INVICTUS by William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods maybe
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.

William Ernest Henley exemplified the unconquerable hero of his poem. In spite of extreme health issues throughout his life and the loss of a young daughter (She was the inspiration for Wendy in J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan.) Henley drove through life like a steam engine, however, in any realistic discourse the fragility of life is unavoidable and so the poem speaks of absolute confidence which is, ironically, dominated by circumstance.  We see the poem’s hero unafraid of the horrors of the shade though his scroll is charged with punishments.  There is no faith or forgiveness mentioned that makes him “unafraid”, rather his disregard of the “horror” and “punishments” is because, in effect, he chose his life and destiny.   His faith, as expressed in, “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul” is delusional as his true “master” and “captain” are the unavoidable passing of time and the coming judgment.  The comforting words of bravado are a confession of insufficiency and obedience to fate.

Strength and resolve, properly held, are wonderful attributes, but in truth, none of us are sufficient to make our way in life apart from the guidance of God.  Jeremiah confessed this truth when he said, “I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.” (Jer. 10:23), and so God blessed us with a moral law imprinted on our hearts and found in His word. (Romans 2:15) 

When we rebel against this law we are without God and become lost in the waves of want and circumstance.  One who seeks to be master of his fate and captain of his soul inevitably becomes enslaved to his desires and “Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:14-15) “How charged with punishment the scroll” 

We have all tried this life of self-will “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  The good and the honest do not blithely ignore these failures with “head bloody, but unbowed”.  Moral failure is not something we are proud of, rather we recognize the failure as proof of our insufficiency. 

Today my little grandson became frightened and needed his grandfather.  In my arms he was safe and unbeknownst to him he was protected from much greater and more ferocious things than the noise that had frightened him.  So too, we only find true safety in life through acceptance of the reality that we never outgrow the need for our Father’s mighty arms and guiding hand. 

Confidence in the face of death and judgment is a wonderful thing but only if it is born of faith that is proven in loving obedience to God.  Thankfully salvation and confidence are not dependent upon perfect obedience for we have all failed that standard.  Thank God for the opportunity of repentance and the willingness of the perfect Son to pay the price we could not pay.

TRUE INVICTUS (by Tom Russell, with apologies to W. E. Henley)

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank the God who is
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have winced cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
In Christ, I am bloody but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
I am forgiven the punishments in the scroll,
For Christ is the master of my fate,
and the captain of my soul.

Being a skinny kid and moving to a new school at least a couple of times a year makes you the target of every bully.  It produces an emotional agony that is indescribable and can be self-destructive.  Without proper guidance and examples, a boy has to find own way.  Some give up, while others instinctively continue searching for examples of strength and positive masculinity.

In my experience “Christianity” was not much help as it has been pretty much emasculated.  Christ has been presented as some soft, effeminate shampoo model telling you to submit to any and all abuse.  I wanted to be right with God, but looked to western writer Louis L’Amour and prolific firearms author Jeff Cooper, to learn about manhood, and did not realize until later that the positive masculinity they espoused was in accordance with God’s word, design, and expectation. 

God wants His people to be strong, brave, and capable.  Consider Abraham, Caleb the Ferocious (Joshua 14), Samuel, David and his magnificent Thirty (2 Samuel 23:8-39).  What of mighty Benaiah who killed two Ariels of Moab (???) and a lion in a pit on a snowy day, and then a magnificent giant Egyptian with the Egyptian’s own spear?  Yes, Benaiah the “doer of great deeds” still did not number among David’s Three Mighty Warriors.  What has happened to men of God?  Where has the strength and ferocity gone?

One of the reasons believing men have become soft is because their religious leaders have become soft.  Too often effeminate priests and “preachers” who would fit better in a tooth paste commercial than a pulpit of God, represent “Christian men”.  These bear no resemblance to the prophet Samuel who hacked King Agag to pieces with a sword, or John the Baptizer who was clothed in camel’s hair with a leather belt and ate bugs and wild honey.  John, when he saw the chief religious characters of his day coming to be baptized, called out to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” (Matt 3:7-8) He was completely unconcerned about offending them, burning bridges, etc.

