Bryan Fischer
Nothing "Christian" about the Christian militia groups
By Bryan Fischer
You will have read by now about the arrests of nine members of a militia group calling itself the Hutaree, a group which claims to be a Christian group and liberally sprinkles Bible verses around its website.
Unfortunately, it is Christian only in name but not in fact.
The Hutaree regard local, state and federal law enforcement as their enemy, and were apparently preparing to ambush one innocent law enforcement officer and then used improvised explosive devices to blow up the vehicles of the law enforcement officials who attended the funeral of the first victim.
Nothing about this is Christian. In fact, we are explicitly forbidden, in Romans 12:19, from taking matters of justice into our own hands as the Hutaree were prepared to do. "Never," says the apostle, "avenge yourselves."
According to the next paragraph in Paul's flow of thought, God has delegated his authority to civil magistrates to carry out justice on our behalf. The public servant "is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the evildoer (Romans 13:4)."
This is the obvious biblical antidote to civil chaos and total anarchy. If men take matters of justice into their own hands, violence and bloodshed are the inevitable result. But if government uses its God-ordained power, including lethal power when necessary ("he does not bear the sword in vain" according to Romans 13:4), to punish those who infringe on the life, liberty or property of their fellow citizens, justice will be done and order and peace can be maintained in society.
The bottom line here is that as flawed as our law enforcement officials and judges may be, they and they alone have been entrusted by God with his authority to punish evil and criminal behavior. He has never entrusted that power to the Hutaree. Thus their efforts are not Christian in the least, but rather the efforts of anarchists. Their actions are utterly without divine sanction, and the Scriptures could hardly be clearer on the subject.
As Paul says, "whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment (Romans 13:2)." The Hutaree have resisted, and now must face judgment. And they have only themselves to blame for ignoring the plain teaching of Scripture.
© Bryan Fischer
March 29, 2010
You will have read by now about the arrests of nine members of a militia group calling itself the Hutaree, a group which claims to be a Christian group and liberally sprinkles Bible verses around its website.
Unfortunately, it is Christian only in name but not in fact.
The Hutaree regard local, state and federal law enforcement as their enemy, and were apparently preparing to ambush one innocent law enforcement officer and then used improvised explosive devices to blow up the vehicles of the law enforcement officials who attended the funeral of the first victim.
Nothing about this is Christian. In fact, we are explicitly forbidden, in Romans 12:19, from taking matters of justice into our own hands as the Hutaree were prepared to do. "Never," says the apostle, "avenge yourselves."
According to the next paragraph in Paul's flow of thought, God has delegated his authority to civil magistrates to carry out justice on our behalf. The public servant "is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the evildoer (Romans 13:4)."
This is the obvious biblical antidote to civil chaos and total anarchy. If men take matters of justice into their own hands, violence and bloodshed are the inevitable result. But if government uses its God-ordained power, including lethal power when necessary ("he does not bear the sword in vain" according to Romans 13:4), to punish those who infringe on the life, liberty or property of their fellow citizens, justice will be done and order and peace can be maintained in society.
The bottom line here is that as flawed as our law enforcement officials and judges may be, they and they alone have been entrusted by God with his authority to punish evil and criminal behavior. He has never entrusted that power to the Hutaree. Thus their efforts are not Christian in the least, but rather the efforts of anarchists. Their actions are utterly without divine sanction, and the Scriptures could hardly be clearer on the subject.
As Paul says, "whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment (Romans 13:2)." The Hutaree have resisted, and now must face judgment. And they have only themselves to blame for ignoring the plain teaching of Scripture.
© Bryan Fischer
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