Defending the Truth?

We are commanded to preach and teach the truth. “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke…” (2 Timothy 4:2); “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth…” (Ephesians 4:14-15).We are also commanded to defend the truth, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you…” (1 Peter 3:15). Many Christians look at these passages and go out very zealously to preach, teach and defend the truth and sin in so doing!

Yes, I do mean that a Christian can teach, preach or defend the truth and sin in the process. I am not saying that it is a sin to do these things, for it is a sin not to. However, I am saying that you can preach, teach and defend the truth in a sinful manner. Look again at the verses mentioned earlier. You probably already noticed that there are some phrases missing out of those verses. The entire passage of 2 Timothy 4:2 should read “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” The command to exhort (encourage) with all longsuffering (loving patience) is often forgotten by many. Also Ephesians 4:15 should begin, “But speaking the truth in love…” Now I am not trying to sound like a “liberal,” but brethren, “Where’s the love…?” If we zealously go out to preach the truth with some other motivation than the love of God and the love of our fellow man, we commit sin!

In “defending” the truth, do you seek to defend the gospel or do you seek to “defend” yourself? All too often, I have seen brethren seek to defend the Truth, not for the Truth’s sake, but for their own. When their belief / position is brought into question, they take it as personal insult and begin to argue their case. Though they may hold a scriptural position, their motive for arguing is a selfish one – they want to win! They want to show off their skill as a debater and extensive knowledge of the Bible. They seemingly have forgotten the rest of 1 Peter 3:15 “…with meekness and fear…” In arguing for the sake of argument, meekness is thrown by the wayside and fear, or respect for others is forgotten.

What is central to the issue is one of the worst five-letter words in the dictionary… Pride! Personal pride is the opposite of meekness and respect for others. Selfish pride has no room for love of the lost, or for “suffering long” with them. Why are there divisions in the church today? Quite often, they result from selfish pride. It goes something like this: One brother puts forth a position, either scriptural or unscriptural. Another brother disagrees with that position. The first brother is insulted that someone has disagreed with him and an argument ensues. Both brothers “well up” with selfish pride and seek to win the argument. Both brothers resort to personal attacks and in the end, no one wins, but the cause of Christ comes out the loser! Let me repeat… the cause of Christ comes out the loser! It is wrong not to defend the truth. It is a sin to “straddle the fence.” We must take a stand for Christ! But we must not do so in a striving manner. We must defend the truth, but we must do it meekly; we must do it respectfully; we must do it lovingly.

Many times Jesus debated the Truth with the Pharisees and scribes. He never railed against them personally, but rather He went after their false doctrines and after their hypocrisies. He did not do so to “win” an argument, but rather to show them the Truth, to point out how they were going wrong. We ought to follow His example in this, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously…” (1 Peter 2:21-23).

He defended the truth. It did it with love and compassion. He did not defend it to glorify Himself. He did not defend the Truth in order to humiliate His adversaries. He wanted to bring about a positive change in their lives. He wanted to save their souls. The saving of souls should be our motivation in teaching, preaching and defending the truth, not selfish pride! When we seek to “win” an argument, all too often we push others even further away from Christ.

When I was in the U.S. Coast Guard, I attended a law-enforcement training program. During “hand-cuffing” practice, we were taught a technique of twisting the handcuff on a suspect’s wrist in such a way as to cause a sharp pain. This was only to be used if they resisted being “cuffed.” However, we were warned to let up after a moment’s pressure so as not to cause the suspect’s adrenaline to come up. Our body naturally defends itself against negative stimuli. Adrenaline causes a “fight or flight” reaction in the body. If an officer inflicts pain on a suspect in order to motivate him to comply, but if he goes too far, or fails to let up after compliance, the suspect often resists even further and the situation escalates until it gets out of hand. Remember Rodney King…? The police officers tried to subdue him, he fought back, things escalated…. they beat him unmercifully and the entire city of Los Angeles nearly went up in flames because of it!