Yes, Jesus instructed the Jews to “turn the other cheek” (Lk. 6:29) when another commits a minor offence, but He also directed His followers to “sell their cloak and buy a sword” (Lk. 22:36). The sword is not to be used contrary to the will of God (Matt. 26:52), but notice He instructed Peter to put the “sword in its place”, He did not tell him to get rid of it, or condemn Peter for having one. Most do not realize that Jesus Christ is the ferocious Jehovah of the Old Testament! Notice the words of the prophet Jude, “For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.” Jude 4-5 Jesus was the God that David sang of in Psalm 7:11-13 “God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts.”

This same Jesus told John in Revelation 2:10 “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”  The Lord said, “Do not fear”!  Have you ever heard anything more positively masculine?  Fear is simply an emotion, not an omnipotent master we have no control over!  Conquer it!

Those who only see Christ as a sweet shepherd fail to see the Christ who prophesied His destruction of Jerusalem and obliteration of Israel (Matt. 24), and the Christ that John and Daniel witnessed who caused these mighty men of faith to faint (Rev. 1:17-20, Dan. 10:2-9). My point is simply that God has set for us an example of strength, justice, and fearlessness that we are to emulate. 

There was a time when western civilization appreciated and admired strong masculinity and machismo.  I am reminded of the men of the Victorian age like Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, who defeated every French Marshal he fought and then defeated Napoleon at Waterloo.  Cecil Rhodes who created the nation of Rhodesia.  Theodore Roosevelt who resigned as the Secretary of the Navy to lead men in battle during the Spanish-American War, then served as an immensely popular President of the United States.  These men and others were lauded by Rudyard Kipling and other great writers of the 19^th and 20^th century.  These men, and those like them, conquered continents, not just nations, but something was missing.

Roosevelt was a prolific writer and extolled the virtues of “The Strenuous Life”.  I have the book and it is an exhortation to be strong and exercise a charismatic masculinity, but I realized there is something missing from it.  In the writings and lives of these titans there is little, to no mention, of God and compassion.  I believe that masculinity and strength without godliness will always result in tyranny by the strong.  The colonialism of the Victorians (I use that term to identify a mindset, not limiting it to the English.) was often characterized by arrogance, disdain for the rights of others, and abuse.  God calls upon all “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8), and all efforts to the contrary are doomed to failure and so it was with Western Colonialism.  Strong masculinity is essential, but devoid of justice, kindness, and humility before God, it is abusive and eventually, after causing much destruction, will fail.

The greatest men of all time have borne a godly masculinity.  There has never been more ferocious or martially capable warriors than the mighty men of God, and these are the men we should emulate!

Men, our God, our families, our nation, calls for us to repent of ignorance, effeminacy, and fear, and embrace duty with hearts tempered by godliness, our razor edge steeled by His word.

We were born to be Mighty Men of God, let us make it so!

Photos by: www.forgedbyfaithart.com 

There is a great deal of confusion, even among believers, regarding the appropriate character faith.  I have heard at least two experienced preachers make the comment, “You’ve got to take it on faith,” thus committing a ridiculous failure as they were confusing faith with superstition.

Definitions

Superstition – belief or conviction without evidence

Faith – trusting conviction (The definition will be more fully defined further in the article.)

SUPERSTITION

“Superstition” certainly defines the conviction of many in that they have not had, or taken opportunity, to consider the evidence behind their faith, or the lack thereof.  They have simply adopted the faith of those around them.  They are “Christians” because everyone around them professes to believe in Christ.  Many times over the past thirty-five years I’ve asked saints who should have possessed a deep knowledge of God’s word to provide evidence for their faith regarding a basic bible truth only to find that they could not recall the book, chapter, and verse.  Don’t misunderstand, to be saved you do not have to recall every passage proving the divinity of Christ or the necessity of baptism, etc. but to provide an effective defense of your faith you need to know the passages that support it. 

