Mike,

I have a question regarding how Christ (scripture) says to punish and chastise the evil and wicked of society. Our murderers, rapists, child abusers, etc. All God’s will, right? I’ve seen very little justice in my fifty- plus years, and I can’t believe the answer is always ‘God’s will.’ We have to hold people accountable, otherwise there would be total bedlam. So what would our Lord have us do? Peace to you.

D____

Hi D____,

Thank you for your question.

No, it is not God’s heart to torment for the sake of torment for all eternity, as orthodox Christianity contends. But God did ‘intend’ for Adam to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil before He ever created Adam. Therefore Christ “was slain from the foundation of the world.”

God knew what the results of Adam’s sin would be. God knew simply because “He works all things after the counsel of His own will.” But God is accomplishing the salvation of both the murdered and the murderers, both the raped and the rapist, through death. What you are so concerned with preserving, is nothing more than a “body of this death” (Rom. 7:2

Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

I do not mean to come across as indifferent to how you feel, but you, like D. James Kennedy, Adrian Rogers, Pat Robertson and all of the ministers of Babylon, identify with, want to preserve and improve this Babylonish world. As I have said so many times, an ambassador to any country cannot involve himself in improving the country to which he is sent. That is not his concern. We have an ambassador to Iran. If our ambassador to Iran gets involved in the politics of that country and starts demonstrating against the terrible condition of women and starts a campaign to improve the treatment of women in Iran, he would be immediately withdrawn from his ambassador’s position. The reason he would be withdrawn is that he has taken upon himself a concern for things that conflict with his job as the ambassador for the United States. This man who we sent there to represent us and our concerns is now consumed with the concerns of Iran. He has allowed his personal feelings for the welfare of the Iranian women to come between him and his true government. Consequently he will not only loose his ambassadorship but he will also be prosecuted for treason. He has become an Iranian instead of a U. S. citizen.

God has already decreed that “flesh and blood [ the people of this earth- one and all] cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” He tells us that “our citizenship is in the heavens.” So, if we, as did Peter when he drew his sword to fight for Christ, attempt to preserve this fleshly world at the expense of the words of Christ to “love thine enemies,” then we too, must forfeit our heavenly citizenship at this time.

This is far from a cop- out. If you see a man raping a woman you are expected to lay your life down for that woman’s safety. You are not, on the other hand, expected to make it your job to see that that rapist is executed. God has “created evil” men to punish evil men:

Psa 17:13 Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:
Psa 17:14 From men which are thy hand, O LORD from men of the world…

Let’s let “evil men which are [ God’s] sword” do God’s work of avenging evil. That is not the calling or concern of ‘citizens of heaven.’

I too, have struggled with all of the evil that is everywhere in this world. I have written several papers on this subject which I have posted on the web page. Be sure to read the papers on Military Service. Be sure to read After The Counsel Of His Own Will.

I will leave you with just a couple more scriptures to contemplate:

2Co 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
2Co 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the [“resist not evil”- Mt. 5:39] knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

“The obedience of Christ” is not an easy thing. As a matter of fact it is humanly impossible.

Rom 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
Rom 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Rom 12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
Rom 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

You cannot do this. But if you don’t “bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, you will not be in that “blessed and holy… first resurrection.”It takes “Christ in us” to obey such supernatural requirements. I pray that God will give you the ability to separate yourself from the affairs of this world and “set your affection on things above.”

Mike