Faith in the News Christian News
How should Christians respond to terrorists such as ISIS? How would you respond to your unsaved friends?
Pray for our Enemies
Matthew 5:44-45 “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
The difference between Christianity and other false religions and beliefs, like ISIS, is that instead of hating and killing our enemies, we pray for our enemies. When we do this we show that we are the sons and daughters of God. Remember, Jesus died for us while we were still His enemies and wicked sinners (Rom 5:8, 10). There is nothing in all the world like Christianity. As hard as it is, we should be praying that these terrorists repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ because we know it’s not God’s will that anyone, even terrorists, die in their sins (2 Pet 3:9).
Fear of God over Fear of Man
Proverbs 29:25 “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.”
King Saul once disobeyed God and told Samuel the prophet that “I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them” (1 Sam 15:24). Sadly, the fear of man over the fear of God causes many to needlessly be afraid and often causes us to disobey so when we fear what man can do, we are showing God that we do not trust Him. I love what Christian missionary Jim Elliot once said that “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
The Sovereignty of God
Proverbs 21:1 “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.”
Since even a pagan king’s heart are like rivers of water that God turns wherever He wills, we have no need to fear what man can do “So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me” (Heb 13:6)? Why should we fear what any man can do when God is the One Who directs human affairs to fulfill His will and according to His good pleasure.
Seeing with the eyes of Faith
Psalm 91:7-8 “A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked.”
I remember hearing many veterans quote this verse when they were engaged in a fierce battle. Doubtless this verse gave them comfort. Today, thousands indeed to fall daily and in fact, more Christians have been martyred in the last hundred years than since Christianity was founded over two thousand years ago. Even so, on the Day of Judgment, we will see “the reward of the wicked” (Rev 20:11-15). It is because God is our “refuge” and “even the Most High [is our] dwelling place” (Psalm 91:9) that we should fear not.
God is Ruler of All
Daniel 2:21 “He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars.”
This is close to the sovereignty of God but a bit different. Whoever is in power is not in power by accident as it is God Himself that reigns over human history and as He purposes, rulers rule and rulers are removed. There is nothing that happens that is not without a purpose that fits precisely into His plan for mankind and particularly those of His children.
May God richly bless you,
Pastor Jack Wellman
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Orig. image by US Army
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