~心靈的花園~

Friday, March 21, 2003

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT WAR? (I)

The Bible is very practical here: it says “as much as it depends on you … as far as it's possible on your behalf, live at peace with everybody." However, I think this is also implying that sometimes it’s impossible to live at peace with others. Have you ever met someone who - no matter what you did - you just couldn't get along with? No matter what you did, he could not be appeased.

The Bible says, “If it is possible …” For instance, if someone abused my children and abused my wife, I would likely not have peace with him. I don't think God would expect me to be at peace with him as long as the abuse remained a threat.

So what about war?
First, you have to look at the real causes of war: The Bible says that two things cause most wars: selfishness and pride. James 4:1-2 (Jerusalem Bible) says, “Where do these wars and battles between yourselves first start? Isn't it precisely in the desires fighting inside your own selves? You want something and you haven't got it; so you're prepared to kill. You have an ambition you can't satisfy, so you fight to get your way by force.”

Whenever there is a battle between two nations, a battle between two businesses, a battle between an employer and employee, labor and management, husband and wife, parent and child - whenever there is conflict - somebody (maybe both) is exhibiting selfishness or pride. I want my way. You want your way. We're going to have conflict.

I remember reading a story about Abraham Lincoln. He was walking down the street one day with his two boys, and they were both crying and frustrated. A man passing by asked, “What's wrong with your little boys?” Lincoln said, “Nothing more than what’s wrong with the world! I have three walnuts and each boy wants two.”

Is it ever right to fight?
Yes! There are times when it’s the lesser of two evils. There are times when it is appropriate and there are times when it is inappropriate. Ecclesiastes 3:8 says, “There is a time for war and a time for peace.” The Bible is very realistic. Sometimes war is the right thing.

The Bible is very honest about this. There are many, many examples in the Bible where God commanded a war - where God said, “Go to war!” When you look at the great heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11 - Joshua, David, Gideon, Samson - these guys were all warriors.

When you study the ministry of Jesus, you see He never told Roman soldiers to leave the army. If Jesus had been a total pacifist, every time he saw a soldier, He would have said, “Leave your army! Come follow Me.” But He never once said it was morally wrong for them to be in the service. In fact, in Matthew 24:6, He said there will always be wars in the world until the Prince of Peace comes back.

So, was Jesus a pacifist? I DON'T think He was! Twice in the New Testament, He cleansed the temple by force. The Bible says He made a whip, and He went in and cleansed the temple. He didn't politely ask them, “Would you guys, pretty please, get out of here?” He forced them out.

So how do you know when it’s right to fight?

It's right to fight...

1. IN ORDER TO PRESERVE FREEDOM. There are many examples in the Bible of this. Once God told Joshua to wipe out the Midianites because they were very oppressive. They had all kinds of evil practices like throwing babies into the fire. It was a terrible, atrocious culture. In Numbers 32, God gets very upset - in fact, He expresses anger at two tribes in Israel - because they WOULDN’T go to war. You have to decide what's worth dying for. If you don't know what's worth dying for, you don't know what's worth living for. There are some things that are worse than war.

2. IN ORDER TO PROTECT INNOCENT PEOPLE. Proverbs 21:15 says, “When justice is done it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evil doers.” Christians should not just be interested in peace. We want peace, but we should also want justice. Peace at any price is not peace. Peace at any price is appeasement. Our God is not only a God of peace; He is also a God of justice. John Stuart Mill said, “A man who has nothing which he is willing to fight for - nothing which he cares about more than his personal safety - is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free.”

3. IN ORDER TO STOP THE SPREAD OF EVIL. The Bible makes it very clear that God has authorized the government to enforce the law and punish offenders. Romans 13:4 says, “The authorities are sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for you will be punished. The authorities are established by God for that very purpose, to punish those who do wrong.” (NLT)

Will The World Ever Have Permanent Peace?
Someday it will, but it's not going to happen until Jesus Christ comes back. There are actually more verses in the Bible about Jesus' second coming than there are about His first coming at Bethlehem. In John 14, Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there you may be also.”

The Bible says that when Jesus comes back, He will set up a reign of peace on the earth. According to Isaiah, this is what it's going to be like: “He (Jesus) will settle disputes among nations. They will hammer their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nations will never again to go to war, never prepare for battle again.”

Do you know this verse is at the United Nations building? - “They'll hammer their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives.” But they forgot the most important part – “He will settle the disputes." Jesus, not the United Nations! We'll never have ultimate peace until the Prince of Peace establishes His reign on the earth.

by jojoju at 11:00 PM |