When we try to teach or defend the truth, and we let things get out of hand, and get “personal,” we do more harm than good to the cause of Christ. Rather than cause strife on our part, why not take Christ’s approach and simply end our defense of the gospel with “He who has an ear to hear, let him hear.”

War and the Christian

Can A Christian Serve in the Military?

There is a controversy among members of the church as to whether a Christian can serve in the military and fight in war. Many who support this position turn to passages such as 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)" Often, they will point to the fact that Christianity allows no hatred, or physical retaliation (Galatians 5:14, Romans 12:17-21,13:9) and that vengeance belongs to the Lord (Romans 12:19).

First, we need to understand that in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 Paul is speaking of our spiritual warfare against the spiritual forces of evil. Temptation, false religion, the lusts of the flesh, etc. In that war, our weapons are not carnal, because it is not a carnal war. Physical warfare will not defeat spiritual foes. This passage does not even address physical war among nations.

With regard to the second argument they are right about that fact that Christianity allows no hatred at all nor does it allow retaliation on an individual basis. That is what Romans 12 teaches. Romans 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." Vengeance belongs to the Lord. That is why we are not to seek personal vengeance.

The Lord executes vengeance and punishes evil doers. How does He do this? In many cases, through the ministry of civil government. God allows civil government to rule over the nations, Romans 13:1 "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God." Romans 13:4 says, "For he" (the ruler / agent of civil government) "is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil" [Emph. mine]. Civil government is authorized by, and used by, God to execute His wrath upon those who do evil. It executes this wrath both domestically with its Police force and abroad with its military force.

If the civil government's use of force is authorized by God, and it is, then Christians are authorized to participate in it. If non-Christians can serve as police or in the military without sinning... If non-Christians can use carnal weapons to fight in carnal warfare as authorized by civil government without sinning, then so can the Christian. We are all under the same law! If it is sin for the non-Christian, then it is sin for the Christian. If it is not sin for the non-Christian, then it is not sin for the Christian. There is not one law for the Christian and a separate law for the non-Christian.

The Narrow-Minded Jesus

If one is “narrow-minded” or “exclusively minded” in today’s society, he will be considered bigoted, prejudiced, biased, small-minded and intolerant. To be “narrow-minded” is about the most “politically in-correct” thing that a person can be today. The politically correct, “inclusively minded” regime in our society vehemently and vocally opposes any thing that smacks of “intolerance”. This “PC” movement stems out of the belief in secular humanism – that is the idea that there is no all-sufficient standard of authority in the way mankind lives upon this earth. They say that they believe this to be true, yet they have made “tolerance” their objective standard. Tolerance, to them, means toleration of any thing that is considered by them to be politically correct. Their idea of tolerance does not include tolerance toward such things as American patriotism, monogamous-heterosexual marriage and the Christian religion. Every thing else must be tolerated or you will be “narrow-minded”.

If Jesus were here in the flesh today, He would be the most “politically in-correct” person in the world and everywhere people gathered to hear Him preach there would be hundreds of protestors demonstrating against Him and His teachings. Secular humanists would object to His system of morality. Religious leaders of the world religions would be “up-in-arms” against Him for His claim to be the ONLY way to heaven. Christian denominational leaders would object to His teaching that only a faithful few will be saved. How do I know al this? Because Jesus is the most “narrow-minded” man to ever walk on this planet. Listen to what He said when He was here in the first-century:

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 (KJV)

“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” John 14:6 (KJV)

“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture” John 10:9 (KJV)

"He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” John 12:48 (KJV)

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-23 (KJV)

This all sounds pretty “narrow-minded” and exclusive to me. These narrow-minded teachings of Jesus exclude many that would try to seek God through Muhammad or Joseph Smith; through Judaism, Buddhism, or denominationalism. With Jesus it is “His Way” (“which leadeth unto life”) or the “Highway” (“that leadeth to destruction”). The Apostle Peter said this of Christ, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps...” (1 Peter 2:21, KJV). Let us therefore in following after Jesus, be likewise “narrow-minded” and keep ourselves on the way “which leadeth unto life.”