SERMON - WHAT ABOUT DEFENDING YOURSELF AND YOUR COUNTRY

What About

Defending

Yourself

And

Your Country

 

There are Christian groups that teach their followers that they are not to enter into military service and plead their case base upon being a Conscience Objector. They base their belief on, “turn the other cheek,” and little else.

 

I have read and studied God’s Word and would like to tell each of you what God has said.

 

Ecclesiastes 3: ⁸ a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

 

This is but one of the many references that I will cite and God has made it clear that there are times to fight and to do that often means between nations. This requires military service.

 

Matthew 5: ¹⁷"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

 

Jesus clearly made His statement clear on His not having come to change God’s Laws or any of His Words as were written in the Old Testament. His purpose was to change men’s harts but not to change anything His Father had dictated earlier. In fact He went so far as to heal the servants of a military man simply due to a most strong exhibition of faith.

 

Luke 7: ⁸For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."  ⁹When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel."

 

At no time was military service denied to be righteous.

 

God’s Word, the Christian Bible, has 136 mentions respecting war. There are many that are just mentioning the fact that wars were fought but often the fact that God was directly involved belies the Conscience Objector thought.

 

Numbers 32: ⁶ Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, "Shall your countrymen go to war while you sit here?    

 

Can this be made any clearer?

Deuteronomy 20:  ³ So Moses said to the people, "Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites and to carry out the LORD's vengeance on them.

 

We all must admit that Moses was often in God’s presence and talked to Him. If God had even hinted in military service being wrongful He would have made that fact known.

 

Deuteronomy 20: ³⁴ The LORD said to Moses, "Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon."  ³⁵ So they struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army, leaving them no survivors. And they took possession of his land.

The Word is clear but I will do as God leads me to do and go on.

 

Judges 3: ³⁴ The LORD said to Moses, "Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon."

1 Samuel 15: 18 And he sent you on a mission, saying, 'Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.'

 

Now we are hearing so very many that say, “The 7^th Commandment says, “Thou shalt not kill.” To these people I say, “You are wrong.”

 

Deuteronomy 5: ¹⁷ "You shall not murder.

 

There is a distinct difference between the words ‘kill’ and ‘murder.’ To kill is to take a life while to murder is to take that life in a malicious manner. Killing in warfare is not murder, it is to protect and preserve that which is in need of such. It is never murder.

 

Proverbs 20: ¹⁸ Make plans by seeking advice; if you wage war, obtain guidance.

 

The guidance you must seek is that which God will provide His child. He will be with any that are true to Him and protect them. I often ask any that have sons, daughters, any relatives or friends in military service to have those people carry a copy of Psalm 91 on their person and whenever they have a moment to read, Psalm 91 is to be their focus.

 

1 Corinthians 6: ¹⁹Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;   

 

This is a statement that makes it blatantly clear that your body is not your own. It belongs to the Holy Spirit. With that being so, the bodies of Christians do as well. In protecting your body, (self defense) or the bodies of others, you are protecting temples of the Holy Spirit!

As a side note, this also answers any questions related to ‘suicide.’ You have no right to invade or harm the temple of the Holy Spirit; none whatever!

 

When you are confronted by anyone, Pastor or laymen, that seeks to question military service as sinful, then use the citations of God’s Word I have set forth and realize, God is the author of the Bible and regardless of a man’s position it counts very little in comparison to God’s Word.

 

Just as military service is often required one must often practice self defense. Self defense can also be the defense of another.

 

When Jesus was first confronted in the Garden of Gethsemane Peter sought to defend our Lord with his sword. As a fact, every apostle was armed as they traveled.

 

Luke 22: ⁴⁹When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, should we strike with our swords?" ⁵⁰And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.  

 

Jesus was possessed of the knowledge that His death was God’s will and foretold as His destiny. It was this that had Him saying, “No,” and doing as He did.

 

Today the use of a sword has been replaced by the use of a gun.

 

Matthew 5: ⁴⁵that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

 

The sending of “rain” can be evil. I see a gun as an umbrella to protect against the “rain,” (evil).

 

Now, killing in self defense or in protection of another, in peace time or in military service, cannot be in anger for a perceived wrong.

 

Matthew 5: ²¹"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'

 

All killing is not murder! Do not allow other to confuse you. Murder is the ‘unlawful killing of someone with malice aforethought.’

 

We are human and along with our human weaknesses we are often confronted by evil types bent on our physical destruction. If we simply allow them free reign over our welfare or the welfare of those that are weak and unable to defend themselves God can hold us culpable for our inaction! The object lesson here is to NOT to confuse ‘killing’ with ‘murder.’

 

Pray and ask God for His guidance, He will give it to you and enlighten your path.

 

(Closing prayer)

 

Father, Almighty God, we come to You and praise You. We exalt You and ask that our sins be forgiven and we be permitted to come before You will robes of white. You are our hope and our salvation.

 

Father, we ask for Your protection of our physical bodies as well as our spirits. See us as Your children and people that are willing to stand up to adversities set upon us by those seeking to do us harm. Bless our human efforts to do Your will as we realize that we must strive to live by Your Word to fulfill Your wishes for Your children.

 

Grant us victory over our enemies as we stand firm on Your Word and deny the false words of false prophets. Lend us the strength to keep our faith in You even as we are beset by evil. You are El Gibbor, our Divine Rock and Strength.

 

We ask that You bless our military and keep them strong and under the protection of Your Mighty Wings. Keep them safe from harm and be with them is time of peril and clear of thought and purpose.

 

Lord, we also ask that You enlighten the elected officials, judges, police officials that are assigned to protect us from injustices. See that they fulfill their duties in a manner that is pleasing to You. Bless and protect those men and women whose duty it is to protect our nation from the groups bent on our destruction.

 

Father, there are servants of Yours throughout the world that need Your mercies and protections. We ask that You see to their needs and protect them from harm.

 

Lord, You are our God and the Power of the Universe. All praises to You.

 

We pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior who is One with You and The Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever,

 

Amen, amen and amen.

--
Pastor Lee S Gliddon Jr
God's Word Christian Ministry
Conservative Patriot http://conpats.blogspot.com