Superstitious faith is typically the product of the influence of those around us or perhaps our misunderstood personal experience.  Regarding the latter for instance, someone walking down a dark swamp road at night may observe a soft glow beyond the tree line and conclude they’ve seen a ghost when they have actually observed a natural phenomenon called “marsh gas” which is a mixture of methane, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon dioxide gases.  It is easy to say this as I’m writing this on a beautiful north Texas day, whereas if I were the one walking down that swamp road in the middle of the night, I might find myself irrationally seeing ghosts and goblins.  After all, I still get the heebie-jeebies if I’m by myself in a big old church building. I admit to sensing a dark and ominous presence and realize it is likely the product of my imagination … but the heebie-jeebies are still there.  Grrrrr

This is all fun and games unless superstition is treated as “faith”.  It accomplishes nothing regarding salvation and serves as a spiritual detriment to all those over whom we have influence.  It is not the faith prescribed by God.

WHAT IS THE CHARACTER OF FAITH THAT GOD FINDS ACCEPTABLE?

As most may know, the English word “faith” in the bible is translated from the Greek word “pistis” and is simply defined as conviction or belief.  However, a word is defined by how it is used, and what we’ll see is that “faith” involves all those things identified with the term that are required by God. 

FIRST: Faith must be based on the evidence God provides!

Note that in Hebrews 11:6 we are told: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”  We can effectively “seek,” or know God, only through the information He has provided us, and through that information we arrive at the conclusion that He rewards us for the effort of seeking Him.  What can be known about God can be clearly seen through that which He has made, even His “eternal power and divine nature”. (Romans 1:18-19)  I believe the Apostle Paul is pointing to the majestic order of all things, the irreducible complexity present in you and I and all living organisms, and even the “natural moral law” we witness in hearts of all, even the most depraved.

Contrary to what many have concluded, God wants us to use our mental faculties in knowing Him and His will for us.  Note the greatest commandment, “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37 The word “mind” is from the Greek word dianoia which means “deep thought,” the “exercise of mental faculty.”  God wants us to THINK and LOVE Him!  In Ephesians 5:17 Paul wrote, “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is”.  The word “understand” is from suniemi and means to “mentally comprehend or put together.” God wants us to THINK and UNDERSTAND His will!  

SECOND: Faith that saves one and is pleasing to God is lovingly obedient!

1 Corinthians 13 is the beautiful chapter of love, but an oft-overlooked statement is made in verse 2, “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”  A man who has faith that does not include love is “nothing” before God!  The faith that pleases God and justifies the believer is more than simple conviction.  Paul tells us in Galatians 5:6 “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.”  The Apostle James states plainly concerning Abraham in James 2:22 “You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;” and in verse 24, “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”

Friends, to please God we must diligently look to the evidence He has provided, and then lovingly obey the Heavenly Father revealed to us through that objective search.

Where does something like this come from, and what does it lead to?

Recently, good friends and fellow Christians Jeremy & Armanii created a Youtube video of their very positive take on Kanye West’s album praising God,  

to which Oscar Danek responded; “God is fake!”

Tom Russell “Why do you say that Oscar?”

Oscar Danek “because I have a brain”

Tom Russell “That’s pretty deep Oscar. Do you have anything like evidence, facts,           reasons, or silly stuff like that?”

Oscar Danek “what about god? Have you ever seen him? Oh right he’s …expletive… fake”

Tom Russell “I personally have never seen the other side of the moon, but believe it’s there based on reason and the testimony provided by others. I never saw George Washington, but believe the testimony of those who said they did. The irreducible complexity of every entity in the animal kingdom necessarily implies a designer. God is good!”

Oscar Danek “this is why I hate the human race”

Tom Russell “Why do you hate people Oscar?”

No response from Oscar

In Oscar’s comments we see intense anger, ignorance, and hatred.  He hates people and believes God is fake, yet he cannot provide an intelligent explanation for either conclusion.  If Oscar were unique this would be merely sad, but the prevalence of people who ferociously promote conclusions they cannot factually support or rationally explain is extremely disturbing.  Ferocity combined with ignorance is a dangerous mix.  I am reminded of Solomon’s admonition;

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”                                                                                              Proverbs 14:12

For many years I believed the “death” mentioned in the passage was limited to the spiritual death of the willfully rebellious person, but I am no longer convinced of this.  History is replete with incredible destruction wrought by those “pursuing a way that seemed right”, and the historical lens clearly reveals the absurdity of their murderous bias.  Yes, hindsight is 20/20, but why don’t the perpetrators recognize the injustice of their actions at the time they are committed?

