JD: I want you to rehearse for us the Biblical basis for governments using lethal force as one of their God given functions.
DJ: In Genesis we find in Genesis chapter 6 that the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And we know that that precipitated the destruction of the entire world with only eight survivors Noah and his wife and his three sons and their wives. After the flood waters receded and God established a Covenant with Noah. The Noahic Covenant in Genesis chapter 9 we find that rudimentary form of government was put in place and that was for the restraint of evil and God introduced capital punishment.
So, just as we continue to be under the judgment of the Tower
of Babel and the implications from that the Noahic Covenant is also eternal and
so we are also under those stipulations that God has put government in place
for the purpose of restraining evil. Not just to the domestic level but I would
say that each nation has a responsibility both internally and externally. If you go
to Romans chapter 13 we find that this concept continues in the New Testament
where Paul says let every soul be subject to the governing authority because
there is no authority except from God and the authorities that exist are
appointed by God. But then he goes on to say that God has actually put
governments in place and that the government does not wield the sword in vain
for he is God’s minister to avenge and execute wrath on him who practices evil.
So, I would say that would be both internally and externally. So, I think there
is a Biblical basis for that.
JD: David James explaining from the Bible God’s view of war.
We report this information because it is setting the stage
for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled.
Jesus said in the Olivet Discourse that in the last days
there would be wars and rumors of wars that would be a sign to the Jewish
people of His second coming not the rapture but the second coming. Many
Christians ask the question should a Christian go to war according to the
Bible. Some may think that is a tough question and it is. However, a study of
God’s word like David James just gave us reveals that war is in God’s plan for
the end times in fact, many wars as we approach the end. Matthew 24, Mark 13,
and Luke 21 the Olivet Discourse God helps us to understand God’s plan in our
world is revealed through human government which does set in motion wars and
rumors of wars. Plus the fact that human government is involved, Genesis 9:6
these wars on the horizon are precursors of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy.
