevail
Hiow does evil prevail? When nothing is done
What if God did nothing? Then what.
So do we leave it alllllll up to God to relay the message to those who dont hear his voice in the first place.
Or does God expect us to participate in this thing called life here on earth.
There must be some law, some form of order and some form of discipline to keep things in proper balance for harmony to be present.
I understand we werent called to be soldiers of fortune but of Christ
Granted, God can take care of it all, but has he purged the world of all evil yet?
Or are Christians suppose to sit back and let satan do his thang and try to live harmoniously with him too?
Yes pray for your enemies that they may come to Christ as you know him.
Dont kill unless feeling it is absolutely necessary since it would remove that persons chance for further knowing Christ.
Pray you dont ever have to use that gun except to aquire food.
Make effective God and prayer first, but at the same time how can we expect 20 cops to manage a city of 3000 or more if theyre always going to be there after the fact and not able to be present during the act of violent or felonious crimes.
The persons involved are the only ones present and consequently should be allowed to manage such situations without having to always force the police to have to afterward for us being led to believe we should sit on our hands doing nothing.
The Bible illustrates the obligation to preserve life. The Bible clearly teaches that we must preserve life--our own lives and the lives of other people
1 Cor 6
Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own; 20 for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body
Not only are we to take care of our bodies and the life contained. We have an obligation to preserve the body and life of other people
Psalm 82:4 Rescue the weak and needy; Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.
Consider also Proverbs 24:11, which indicates we have a duty to preserve the lives of those who are harming themselves:
Proverbs 24:11 Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.
Warning people and not sitting back...
Ezekiel 33 "... 6 'But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman's hand.'
We have learned that there is sanctity to spilled blood. Why? Two reasons:
1) Life is precious, and the life is in the blood. When blood is shed, something precious is lost. You might not think blood is precious. Some tend to consider blood to be just a "bodily fluid". It is, however, precious to God.
2) An attack on man is an attack on the image of God. At a trivial level, you're messing with sculptures in God's art studio. In God's view of bloodshed, it is not merely a physiological event, but it is an assault on the divine image he has created. Why is wrongful killing (ie:murder) punishable by death? It says, "For in the image of God made He man."
Genesis 9:5-6 5 And surely your blood, the blood of your lives, will I require; At the hand of every beast will I require it. And at the hand of man, even at the hand of every man's brother, will I require the life of man. 6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: For in the image of God made he man.
If evil knows it has something to answer to namely the ones who stand for righteousness, how can it prevail.