Emotional Investment + Poor Training + Ignorance = Destruction

Emotional investment, often rooted in tragic childhood training, blinds the weak and the proud to their own hypocrisy.  They happily visit upon others judgment and behavior they would not happily suffer themselves.  For instance, those who support abortion would not, if they could, go back into the wombs of their mothers and order their own dismemberment.  Those who promote socialism, which involves giving government complete power over labor and property, never support the involuntary and unwarranted seizure of their own property without fair compensation.  And of course, those who proclaim “God is fake” without evidence or reason would themselves resent being treated so unfairly.  If they were accused of being a “fake” or a “phony” they would deny the charge, or demand facts that support it, yet they accuse the designer of irreducibly complex design of being a “fake.”  Additionally, they deny the testimony of worthy biblical witnesses, while embracing that same form of evidence in all other areas of their lives.

DANGER! DANGER!

We were not designed by God to determine right and wrong apart from His guidance!   The prophet Jeremiah stated this simple truth when he said;

“I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.”                                                         Jeremiah 10:23

If we refuse God’s leadership then we are left to our own devices which will be controlled by our own desire and remember the end of that “is the way of death!”  We destroy anything inconvenient to our desire including our lives and the lives of others.  The process and result of rejecting divine guidance is described by James:

“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”                                                                   James 1:14-15

Without God we have: Desire + Temptation + Sin = Death

That some conclude that “God is fake” or does not exist is not due to a simple lack of intelligence, for a very simple man can still grasp the evidence demonstrating God’s existence, appreciate Him, and love others.  Neither is the problem a lack of evidence and information.  People reject the evidence of God and the guidance He provides because it is inconvenient to their desires and/or fathers have failed to train their sons and daughters, and sons and daughters have become content with the failed training of their fathers. 

Fathers, heed the wisdom of Solomon:

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.  Proverbs 22:6

Doing the right thing, or pursuing righteousness, is essential to our pleasing God, enjoying healthy relationships, and experiencing happiness.

Happiness and health are dependent upon doing right!

One’s health and happiness is dependent upon doing the right thing for the right reason. Proof of this may be found in many areas, for instance, doing “wrong” results in a sense of guilt which compels one to seek justification. Whether that need for justification results in the pursuit of the forgiveness of God and man, or simply making excuses for the moral failing, it points to the need of the conscience to be right. This compelling need to be perceived as right by God, self, and others is directly related to the demand of our conscience that we do right. Of course, another way
of saying this is that our sense of guilt when we fail morally is proof that we feel the need to do right.

Anytime a “need” is not met it negatively impacts the system associated with the need. A work quota is a need that if not met negatively effects our job. If our nutritional needs are not met it depresses our body. So, if the “needs” of the conscience are not met it produces a depressing effect on our emotions.

Cain Proves that Moral Failure Produces Emotional Depression

5 but for Cain and his offering God had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:5-7

Cain did not meet the demands of God and his own conscience when he failed to offer God his best. The result was emotional depression and God’s displeasure and rejection.

The Sinful Conscience is a Sensitive Thing

Happiness may result from sacrificing the right thing, but this is very shallow and fragile. We know this because the impropriety does not suffer questioning or challenge. If a man were challenged over loving his wife and children, he would pass off the objection as being absurd,
while a man who has abandoned his family might eagerly lay out all the good reasons he was compelled to do so, or try to avoid the examination. We do not feel the need to indignantly defend doing the right thing, but one intent on sin will hide it, deny it, or ferociously defend it.

Of Narcissists and Psychopaths

Some might object to this conclusion by pointing to the narcissist or psychopath who thrive on selfishness and perhaps even the abuse of others, but these are the exceptions that prove the rule.  Their rarity and the fact they are recognized as abnormal is proof they are contrary to design and acceptable behavior.

