Worldview Wednesdays: Thinking and Acting Biblically-Murdering the Innocent while Liberating the Guilty

I've been asked why I support capital punishment but detest abortion as a Christian. In Genesis 9:4-6, just after the Flood, God declared that one who sheds blood shall his blood be shed. In the Law, murder vs killing is outlined, and the best translation in the Ten Commandments regarding the shedding of blood is "Thou shalt not murder". In the New Testament, Christ never condemned execution of the guilty, for He did not deny justice in the case of the two thieves on the cross next to him. Likewise, the Apostle Paul in Romans 13 speaks of how God uses governments to enact justice on the wicked.

Tragically, we see the opposite of this throughout America and the world today. Abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, homicide, and other forms of murder take place on a regular basis with little or no justice. However, those who commit such crimes are either exonerated with light sentences as is the case with those in many of our "correctional" institutes, or they are never charged with a crime to begin with, which is especially the case with abortion and early infanticide. This directly reflects the worldview in which we live, but it is not new. The Psalms and the Prophets are filled with texts demonstrating such vile behavior, yet God will vindicate the righteous, and His wrath will be ferocious.

Nonetheless, we are commanded to love our enemies and pray for our leaders and the lost as we admonish them to repent of wickedness at the same time. Concurrently, we are commanded to take a stand for the innocent and exalt justice for them, but we must never take vengeance in our hands no matter how enraged we become, for vengeance is the Lord's, and He will repay (Rom 12).

Insights from Calvin's Institutes Book 2 Lesson 3 Ch 5-6: Free Will and Our Hope in Christ

For the notes click here.

For the audio click here.

Insights from Calvin's Institutes Book 2 Lesson 2 Ch 3-4

For the audio on Lesson 2 click here.

For the notes on Lesson 2 click here.

When "I Love You" is Hard to Say

In light of the sermon from Chris today on love, I thought I'd write out a specific reflection as it pertains to a Biblical marriage. In this fallen world, even a Biblical marriage can be tough. Both the husband and wife understand what Biblical love is in this case, yet it can still be hard to say "I love you." This tends to occur the most when we find ourselves at odds for various reasons. It is in these moments that we are given the opportunity to demonstrate Biblical love in a beatiful way. Why is this? It is easy to say "I love you" when everything is going well, but it's not so easy when things aren't going as we have planned or when we've been wronged. This never excuses sin, but we must be mindful of our dispositions before God and man, lest we cease to love as God commands. Therefore, let us be long-suffering and patient with our spouses by telling them with a good attitude that we love them whether in good times or ill.

The Mind of God Sundays: Proverbs--Proverbs 1

¹The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
²To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand words of insight,
³to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in righteousness, justice, and equity;
⁴to give prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the youth—
⁵Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
and the one who understands obtain guidance,
⁶to understand a proverb and a saying,
the words of the wise and their riddles.

⁷The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.

⁸Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
⁹for they are a graceful garland for your head
and pendants for your neck.
¹⁰My son, if sinners entice you,
do not consent.
¹¹If they say, "Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;
let us ambush the innocent without reason;
¹²like Sheol let us swallow them alive,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
¹³we shall find all precious goods,
we shall fill our houses with plunder;
¹⁴throw in your lot among us;
we will all have one purse"—
¹⁵my son, do not walk in the way with them;
hold back your foot from their paths,
¹⁶for their feet run to evil,
and they make haste to shed blood.
¹⁷For in vain is a net spread
in the sight of any bird,
¹⁸but these men lie in wait for their own blood;
they set an ambush for their own lives.
¹⁹Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;
it takes away the life of its possessors.
²⁰Wisdom cries aloud in the street,
in the markets she raises her voice;
²¹at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
²²"How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?
²³If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;
I will make my words known to you.
²⁴Because I have called and you refused to listen,
have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
²⁵because you have ignored all my counsel
and would have none of my reproof,
²⁶I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when terror strikes you,
²⁷when terror strikes you like a storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
²⁸Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
²⁹Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the LORD,
³⁰would have none of my counsel
and despised all my reproof,
³¹therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
and have their fill of their own devices.
³²For the simple are killed by their turning away,
and the complacency of fools destroys them;
³³but whoever listens to me will dwell secure
and will be at ease, without dread of disaster."