The Predictable Effect of Doing Right

As God loves the worship of the faithful, so, a good woman rejoices in the adoration of her husband, a child thrives on the counsel of wise and loving parents, and a friend cherishes the faithfulness of a true friend, for these are the predictable reactions to one who does good.

We do best when we do good, and we do good when we follow the will of God!

We can only understand what this requires if we understand what it means to love ourselves.

The background of the commandment

The Lord Jesus in Matthew 22:39 identifies the commandment “love your neighbor as you do yourself” as the second greatest in the Law of Moses, the first being, “You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, and mind.”  Jesus goes on to state that “On these two commandments depends all the Law and the Prophets.” Vs. 40  

Though it is important to note that the Lord was answering a Jewish lawyer about Jewish law (Deut. 6:5, Lev. 19:18), the universal applicability of these two commandments is necessarily implied in Romans 1:19-22 and Romans 13:8-10.  In fact, I believe these laws are written upon our hearts (Romans 2:14-16), in that all capable of moral judgment feel a desperate need to be dealt with fairly and therefore, to be consistent, should treat others fairly.  For instance, every man knows it is wrong for someone to steal his property, therefore he knows it is wrong for him to steal the property of another.  You see this codified in cultures and civil law around the world throughout history.

So, if love for self is to be the standard for loving others, what is involved in loving self?

We might equate “love ourselves” with selfishness, but we would be mistaken as it is the opposite of destructive selfishness.  The word “love” in our text is the Greek word “agape” which we might define as responsibly pursuing that which is best for self, or another.  If we agape self, we pursue that which is truly good for us and sacrifice selfish desire which is, in the end, always morally, physically, and socially destructive.  Therefore, loving self is appropriate and responsible, and is to be the standard for how we treat others.

The relationship between law and love can be seen in our own experience.  As we progress through life we learn rather quickly that others should keep their word and treat us fairly; we then begin to realize it is only fair that we treat others the same way. Paul, in Romans 13:8-10, reveals that it is love that prevents us from unjustly harming another when he said, “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.”  The purpose of law is to govern our relationship with God and man, and we now begin to see that love for God and oneself enforces all good law.

During the Battle of Okinawa, at the close of WWII, a young Army medic, Desmond Doss, saved the lives of fifty to one hundred wounded soldiers on a war-torn escarpment called Hacksaw Ridge.  Though wounded himself, Doss spent thirteen hours pulling the wounded to the edge of the escarpment and lowering them on ropes to awaiting soldiers below, who then transported the wounded to an aid station.  

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

Doss on Hacksaw Ridge

For saving the lives of so many others at the risk of his own,Doss was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by Congress on October 12, 1945. After placing the medal around Doss’ neck, President Truman shook Doss’ hand and held it the entire time the citation was being read and then said, “You really deserve this.  I consider this a greater honor than being President.”

Someone once said “Words are vehicles that convey ideas,” and it is true. However, they may be used to accurately present an idea or hide its flaws. In the Moral Civil War taking place throughout Western Civilization, those on opposing sides in the conflict seek to persuade the undecided middle through the use of words. Sometimes a story, if told well and often, is perceived as the truth in spite of contradicting facts. In this short treatise we are going to consider the effort made by leftists to convince the middle that socialism is the best form of government by presenting Jesus Christ as a Socialist.

What is a “socialist”?

In every example of national socialism, from Hitler’s Germany to Venezuela today, the regulation of “production, distribution, and exchange” is carried out by those in positions of governmental power, not direct voting by each citizen. Those in power use force to seize private property and labor to control and redistribute as they see fit. Force is usually necessary since most business people who have risked and sacrificed greatly to build a business will not surrender it to a polite request. Socialism is achieved through violence, or the threat of violence, not just artful articulation or propaganda.
If you doubt this, let me ask you, if a business owner refused to surrender ownership and/or control of his company to a socialistic government, what would be the result? The record is undeniable; property/business has always been taken by force.

Was Jesus a Socialist?

To answer that question, we must ask if Jesus promoted socialism or directed others to do so. Some claim that He did based on the following passages:

“render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s”

Matthew 22:21 “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

In this passage Jesus directed His disciples to give Caesar/government that which it has a rightful claim to, but says nothing about authorizing government to take the business or income of one man and giving it to another man who has not labored for it.

“go, sell what you possess and give to the poor”

Matthew 19:21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Again, the Lord says nothing about government power. The passage involves a particular individual’s responsibility, not a collective responsibility.

Christians who owned property sold it and gave the money to the apostles to feed the poor.

Acts 4:34-35 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Again, the passage says nothing about government being granted authority to take the business or income of one man and give it to another man who has not labored for it. Rather, the issue here involves the responsibility of Christians to meet the needs of other Christians who were unavoidably destitute.

Leftist attempt to spit shine socialism with sophistry, empty promises, and associating it with Christ, but history and scripture expose it as a tragic failure. Socialism is simply the concentration of power/force in the hands of the state to control economic planning, to coercively redistribute wealth, and punish anyone inconvenient to that effort. Jesus Christ nowhere promoted this.

The “collective” responsibilities given by Christ primarily involve spiritual matters and very limited benevolence by local congregations toward Christians who were unavoidably destitute. In fact, through the Apostle Paul, the Lord instructed His people “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10-11

Using force to take the property of one man and giving it to another man who did not labor for it is antithetical to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

JESUS CHRIST WAS NOT A SOCIALIST!

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… until they meet the conditions of personal forgiveness!!!

On September 6, 2018, off-duty police officer Amber Guyger of Dallas, Texas arrived at her apartment complex after a 13.5-hour shift.  After parking on the wrong level, Officer Guyger went to what she mistakenly thought was her apartment, inserted her key into the door lock, but found the door unlocked.  Thinking her apartment had been broken into Guyger entered and confronted Botham Jean, the lawful occupant.  Thinking Mr. Jean was a burglar Guyger shot him with her service pistol.  Tragically, Mr. Jean was killed.  Amber Guyger has been convicted of murder and sentenced to ten years in prison.  During the trial Ms. Guyger expressed extreme remorse and contrition for the act of criminal negligence that she had committed.  In his “victim impact statement” Brandt Jean (18), Botham Jean’s brother, forgave Ms. Guyger and expressed hope that she would come to the Lord Jesus. 

Did Brandt Jean have the right to forgive a contrite and remorseful Amber Guyger?

On October 1^st 1997 a sixteen-year old heartless ghoul murdered his mother and then entered the Pearl Mississippi High School where he murdered two students and wounded seven others.  The following day certain students posted a banner at the high school which stated, “We forgive you!”

Did the students have the right to forgive the unremorseful killer?

Does God require believers to exercise unconditional forgiveness?  Can you forgive someone of a crime they committed against another?  Let’s consider the principles that will help us find the answers to these important questions.

God’s word is clear regarding our responsibility to forgive others!

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”                                                                            Matthew 6:14, 15

Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”                               Matthew 18:21, 22

We are to forgive, but is to be unconditional?

The instructions are clear, we are to forgive others, but is this required under all conditions?  Vasily Blokhin was Joseph Stalin’s chief executioner.  He executed tens of thousands of political prisoners with his own hand, including 7,000 Polish prisoners during the Katyn Forrest Massacre in the Spring of 1940.  I found no record that Blokhin ever expressed remorse.  Should the Polish people forgive Blokhin?  Though he committed no crimes against us personally, should you and I forgive him? If a kidnapper has taken someone in your family and has been captured but hasn’t returned your loved one, are you to forgive them nonetheless?

God’s law regarding personal forgiveness

Paul tells the Christians in Colossae,

“bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.” Colossians 3:13

First note, “if anyone has a complaint against another,” that is “an occasion of complaint” and by implication, if you have a legitimate charge against another, then you are to “forgive as Christ forgave you.”  

We are to forgive as Christ forgives, which begs the question, does Christ forgive unconditionally, or does He require repentance?

Some argue that Christ called for the unconditional forgiveness of His murderers when on the cross He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) The problem with this conclusion is that Peter, with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, indicts these same people of the crucifixion/murder of Christ and instructs them to “repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins”. (Acts 2:36-38) If they had already been forgiven unconditionally of the betrayal and murder of Christ, why did they need to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of the same sin?  In Acts 3:19 Peter says again to those guilty of the murder of Christ, “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out.” In fact, we see in scores of passages from Matthew through Revelation that repentance is essential to forgiveness and salvation.

God does not forgive unconditionally and neither should we!

The Lord said, “Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him!”                                                                                     Luke 17:3

Love involves our attempting to restore the sinner, not forgive them unconditionally.  Note also, Matthew 18:15-17, Galatians 6:1, James 5:19, among many other passages.  We are not loving the sinner when we overlook their sin. 

What if they refuse to repent?  Then you have to move on and do not let bitterness control your heart. “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.” Ephesians 4:26

In Summary

We are to forgive as God forgives.  When the offender repents, we forgive.  If they refuse to humble themselves, we must withhold our forgiveness, just as God does.  Brandt Jean was right in forgiving Amber Guyger, however, the students in Pearl Mississippi were in error in forgiving an unrepentant killer.

“Those Whom God Hates!” Is this a ridiculous concept?  Many believe so.  After all, we all know that God loves everyone, right? Have we not heard all of our lives, “God hates the sin but loves the sinner?”  This is based on the wonderful passages which emphasize the love of God, of which the most famous is John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”  The hearts of Christians are also touched when they learn from Romans 5:8 that “while they were yet sinners Christ died for them.”  Many other passages also speak to the power of God’s love for all such as Hebrews 2:9, 1 John 4:10, and Titus 2:11.

The word translated “love” in the aforementioned passages is the Greek word “agape” and it involves compassion and acting with fairness and justice towards others. It is undeniable that God has demonstrated this love for all.  We find it beautifully stated in Psalms 139:13-16 that it was God who formed us in the wombs of our mothers, and in Acts 17:25 we learn that He gives us “life, breath, and everything.”

It is undeniable that God has loved all!

God expressed His love by giving “life and breath and everything” to Hitler, Stalin, Nancy Pelosi, Mother Teresa, the Apostle Paul, King David, and you and me.  Then when we sinned He demonstrated His love by sending His Son, our Lord and King, to die on the cross that we, and all, might have the opportunity of salvation.

But, does God love all regardless of the circumstances?

On April 30, 1945 in the Fuhrerbunker located in Berlin, Hitler placed a Walther PPK pistol to his temple and took his life, unrepentant to the end.  Did God still love him?  Did God still love the recently deceased Illinois abortionist in whose home was found the trophy remains of over two thousand murdered children?  What about those joyously celebrating legislation that legalizes taking the life of children up to the moment of birth and after?  And on and on.

Some will argue that there is no limit to the love of God, but what does His word say?

Psalms 5:5-6 5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. 6 You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

Psalms 11:5 The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.

Proverbs 6:16-19 16 There are six things that the Lord hates,  seven that are an abomination to him: 17  haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18  a heart that devises wicked plans,  feet that make haste to run to evil, 19  a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. 

It is easy to understand how some in their appreciation for God find it hard to accept that there are those whom God hates, but He does and His word expresses this truth clearly.  We see it in His destruction by flood of the entire human race with the exception of eight righteous souls.  We see it in the destruction of rebellious nations, and empires from the earliest biblical record to the obliteration of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. which had been foretold by the Lord Himself in Matthew 24 and was alluded to throughout the New Testament.

In Hebrews 10:26-31 the prophet tells us concerning one who had been converted to Christ but then continues to “willfully sin” that “there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgement” and that “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!”

There are many other passages we could appeal to and more points that could be made, but the real question is does God hate us and should we be terrified of Him, and the answer is, “Yes!” IF we are content to be “lawless” and IF we are willfully pursuing sin! Our violation of His law will break us to pieces in this life, and serve to condemn us for the next.

These things need not be!

If prideful sin leads to lawlessness and incites God’s hatred, then the key to assuring His love is our humble submission to the good news of His Son, Jesus Christ.  Living in the light of God’s Will is a far, far better place than being lost in the darkness and suffering His wrath.

“… The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.”  Psalms 146:8

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